Whalers found in Aussie waters

A protest ship has intercepted the Japanese whaling fleet and is chasing it to prevent its annual whale hunt.

The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society ship Steve Irwin found harpoon ship Yushin Maru 2, one of six ships in the Japanese fleet, inside Australian waters on Saturday morning. Another whaling ship, the Nisshin Maru, was spotted from the air. Both were within the Australian Economic Antarctic Exclusion Zone.

In January, an Australian Federal Court ruled the Japanese could not hunt whales there.

Captain Paul Watson told The Dominion Post that, as his crew were about to launch rotten butter bombs at the Yushin Maru 2, they were forced back by 90kmh winds.

Yesterday, the Steve Irwin and the Japanese fleet were struggling to manoeuvre in heavy pack-ice.

Mr Watson said his group planned to chase the Nisshin Maru once the heavy ice conditions eased.

"If we shut down the Nisshin Maru, we shut down the whole thing. They need the factory vessel. There's no point killing whales if there's nowhere to bring them."