Antarctic War on Whalers Escalates

Japan has asked the Netherlands to stop Greenpeace’s battles with Japanese whalers in Antarctic waters after an activists’ boat collided with a whaling ship.

We have asked the Netherlands to stop the pirate-like, dangerous activities by Greenpeace, as their boat is registered in the Netherlands, said Hideki Moronuki, chief of the whaling section at Japan’s Fisheries Agency, The Australian reported Tuesday.

The Greenpeace boat Arctic Sunrise collided Sunday with the Japanese Nisshin Maru. Each side blamed the other for the incident.

In a separate incident, the militant environmental group Sea Shepherd admitted its ship deliberately sideswiped a Japanese whaling supply ship Monday.

The two groups have attempted to stop whalers by putting activists in small inflatable boats between the harpooners and the whales.

Also Tuesday, Greenpeace called on the Australian government to reject any request from Japan to use Australia to refuel planes it may send to police its whaling operations.

Since 1986 the International Whaling Commission has imposed a moratorium on commercial whaling, but Japan says it is hunting for scientific research. It is no secret that the research provides whale meat for Japanese consumers, who consider it a delicacy.