TOKYO - Japan is whaling for the rest of this season mothballed because the whalers are constantly harassed by environmentalists.
That the Japanese Minister of Livestock, Fisheries and Michihiko Kano Friday. The minister calls the harpoon ships back''to the safety of the crew to ensure the midst of the ongoing actions of Sea Shepherd.''
''This is great news'', reacted founder Paul Watson of the activist group Sea Shepherd Conservation Society elated. The organization promised immediately all future whale hunts will be shut down.
Watson also said:''We stay with the Japanese ships until they are gone from the area in the Southern Ocean whale.''Normally, once the whaling ships mid-March.
Wednesday was Japan's Fisheries Agency announced that the annual whaling hunt the large marine mammals on February 10 were temporarily suspended due to the actions.
Paint Bombs
The harpoon ships for months hampered by boats from Sea Shepherd. Animal Protectors of the action group trying hard way to avoid the hunters harpooning whales and hoisting on board.
So the activists sail between the whale and the harpoon ships in order to protect animals. They also throw in more stink and paint bombs at the whaling ships.
Scientific research
The Japanese whaling is controversial. Japan kills hundreds of whales each year under the guise of scientific research.
The hunt for this purpose is permitted by an exception to an international agreement in 1986. The Japanese government has also long defended the practice as part of Japanese culture.
Unnecessary
But animal conservationists and governments of nearby Australia and New Zealand find hunting cruel and unnecessary. Environmental group Greenpeace said earlier that the heavily subsidized whaling is a waste of Japanese taxpayers' money.
The stock of whale meat is also much greater than the demand in Japan, where diets and culinary preferences have changed in recent years.
A member of Greenpeace said earlier this year that the whalers used to come home, especially because the barns are so full.
They give''the actions of Sea Shepherd as a reason, but the surplus of whale meat is the real cause.''
