Russia Detains Japanese Whaling Patrol Ship, Crew

Pictured: Shonan Maru No. 2 in the Southern Ocean in 2010 collision with the Ady Gil. Courtesy of Sea Shepherd Conservation Society.

Russian authorities have been questioning the crew of a seized Japanese whaling ship after the ship reportedly deviated from a pre-approved route during a trip to survey whaling grounds in the Sea of Okhotsk – a plan worked out by the International Whaling Commission.

The Shonan Maru No. 2 was conducting a visual survey of the area's waters on a Japanese government-sponsored (Fisheries Research Agency) trip on August 15 when it was stopped by the Russian authorities over the suspected violation, reports the Wall Street Journal. The crew was asked to sail to the port of Magadan in Russia’s Far East. The crewmembers have been voluntarily cooperating with the Russian investigators, according to various reports.

Tokyo is in contact with Moscow over the matter, as well as with the crewmembers who haven't been officially detained.

The Shonan Maru No. 2, a patrol boat that accompanies whale-hunting ships, left Japan on August 8 for a month-long research trip to be conducted in waters that are part of Russia's exclusive economic zone (EEZ). However, Russian authorities say the patrol ship failed to notify them of a change in its planned route, and complained that the ship intruded into Russian territorial waters – outside of the EEZ. The ship’s skipper has not admitted to this claim.

In the past, the same ship was involved in scuffles with Sea Shepherd and other activists critical of Japan's whaling operations.

The latest episode came as tensions between Tokyo and Moscow hit their highest level in recent years.