Photos show Japanese whaling off Antarctica, group says

Image copyrightSEA SHEPHERD

Image captionActivists claim the Japanese vessel was in Australia's Antarctic waters

The anti-whaling group Sea Shepherd claims a Japanese ship has slaughtered a minke whale in Australia's Antarctic waters.

The group released photos it says show the whale on board the vessel Nisshin Maru inside the Australian Whale Sanctuary on Sunday.

It comes two days after Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe arrived in Sydney to bolster defence ties with Australia.

Japan's whaling has been ruled illegal by the Australian Federal Court.

• Why is Japan still whaling?
• The legalities of hunting whales

Image copyrightSEA SHEPHERD

Image captionNisshin Maru's crew tried to conceal items on the boat, Sea Shepherd said

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled in 2014 that Japan cease all whaling. However, the Japanese government announced it would resume its "scientific" whaling programme, drawing criticism from environmental groups and the Australian and UK governments.

Japan insists it is trying to prove the whale population is large enough to justify a return to whaling for commercial purposes, and says it has to kills the mammals to carry out its research.

Sea Shepherd claimed the Nisshin Maru crew "scrambled" to cover the dead whale with a tarpaulin after spotting the anti-whaling group's helicopter.

"The fact that the Japanese crew went to cover up their harpoons and the dead minke whale on deck just shows that they know what they're doing is wrong," said Wyanda Lublink, captain of Sea Shepherd ship the MY Steve Irwin.

Sea Shepherd said it was the first minke slaughter to be documented since the ICJ ruling.

Image copyrightSEA SHEPHERD

Image captionIt is the first minke slaughter since a 2014 court ruling, according to the group

Australia's Environment Minister Josh Frydenberg said it was not necessary to kill whales for study.

"The Australian Government is deeply disappointed that Japan has decided to return to the Southern Ocean this summer to undertake so-called 'scientific' whaling," he said on Monday.

"Australia is opposed to all forms of commercial and so-called 'scientific' whaling."

Sea Shepherd has been patrolling the Southern Ocean for five weeks.

Jeff Hansen, managing director of Sea Shepherd Australia, said the Australian government should do more to protect whales.

BBC News