Japanese whalers and conservationists clashed again in the Antarctic today.

An Australian judge today banned the company that conducts Japan’s whale hunt from killing the animals in a large part of its regular hunting grounds off Antarctica.

Japan is dropping its plan to kill humpback whales in the seas off Antarctica, a media report said today.

Australia and New Zealand appealed to Japan today to halt a fleet headed for the Antarctic to hunt humpback whales.

Japan will cut its Atlantic bluefin tuna catch by 23% by 2010 in an effort to help preserve stocks of the endangered fish, the country’s fisheries agency announced today.

A fleet of six Japanese whalers left port today for their annual hunt in the Antarctic, where they hope to kill 860 whales for a controversial research programme.

GREENPEACE displayed a dead whale outside the Japanese Embassy in Berlin yesterday to highlight its claim that Japanese hunters have killed at least 123 whales in the icy seas off the coast of Antarctica since the start of the whaling season this year.

A dead whale was on display as Greenpeace members protested against whale-hunting in front of the Japanese embassy in Berlin.

Japan will hunt endangered sei whales for the first time in a quarter of a century during three month hunt in the northwest Pacific when they plan to kill a total of 260 whales.

Environmental group Greenpeace today said that Japanese whalers used high-powered water cannons against its chase boats in a confrontation in Antarctic waters.

Japan’s whaling fleet has returned from an expedition in the northwest Pacific with a quarry of 158 whales, 70 more than last year’s hunt and with Bryde’s and sperm whales added to the usual catch of minke.