Japan has urged Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende to take action against two ships of the US environmental organisation Sea Shepherd which are sailing under the Dutch flag. Sea Shepherd is involved in a fierce fight against Japanese whalers near Antarctica.

The Japanese government has informed Mr Balkenende, who is on a four-day visit to Tokyo, that flag states have a duty to ensure their ships don't endanger maritime safety. The Dutch prime minister says he is engaged in drafting an amendment enabling the government to take action against Dutch ships which violate maritime safety rules.

However, Mr Balkenende emphasised he strongly disagreed with the Japanese whaling policy. A ban on commercial whaling has been in force since 1986, but Japan catches about 1,000 whales a year; officially for scientific research, but whale meat can be found in supermarkets and restaurants across the country.

In Yokohama on Monday, Prime Minister Balkenende laid a wreath in commemoration of Dutch victims of Japanese prison camps during World War II. Earlier today, he met Emperor Akihito.

Photo: EPA/ANP;  Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende and his Japanese counterpart Yukio Hatoyama

Photo: EPA/ANP; Sea Shepherd activists in action against Japanese whaler Yashin Maru-1