TENSIONS are rising in the Antarctic following skirmishes last month between anti-whaling protesters and Japanese vessels they accuse of commercial whaling under the guise of research.
This week, Keiichi Nakajima, head of the Japan Whaling Association, to close their ports to the Steve Irwin, a ship run by the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, on the grounds that it has committed 鈥渃riminal acts鈥� and endangered lives. Failure to do so, he said, would make them 鈥渃omplicit鈥� in any further attacks. Australia has agreed to consider Japan鈥檚 request.
The Japanese Institute of Cetacean Research says that in the worst , the activists鈥� ship circled the Japanese whale-sighting vessel for 3 hours on , before ramming it from behind and throwing bottles of acid at the ship and its crew.
Advertisement
. 鈥淭he extent of Sea Shepherd鈥檚 actions has been to toss rotten butter and slime onto the decks of the whalers to hinder their illegal activities,鈥� says Paul Watson, the ship鈥檚 captain. 鈥淲e have turned their decks into stink holes but we have not hurt any whaler nor have we damaged any property and we have not rammed these illegal whaling ships.鈥�
鈥淲e have engaged them and stopped their whaling activities for two weeks鈥�
Now needing to refuel, the crew of the Steve Irwin say they are determined to continue their activities, and plan to .
