International   

Australia to help resolve whaling standoff

SYDNEY: Australia offered on Thursday to help resolve a two-day standoff between Japanese whalers and protesters who climbed aboard a harpoon boat in frigid Antarctic waters by sending an Australian vessel to pick the activists up.

The proposed assistance — which would allow a resumption of Japan’s interrupted whale hunt as well as the harassment activities of its staunchest opponents — underscores the high stakes contest fought each year in the remote and dangerous seas at the far south of the world.

Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said Australia would send a ship to pick up the two activists from the anti-whaling group the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society who have been on the Japanese harpoon boat Yushin Maru 2 since they leaped aboard uninvited on Tuesday.

The Australian boat would then return the activists to a Sea Shepherd ship, the Steve Irwin. Japan put its hunt on hold after Australian Benjamin Potts (28) and Giles Lane (35) of Britain jumped from a rubber boat onto the Japanese ship’s deck after a high-speed chase. — AP

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Pakistani lawyers end boycott, to return to court
5 killed in blast at mosque
U.K., Russia row over British Council
Dialogue only way out in Sri Lanka: Ban
Koirala reveals role in currency racket
Australia to help resolve whaling standoff
India in talks with U.S. for ballistic missile defence

Copyright © 2008, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu