New South Ocean whaling clashes

ROUGH CUT - NO REPORTER NARRATION

Video shows anti-whaling activists and the Japanese whaling fleet in further clashes in the South Ocean, according to a news release on the the website of Japan's government-supported Institute for Cetacean Research (ICR).

The footage released on the ICR website shows activists in three inflatable boats sporting the skull and crossbones logo used by the Sea Shepherd anti-whaling group manoeuvring around the Yushin Maru No. 3 vessel.

The ICR, a non-profit organisation which co-ordinates the whaling expeditions, says the campaigners were trying to disable the ship's rudder and propellors with ropes and wires.

ICR says the activists threw what it said were smoke bombs or glass bottles containing paint or butyric acid. The whalers are shown countering with water canon behind netting put in place to protect them from missiles.

Japan introduced scientific whaling to get around the commercial whaling ban imposed under a 1986 moratorium. Japan, Iceland and Norway are the only three nations which still hunt whales.