JAPAN ASKS DUTCH TO STOP GREENPEACE WHALING CAMPAIGN

Japan 's fisheries ministry has asked the Netherlands to put pressure on environmental organisation Greenpeace to stop its open-sea protests against Japanese whalers. Greenpeace is using a Dutch-registered ship to carry out its campaign. At the moment a whale war is fought between environmental activists on two ships and Japanese Whalers in the Antarctic waters.

Tokyo criticised the environmental activists for resorting to dangerous and "pirate-like" tactics. On Sunday the Greenpeace ship collided with a Japanese whaling vessel. Both captains blamed each other for the collision. Greenpeace has been campaigning against Japanese whalers in the Antarctic Ocean for the past few weeks. Commercial whaling is prohibited worldwide, but Japan says it is killing whales for scientific purposes. Environmentalists condemn the activities as commercial hunting. more features

January 11, 2006