Update 28 February

This just in from the Japanese Government's whaling spokespersons in Tokyo:

The Institute of Cetacean Research, in conjunction with Kyodo Senpaku and the Government of Japan, said today the Antarctic whale research program for the 2006/2007 austral summer season will be cut short as a result of a fire aboard the research mother vessel, the Nisshin Maru.

We've expected this for some time.  We urge you to join us in working to ensure the Nisshin Maru never returns to the whaling grounds.

At around 17:30 New Zealand time on Saturday, the expedition leader of the Japanese government's whaling fleet radioed, informing us that the Nisshin Maru - disabled nine days previously by fire - planned to start sailing in three hours. He also said that the whole fleet was currently being re-fuelled, in preparation for departure.

The Esperanza  arrived at the location in the Ross Sea at about 07.00 (New Zealand daylight time) on the 17th of February. Two ships - the re-supply and re-fuelling vessel Oriental Bluebird and one of the harpoon, or catcher boats  - were tied either side of the Nisshin Maru.  In the time since then, Greenpeace has offered to tow the vessel out of the pristine Antarctic environment, while providing assistance in the form of ice surveys and translation for the US Coast Guard.

That the whalers are finally on the move is a relief - after nine long days of risk to the pristine Antarctic environment. We're ready to escort the fleet out of Antarctic waters.

We're pretty unimpressed with how Japanese government officials in Tokyo - and their PR spin doctor in New Zealand - have done their best to trivialise the extent of a serious situation here in the Ross Sea. Since the fire last Thursday, they've failed to show transparency - either with the rescue authorities or other governments, about the extent of the fire, as well as the risks both to human life and the Antarctic environment. They even publicly stated - a little too quickly - that they hoped to just keep on whaling!

If the Japanese government insists bringing the whaling fleet into the Southern Ocean, it's not only the whale populations that are threatened - Antarctica and the marine environment are also at risk. At this stage, if the fleet simply sails north out of here, we'll stick with them, and keep offering assistance. If they don't leave, you can bet we'll be right there, taking peaceful direct action to stop them killing whales.

Read more at the weblog.