Japanese whalers are ''out for revenge'', Sea Shepherd conservationists have said, warning that whaling vessels will try to ram or even perhaps storm the anti-whaling ship in what will be an ''inevitable'' conflict within days in the Southern Ocean.
Sea Shepherd captain Paul Watson told Fairfax yesterday that he expected heightened aggression from whalers when the vessels, which are currently racing south towards Antarctica, reached whale hunting areas around December 31. ''This is going to be our most challenging year but we can't be deterred by this. We're not going to be scared off,'' he said by phone.
''That's one of the reasons I was asking the Australian Government to send down a vessel to police the situation - because I think the Japanese are just completely out of control.
''It's no longer about whaling, it's about pride and they're going to want to make an example out of us. We humiliated them last year by the fact that they only got 17 per cent of their quota, so it's revenge time. I'm certain they're out for revenge.''
Opposition environment spokesman Greg Hunt warned it was ''almost inevitable that there will be some conflict at sea'' - a proposition Mr Watson agreed with. Mr Hunt said the Government had failed ''not only to send a customs vessel to monitor the conflict and operate as a possible search and rescue platform but it has also so far failed to take injunctive action''.
Environment Minister Tony Burke has previously branded Coalition calls for the Government to take out an injunction as a ''media stunt''.
Yesterday he said the Government was taking legal action in the International Court of Justice to end whaling. ''We have taken the strongest action of any nation.''
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