Ships collide in Antarctic whaling clash

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(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-02-06 12:55

Japan, which has described the Sea Shepherd activists as terrorists, plans to harvest up to 935 minke whales and 50 fin whales this season. Under International Whaling Commission rules, the mammals may be killed for research but not for commercial purposes. Opponents say the Japanese research expeditions are simply a cover for commercial whaling, which was banned in 1986.

Watson said the incident Friday began when his crew saw the Japanese kill four whales and tried to maneuver its vessel in such a way as to prevent the Japanese from pulling the carcasses on board their ship. Then another Japanese vessel tried to block the anti-whaling boat, and it slammed into the whaling vessel.

Members of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society stand aboard their anti-whaling protest ship Steve Irwin near Japan's whaling research ship, in the Southern Ocean February 5, 2009. The Sea Shepherd ship Steve Irwin collided with the Yushin Maru 2 in the Southern Ocean as the harpoon vessel tried to block its attempt to prevent the transfer of a dead whale up the slipway of the factory ship Nisshin Maru," said Steve Irwin Captain Paul Watson. Picture taken February 5, 2009. [Agencies]

The Sea Shepherd crew has spent the past two days pelting the Japanese with bottles of butyric acid, produced by rancid butter. Watson said the Japanese have responded by blasting his crew with a water cannon, hunks of metal and a "military grade" noise weapon that can cause deafness and vomiting.

Earlier this week, Watson said two of his crew members were slightly injured by water cannon and a chunk of metal thrown by the Japanese. Several have experienced headaches from the noise device, he said Friday.

Protesters set off from Australia in early December for the remote and icy Antarctic Ocean, chasing the whaling fleet for about 2,000 miles (3,200 kilometers) before stopping two weeks ago in Tasmania to refuel. The group found the whalers again on Sunday and resumed their pursuit.

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