Anti-whaling activists and Japanese whalers exchanged water cannon fire in the Antarctic Ocean as two boats tailed the whaling fleet in an attempt to prevent the killing of any whales.

Activists who have clashed violently with Japanese whalers in Antarctic waters in recent months were headed back to port today because they were running out of fuel.

Anti-whaling activists threw rotten butter at a Japanese whaling ship today in an attempt to sabotage their operations.

Graphic pictures of Japanese hunters harpooning whales and dragging their carcasses aboard a ship near Antarctica were evidence of “indiscriminate” slaughter, Australia said today.

Two activists who jumped on board a Japanese whaling boat off Antarctica have been returned to their ship by Australian officials.

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

Australia and New Zealand called on Japan today to halt a whaling fleet heading for the Antarctic to hunt humpback whales.