The crew of a Japanese whaling vessel say activists from the Sea Shepherd environmental group threw smoke bombs and grappling irons at their harpoon ship in the Antarctic Ocean on Sunday, thus endangering the vessel and its personel.

Sea Shepherd’s own ship the Bob Barker was involved in a half-hour long confrontation with the whaler, the Yushin Maru 2, but no one was hurt. The environmental activists deny using any “flash bang” grenades.

The group has three vessels in the Antarctic to protest against continued whaling by Japan which claims 1,000 whales need to be killed for scientific research. The Bob Barker is registered in the Netherlands.

The Japanese authorities are calling on the Netherlands to suspend any support it gives to the Sea Shepherd group.

The video below has been released by the Japanese Institute for Whale Research.

(c) Radio Netherlands Worldwide