Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

Hot on Facebook

Uproar After NC State Agent 'Fixes' Girl's Lunch Preschooler has to eat chicken nuggets instead of mom's meal »

Activists Hurl 'Acid' at Whalers

Action draws condemnation from Japan, Australia

By Jane Yager, Newser Staff

Posted Mar 3, 2008 8:46 AM CST

(Newser) – In the latest clash between Japanese whalers and activists in Antarctic waters, members of a militant anti-whaling group threw bottles of a slick, foul-smelling rancid butter concoction onto the whaling fleet's flagship. Japanese officials said three sailors were injured when butyric acid, found in spoiled butter, splashed into their eyes, Reuters reports. "It's an unforgivable act and we protest strongly," said a Japanese government spokesman.

Tokyo complained to the anti-whaling Australian government about the attack by the Sea Shepherd ship, and Australia rebuked the activists. A Sea Shepherd spokesman called the action "non-violent chemical warfare," and said members hurled "organic, non-toxic materials," telling CNN they'd lobbed more than "two dozen bottles of rotten butter" at "the whale killing ship."

In this photo released by The Institute of Cetacean Research, activists aboard a boat operated by Sea Shepherd hurl some objects at a Japanese whaling ship in Antarctic waters Monday, March 3, 2008. (AP... (Associated Press)

In this photo released by The Institute of Cetacean Research, Japan Coast Guard official stands guard on a Japanese whaling ship as activists aboard a boat operated by Sea Shepherd approaches in Antarctic... (Associated Press)

Greenpeace activists hold up a mock Japanese yen banknote with Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda's portrait, reading, "Please join the IWC," as a bus with delegates arrive at a venue for a seminar for sustainable... (Associated Press)

Japan's Senior Vice Foreign Minister Itsunori Onodera presides over a seminar on sustainable use of whales in Tokyo Monday, March 3, 2008. As Japan pushes for an end to the IWC ban on commercial whaling... (Associated Press)

In this photo taken from video released by The Institute of Cetacean Research, an activist, center, aboard a boat operated by Sea Shepherd prepares to throw some objects at a Japanese whaling ship Nisshin... (Associated Press)

In this photo taken from video released by The Institute of Cetacean Research, activists, left side, aboard a boat operated by Sea Shepherd prepare to throw some objects at a Japanese whaling ship in... (Associated Press)

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

To report an error on this story, notify our editors.

More Newser Stories

Activists Tangle With Japanese Whaler

Sea Shepherd up to its usual tricks; Japan not amused

(NEWSER) - It's whaling season in the Antarctic Ocean, which means the rotten-butter-wielding activists at Sea Shepherd were busy making life miserable for the Japanese whaler Yushin Maru No. 2 today. Activists hurled paint and butyric acid—found in the aforementioned rotten butter—at the ship, as well as ropes designed to foul its rudder and propellers. Japanese authorities, who run the quasi-scientific group formed to dodge the ban on international whaling, were not amused, notes the AFP . More»

Rogue Wave Damages Anti-Whaling Vessel

Steve Irwin racing to help stricken Brigitte Bardot

(NEWSER) - A rogue wave off Antarctica has dealt a major setback to conservationists' efforts to thwart Japan's annual whale hunt. The wave hit the Sea Shepherd Society's Brigitte Bardot as it chased the Nisshin Maru factory ship, badly damaging one of its pontoons, the BBC reports. Another boat, the Steve Irwin, is racing to help the stricken vessel. The group says the Bardot's 10 crew members were not injured, and the boat is in no danger of sinking in the icy water, reports AP . It will be towed to Australia for repairs, leaving a third boat, the Bob Barker, to hunt Japan's whaling fleet alone. More»

Japan Uses Disaster Budget to Fund Whaling Hunt

Official defends the controversial move

(NEWSER) - Of Japan's $230 billion in supplementary budgets meant for tsunami reconstruction, $29 million will be used for … a whaling hunt. An official confirmed the move today, and simultaneously defended it, noting that some whaling towns were hit badly by the March 11 tsunami, and the funding will help to support the country's whaling industry. The money will increase security and maintain operations for the annual Antarctic Ocean hunt, as whaling boats have been increasingly interfered with by conservationists. More»

Japan: We Will Hunt Whales This Year

Activist group will again try to disrupt them in the Antarctic

(NEWSER) - It could be a nasty December in the Antarctic: Japan says it will go ahead with its annual whale hunt and promises to ramp up security to protects its boats from activists, reports AP . The leading activist group, the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, promises to be back in full force. Last year, one of its ships sank after colliding with a Japanese vessel, and its constant harassment forced Japan's fleet to return home with only about a fifth of its quota, notes the Australian Broadcast Corporation . More»

Activists Halt Japan Whale Hunt

Harassment making Antarctic hunt 'unsafe,' says fisheries official

(NEWSER) - The Japanese have temporarily suspended an Antarctic whale hunt because of repeated harassment by activists from the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. The hunt, aiming to bag as many as 945 whales, has been halted because of "violent" disruptions, said the nation's top fisheries officials. No one has been injured nor have any vessels been damaged in the actions, which included throwing rancid butter at whalers and entangling a rope in a propeller, reports AP. More»

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS

What is Newser?

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser, we choose the most thought-provoking and entertaining stories from hundreds of US and international sources and reduce them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »

Partnering with: Slate

View Newser on the mobile website

Activists Hurl 'Acid' at Whalers

Action draws condemnation from Japan, Australia

OTHER STORIES ON OUR RADAR

Australia • Japan • Antarctica • Sea Shepherd Conservation Society • whaling • Japanese whale hunt • Nisshin Maru • whaler • anti-whaling activists

MOST POPULAR STORIES

[ By Views ]

[ By Comments ]

More Newser Stories

Activists Tangle With Japanese Whaler

Sea Shepherd up to its usual tricks; Japan not amused

Rogue Wave Damages Anti-Whaling Vessel

Steve Irwin racing to help stricken Brigitte Bardot

Japan Uses Disaster Budget to Fund Whaling Hunt

Official defends the controversial move

Japan: We Will Hunt Whales This Year

Activist group will again try to disrupt them in the Antarctic

Activists Halt Japan Whale Hunt

Harassment making Antarctic hunt 'unsafe,' says fisheries official

About Us

Site

Newser By Users

Community

Site Maps

Tools

More News

What is Newser?

Activists Hurl 'Acid' at Whalers

Action draws condemnation from Japan, Australia

Bookmark & Share

OTHER STORIES ON OUR RADAR

Australia • Japan • Antarctica • Sea Shepherd Conservation Society • whaling • Japanese whale hunt • Nisshin Maru • whaler • anti-whaling activists

MOST POPULAR STORIES

[ By Views ]

[ By Comments ]

More Newser Stories

Activists Tangle With Japanese Whaler

Sea Shepherd up to its usual tricks; Japan not amused

Rogue Wave Damages Anti-Whaling Vessel

Steve Irwin racing to help stricken Brigitte Bardot

Japan Uses Disaster Budget to Fund Whaling Hunt

Official defends the controversial move

Japan: We Will Hunt Whales This Year

Activist group will again try to disrupt them in the Antarctic

Activists Halt Japan Whale Hunt

Harassment making Antarctic hunt 'unsafe,' says fisheries official

About Us

Site

Newser By Users

Community

Site Maps

Tools

More News

What is Newser?