Japanese whaling vessels and the Sea Shepherd ship, Bob Barker, clash in the Southern Ocean, February 2, 2014. Photo: Eliza Muirhead courtesy Sea Shepherd Australia
WELLINGTON, Feb 10 (Reuters) – New Zealand summoned Japan’s ambassador on Monday to protest the entry of a Japanese whaling ship into its exclusive economic zone (EEZ), after clashes earlier between whalers and vessels from the Sea Shepherd conservationist group.
New Zealand had asked Japan last week to order its whalers to steer clear of its maritime zone after vessels from both sides had collided in international waters.
Regardless of the warning, one whaler, the Shonun Maru No. 2, breached New Zealand’s EEZ, which ranges up to 200 nautical miles offshore, as it shadowed a protest vessel, the Steve Irwin, on its way to refuel at the southern port of Dunedin.
SEE ALSO: Sea Shepherd and Japanese Whaling Vessels Collide in Southern Ocean
“The New Zealand Embassy in Tokyo last week made it very clear we did not want members of the Japanese whaling fleet entering our EEZ,” McCully said in a statement. “Today’s meeting with the Ambassador served to further reiterate how deeply disrespectful the vessel’s entry into our EEZ was.”
McCully said New Zealand was strongly opposed to Japanese whaling in the southern oceans, and further action might be taken.
Japan’s government spokesman defended the whaling ship’s intrusion into the EEZ.
“We believe there was no problem with the movements of our ships from the point of view of international law,” said Yoshihide Suga, Japan’s chief cabinet secretary.
“This ship was taking protective moves and intruded on the EEZ as one part of that,” he told a news conference.
Japan, which says that whaling is a cherished cultural tradition, hunts whales under a scientific research provision in the moratorium on whaling. (Reporting by Gyles Beckford and Elaine Lies in TOKYO, editing by Simon Cameron-Moore)
© 2014 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.
Join the gCaptain Club for curated content, insider opinions, and vibrant community discussions.
Join the 110,131 members that receive our newsletter.
Have a news tip? Let us know.
Sweden’s Navy completed a survey of the seabed near one of the damaged data cables in the Baltic Sea as the Nordic country investigates potential sabotage against the underwater infrastructure.
A Russian Navy frigate equipped with new generation hypersonic cruise missiles has conducted drills in the English Channel and is carrying out tasks in the Atlantic Ocean, Russian news agencies reported on Tuesday.
(Bloomberg) — Chinese lawmakers got a head start on the US election this week as they gathered to vote on the largest fiscal package since the pandemic. But now that...
Access exclusive insights, engage in vibrant discussions, and gain perspectives from our CEO.
Sign Up
Maritime and offshore news trusted by our 110,131 members delivered daily straight to your inbox.
Essential news coupled with the finest maritime content sourced from across the globe.
Sign Up
Join The Club
