Japanese whalers banned from refueling in Australia or New Zealand, go to Indonesia

[Annces]

Japanese whalers 'fear Aussie arrest'


January 12, 2009


Japanese whalers sent a damaged vessel thousands of kilometres to be repaired in Indonesia because they feared arrest if they landed in Australia, an anti-whaling group says. The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society said one of Japan's three main harpoon vessels, the Yushin Maru No.2, was damaged around December 20. Since then, the vessel had avoided docking at relatively close ports in Australia or New Zealand, and travelled all the way to Surabaya, Indonesia for repairs, Sea Shepherd founder Paul Watson said on Monday.

"They can be served with a warrant if they go into Australia," Captain Watson told AAP via satellite phone from the Southern Ocean. "There is a Federal Court order banning them from whaling in Australian territorial waters and they are in contempt of that order. "They could be detained. They won't go into an Australian or New Zealand port."

Last year, Japan told the International Whaling Commission it intended to operate its whaling fleet in waters off the Australian Antarctic territory. Such a move would contravene Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade stipulations, which only allow the Japanese research vessel the Shonan Maru No.2 to operate in the region. Japan's Institute of Cetacean Research (ICR) refused to say whether the Japanese fleet had this season operated in waters claimed by Australia.

Spokesman Glenn Inwood said he understood the whaling ships were banned from docking in Australian ports. "Japanese vessels whenever they have needed any sorts of repair have never had to go to either Australia or New Zealand anyway," Mr Inwood said. "I think both the Australian and New Zealand governments have made it clear to Japan that the vessels are not to dock in New Zealand or Australia. "Having said that, the ICR is not making any comment on the status of their vessels or their whereabouts, or the status of the research."

Cpt Watson said the damage to the Yushin Maru No.2 probably occurred when the harpoon ship headed into thick ice while being pursued by his protest ship, the Steve Irwin.

Last year, Sea Shepherd activists Benjamin Potts and Giles Lane boarded the Yushin Maru No.2 to deliver a letter of protest.

The damaged Japanese ship was not expected to be fixed until Thursday, and Cpt Watson said its loss would be a blow to whalers' plans to kill 935 minke whales and 50 fin whales this season.

Greenpeace said Australia regularly denied access to Japanese whalers except in cases of genuine distress. "The Federal Court ruled on 15 January 2008 that Japanese whaling fleets operations in Australian Antarctic waters are illegal," Greenpeace said in a statement. "Australia's claim over these waters is not accepted by Japan and some other nations."

The Steve Irwin is expected to reach Hobart this week to refuel before heading back to confront the Japanese whaling fleet early next week.

http://news.theage.com.au/national/japanese-whalers-fear-aussie-arrest-20090112-7evz.html

Yushin Maru