Japanese Police May Be Sent to Protect Whalers

Published Jan 12, 2006 12:01 AM by The Maritime Executive

Japan's fisheries agency may ask for Japanese police to be sent to protect the country's whaling fleet, following two separate collisions this week between whalers and protest ships.

Conservation groups Greenpeace and Sea Shepherd have been chasing Japan's whaling fleet in Antarctic waters for two weeks, trying to block their hunt for the 850 minke whales and 10 fin whales, which Japan says it must kill as part of a scientific research program. Japan ultimately sells the whale meat for food.

Hideki Moronuki, the Deputy Chief of the Far Seas Fisheries, a division of Japan's Fisheries Agency, was quoted as saying that he may ask Japan's Maritime Police Agency to support its whaling operations, if the conservationists continue to interfer.

The two separate collisions on Sunday occurred in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary established by the International Whaling Commission in 1994. Japan does not recognize the sanctuary.

Conservationists have urged the Australian and New Zealand governments - both strong opponents of whaling - to send navy ships to stop Japanese ships from killing whales.

The Australian government stated that the whaling is a civilian issue, and will not send military ships, and New Zealand concurs.

Japan and Greenpeace are at odds concerning who was to blame for Sunday's collision between the whaler "Nisshin Maru" and Greenpeace's "Arctic Sunrise." The Greenpeace ship was dented at the bow, but no injuries were reported.

Sea Shepherd said it deliberately struck the supply vessel "Oriental Bluebird" with its ship "Farley Mowat" later Sunday. Neither ship was badly damaged, and no injuries were reported.

The Australian government has condemned Sea Shepherd for using extreme tactics.