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Australia 'could end whaling row' Australia to act on whaling row
(about 3 hours later)
Australia could intervene to end a stand-off in the Antarctic by sending a ship to collect two activists currently on board a Japanese whaling vessel. Australia says it will send a ship to collect two activists from a Japanese whaling vessel, in a bid to end a two-day Antarctic stand-off.
Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said officials were considering sending a patrol ship to pick up the two men. Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said a ship monitoring the whalers would retrieve the men as soon as possible.
The protesters, from radical anti-whaling group Sea Shepherd, boarded the Japanese ship on Tuesday.The protesters, from radical anti-whaling group Sea Shepherd, boarded the Japanese ship on Tuesday.
Whalers say they want to return them, but Sea Shepherd say conditions for the release are unacceptable. Whalers say they want to return them, but Sea Shepherd says conditions for the release are unacceptable.
Australia is using the Oceanic Viking patrol ship to gather evidence of the whalers' activities for a possible legal challenge. Mr Smith said that the patrol boat, the Oceanic Viking, would retrieve the men from the Yushin Maru 2 and transfer them to Sea Shepherd's Steve Irwin vessel.
Mr Smith said it was currently within sight of the fleet. Both the Japanese and Australian governments had agreed to the plan, he said.
"Obviously one option in rendering assistance is the use of the Oceanic Viking, and that is one of the options we are currently considering," he told journalists in Perth. "We now need the full and complete co-operation of the two vessels, the two captains and the two men concerned."
'Stand-off' Rhetoric
Sea Shepherd and the whalers are currently deadlocked on the issue of the two activists. The stand-off has ratcheted up tensions between Sea Shepherd and the whalers, who have clashed in the past.
The Japanese want Sea Shepherd to guarantee a safe handoverThe Japanese want Sea Shepherd to guarantee a safe handover
Australian Benjamin Potts and Briton Giles Lane boarded the vessel on Tuesday to deliver a protest. Australian Benjamin Potts and Briton Giles Lane boarded the whaler on Tuesday to deliver a protest.
The whalers say the men tried to damage their propeller and threw acid before illegally boarding the Yushin Maru 2. The whalers say the men tried to damage their propeller and threw acid before illegally boarding.
They have offered to return them if Sea Shepherd agrees not to confront the whaling vessel during the handover. They offered to return them if Sea Shepherd agreed not to confront the whaling vessel during the handover.
Sea Shepherd say the men were roughed up when they boarded the vessel. The group has ruled out any kind of conditional hand-over. Sea Shepherd said the men were roughed up when they boarded the vessel and ruled out any kind of conditional hand-over.
Japan has temporarily suspended its whaling operations while the stand-off continues. As the deadlock continued, Sea Shepherd threatened a commando-style raid if the activists were not returned. A whaling official, meanwhile, said the activists could be taken to Japan if Sea Shepherd did not co-operate.
The stand-off has ratcheted up tensions between the whalers and the activists, who have clashed in the past. Mr Smith gave no timescale for the manoeuvre.
Sea Shepherd threatened a commando-style raid on the whaler if the activists were not returned. A whaling official said the activists could be taken to Japan if Sea Shepherd did not cooperate. "We would like the transfer to be expedited as soon as possible but people should understand it is a difficult operation," he said.
A Japanese spokesman welcomed the Australian proposal. The Oceanic Viking has been following the fleet to collect evidence for a possible legal challenge against the whalers in international courts.
"If concrete, Japan would greatly welcome such a move because it would be one step forward in resolving this problem," Hideki Moronuki of the Fisheries Agency of Japan, told the French news agency AFP.
Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said he was concerned for the safety of all involved and urged all parties to act with restraint.
The fleet plans to kill about 900 minke whales and 50 fin whales by mid-April as part of what it describes as a scientific research programme.The fleet plans to kill about 900 minke whales and 50 fin whales by mid-April as part of what it describes as a scientific research programme.
But other nations and environment groups say the research goals could be achieved using non-lethal methods and call the programme a front for commercial whaling.But other nations and environment groups say the research goals could be achieved using non-lethal methods and call the programme a front for commercial whaling.
TRACKING JAPANESE WHALERS November 2007: Japanese fleet of six whaling ships sets sail 31 December: MV Esperanza carrying Greenpeace campaigners enters Antarctic waters on trail of Japanese fleet. MV Steve Irwin carrying rival Sea Shepherd Conservation Group also heads towards whaling fleet9 January: Australian ship Oceanic Viking leaves Perth on whaling surveillance mission15 January: Two Britons held by Japanese after boarding Yushin Maru No 2 to deliver protest letterTRACKING JAPANESE WHALERS November 2007: Japanese fleet of six whaling ships sets sail 31 December: MV Esperanza carrying Greenpeace campaigners enters Antarctic waters on trail of Japanese fleet. MV Steve Irwin carrying rival Sea Shepherd Conservation Group also heads towards whaling fleet9 January: Australian ship Oceanic Viking leaves Perth on whaling surveillance mission15 January: Two Britons held by Japanese after boarding Yushin Maru No 2 to deliver protest letter