Sea Shepherd in water cannon stoush | National News | Breaking National News in Australia

9th February 2010

AAP

ANTI-WHALING activists hope to prevent Japanese whalers from making a kill for the next three weeks, as they exchange water cannon fire on the high seas.

The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society's ship Steve Irwin joined its other vessel, the Bob Barker, in Antarctic waters about 7am (AEDT) on Monday in pursuit of the Japanese factory ship, Nisshin Maru.

"As we moved towards them they we had a bit of a water cannon fight and demonstrated ours was a more powerful water cannon," Captain Paul Watson told AAP on Tuesday from the Steve Irwin.

Several of the Nisshin Maru crew had to jump out of the way to prevent being hit, Mr Watson said.

The Steve Irwin is a few hundred metres away from the Nisshin Maru.

"If they attempt to kill whales we are not going to move - there will be collision," Cpt Watson said.

"We will not allow them to load a whale onto that boat while we are here."

The Japanese began their whaling season on December 20.

Capt Watson estimates they have so far killed about 350 minke whales out of a target of 935 and the Sea Shepherd hopes to tail the Japanese for the next three weeks.

"I am quite confident that we are going to have a serious impact on their kill profit," he said.

There was a violent collision between Bob Barker and Japanese vessel Yushin Maru 3 on Saturday, which ripped a hole in the hull of the protest ship.

Sea Shepherd has released footage showing the Bob Barker and Yushin Maru 3 racing in a similar direction. They draw nearer, the Japanese vessel wheels around, and the rear of the vessel slams into the Bob Barker.

Commercial whaling is banned but each summer, Japan hunts hundreds of whales in Antarctic waters in the name of scientific research.

Before the last federal election, Labor promised to take international legal action against Japan to stop the whaling, but no action has materialised.

"(Prime Minister) Kevin Rudd and (Environment Minister) Peter Garrett pretty much sold out their integrity to the Japan. They are not going to do anything," Cpt Watson said.

"The fact is trade is trumping the law. Australia refuses to uphold the law, refusing to uphold Kevin Rudd's promise to uphold the law."

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