Japanese whalers clash with activists in Antarctic

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http://mdn.mainichi.jp/national/news/20080307p2a00m0na027000c.html

 

Japanese whalers clash with activists in Antarctic

 

TOKYO (AP) -- Anti-whaling activists threw rotten

butter and bottles containing an unidentified liquid

at a Japanese whaling vessel in the Antarctic Friday,

and the Japanese Coast Guard responded by throwing

sound-emitting " warning balls " back at the activists.

 

A leading protester claimed he was shot at but was

saved from injury by his bulletproof vest. Japanese

authorities denied firing any gun shots.

 

The high seas clash is the latest incident involving

the anti-whaling Sea Shepherd group and a fleet of

Japanese whalers now in Antarctic waters on their

annual hunt.

 

Activists aboard the Sea Shepherd ship threw several

bottles containing what is believed to be rotten

butter, more than 10 paper bags of white powder, as

well as several bottles containing an unidentified

white liquid at the Nisshin Maru, according to Hideki

Moronuki, chief of the Japanese Fishing Agency's

whaling section.

 

There were no injuries among the Nisshin Maru crew, he

said.

 

The Nisshin Maru radioed warnings to the Sea Shepherd

to desist. But the protesters did not, and the Nisshin

Maru, which has Coast Guard escorts on board,

responded by lobbing seven warning balls at the Sea

Shepherd, Moronuki said.

 

Paul Watson, the founder of Sea Shepherd, said the

clash was more serious.

 

" I felt an impact on my chest at one point, " he told

the Australian Broadcasting Corp. " I didn't think too

much of it at the time. When I opened up my Mustang

survival suit, and I have a Kevlar bulletproof vest,

there was a bullet lodged in. "

 

He said the impact left a bruise.

 

" If I wasn't wearing my vest, it would have been

pretty serious, " he said.

 

Moronuki denied allegations that shots were fired.

 

" We did not fire any shots, " Moronuki said. " We will,

again, urge the Netherlands to handle this issue

firmly, " he said.

 

The activists' ship is licensed in the Netherlands.

 

It was impossible to verify either side's account of

the clash, which occurred in remote waters 3,000

kilometers (1,600 nautical miles) south-southwest of

Melbourne in the Antarctic Ocean, according to the

Coast Guard.

 

Sea Shepherd and other anti-whaling groups have

repeatedly harassed the Japanese whaling fleet to

interfere with the hunt. Japan kills about 1,000

whales every year under an internationally approved

research program.

 

Japan has accused the activists of terrorist tactics.

Sea Shepherd, meanwhile, has called on Japan to stop

its hunt.

 

Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith issued two

statements on the incident Friday. Initially Smith

said Japan had informed Australian diplomats in Tokyo

that a crew member aboard a whaling vessel had fired

warning shots.

 

About 30 minutes later, Smith issued another statement

saying Japanese officials had subsequently advised

Australian diplomats that no gunshots had been fired,

but that three " warning balls " had been thrown. He

said warning balls were also known as " flash bangs. "

 

" I absolutely condemn actions by crew members of any

vessel that cause injury -- or have the potential to

cause injury -- to anyone on the high seas, " Smith

said.

 

" The Australian government once again calls on all

parties in the Southern Ocean -- including all protest

and whaling vessels, and their respective crews -- to

exercise restraint, " he said.

 

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iMainichi Japanj March 7, 2008