Whale battle underway

Sea Shepherd

WHALING SCUFFLES: Environmental group Sea Shepherd says a sound blasting device was fired at its helicopter by the Japanese.

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Anti-whaling campaigners the Sea Shepherd have clashed with a Japanese ship in the Southern Ocean.

A sound blasting device has been fired at their helicopter, the group says.

Sea Shepherd's Steve Irwin ship, which left Australia earlier this month to disrupt whaling in the Southern Ocean, has had a Japanese security ship Shonan Maru No 2 tracking it for nine days.

In a statement Sea Shepherd said it entered French Antarctic territorial waters at Dumont D'Urville in an attempt to lose Shonan Maru.

The Japanese entered too.

Last evening the Steve Irwin helicopter flew back to film the Shonan Maru No. 2.

In response, the crew of the Japanese ship activated their Long Range Acoustical Device (LRAD) at the Sea Shepherd helicopter. LRAD is a military class weapon.

"This was an extremely irresponsible thing to do," said helicopter pilot Chris Aultman.

"That device can cause nausea and disorientation and the use of it against an aircraft is both extremely dangerous and grossly irresponsible."

The Sea Shepherd helicopter returned to the Steve Irwin for safety from the LRAD, at which point, the Shonan Maru No. 2 increased speed and aimed their water canons in an attempt to destroy the helicopter on the landing pad.

This occurred while the crew was attempting to secure the helicopter.

The Sea Shepherd ship is undamaged and the crew safe. Sea Shepherd has reported the incident to the French authorities. The pursuit continues.

"The situation is now very dangerous," said Captain Paul Watson.

"We have deliberately led the Japanese ship into thick ice in order to lose them in the ice. The icebergs could easily damage either vessel."

- © Fairfax NZ News