Southern Ocean

Reports
from the International Whaling Commission 3 day intercessional meeting
in London say that commercial whaling may be allowed but the scientific
loophole which has allowed Japan to whale in the Antarctic may be
closed. This would allow Japan to whale commercially in the north
Pacific regulated by the IWC. The meeting also rebuked Sea Shepherd
over "Safety at Sea".

Related: Japanese Coast Guard shoots Paul Watson, injures Sea Shepherd crew

Captain Paul Watson was shot in the chest during an engagement between the Sea Shepherd vessel Steve Irwin and the Japanese whaling ship, Nisshin Maru on March 7. The Japanese Foreign Ministry and Institute for Cetecean Research have denied guns were used at all during the engagement in contradiction to advice given to Australian embassy officials in Japan and the reports from Sea Shepherd.

* More Butyric Acid (rotten butter) thrown onto whaling factory ship Nisshin Maru * Japanese Coast Guard respond with flash grenades and Captain Paul Watson shot in chest * Three activists injured in attack by Japanese Coast Guard * Japanese Foreign Ministry and Director of ICR denies any shots fired * Australian embassy advised "warning shots" fired

Related: Sea Shepherd Video: Japanese Coast Guard attack, injure Sea Shepherd crew | UK IMC: Sea Shepherd Activists Injured As Japanese Military Open Fire

Anti-whaling activists from Sea Shepherd
have confronted the whaling factory ship, Nisshin Maru in the Southern
Ocean Whale Sanctuary between 0800 and 1000 Hours on March 3, 175 miles
off the Antarctic Banzare Coast inside the Australian Economic
Exclusion Zone. During the confrontation the Sea Shepherd crew threw
bottles of rotten butter (Butyric acid) and a 'slippery chemical' onto
the decks of the whaling ship. (Sea Shepherd Video report)

The Australian Attorney General's office is refusing to release photographic and video evidence on Japanese whaling gathered by the Australian Patrol ship Oceanic Viking to Humane Society international (HSI) to use for contempt of court action against the Japanese whalers.

The Sea Shepherd ship Steve Irwin arrived in Melbourne early Saturday afternoon to an enthusiastic crowd of about 150 people to greet the ship. Captain Paul Watson vowed to refuel and be ready to sail back to the Southern Ocean in 7 to 10 days time. The Whalers are expected to continue whaling for another 2 months.

Related: Audio Interview | Photos | Whale Slaughter Resumes | Australian Government Refuses to release Whale Slaughter Photos | Poll: How far would you be prepared to go to stop the killing of whales?

As predicted by both Greenpeace and Sea Shepherd with their ships heading to port low on fuel, the whalers have returned to their bloody trade of slaughtering whales, killing at least 5 according to early reports from the Oceanic Viking passed on by Greenpeace. Sea Shepherd are vowing to refuel and return to the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary to stop whaling again this season.

Captain Paul Watson of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society has criticised Greenpeace for using the Whaling issue to raise funds without an ongoing commitment to continue harassing the whaling fleet in the Southern Ocean for the rest of the whaling season - about 2 months. The Greenpeace Esperanza has abandoned the whaling fleet and is presently en route to Hobart to refuel with no intention to return to the Southern Ocean this season.

The Greenpeace ship Esperanza, that has been shadowing the Nisshin Maru whaling factory ship for more than two weeks in a pursuit of more than 4300 nautical miles in the Southern Ocean, has been forced to abandon the chase due to needing to return to port to refuel.