Anti-whaling ships return to Australia
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Paul Watson, the captain of Sea Shepherd said on Sunday Japan will probably not start another whale hunt as his vessel sailed back to Australia.
The anti-whaling group's two other ships, the Bob Barker and the Steve Irwin, arrived in Hobart of Australia on Sunday morning and were greeted by a crowd of clapping supporters, after an Antarctic campaign which saw the Japanese withdraw early, citing harassment from the environmentalists.
A triumphant Watson said he was confident his group was winning its fight.
"Every year we've been going down stronger and they've been going down weaker," he told Australia Associated Press in Hobart on Sunday.
"This year they realized they can't outrun us ... they just decided to call it quits.
"I'm 75 percent sure they won't be back next year but, if they are, we'll be prepared to come back," he said.
Greens leader Bob Brown was at the docks to welcome the crew.
"Australia's in a very festive mood today to welcome you back here and congratulations," he said.
The Steve Irwin and Bob Barker were searched by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) after they docked.
An AFP spokeswoman confirmed the Sea Shepherd's activities in the Southern Ocean during January and February 2011 would be investigated, in accordance with Australian legislation and consistent with Australia's obligations under international law.
Watson said it is the third year the vessels were searched and that the Japanese need to stop calling for it to happen.
"All I can say to the Japanese who every year say'you guys are eco-terrorists, you are criminals'is'look, arrest me or shut up' ," he told ABC News on Sunday.
"It's just getting really irritating constantly being called an eco-terrorist without actually being arrested.
"Sea Shepherd doesn't do anything against the law, we operate within the boundaries of the law and we don't injure anybody," he said.
Senator Brown said the AFP investigation came because of complaints from Japan, and that he has written to the Minister for Foreign Affairs on Sunday morning calling for an end to the investigation.
Earlier last month, the Japanese foreign ministry called in the Australian, New Zealand and Dutch ambassadors to demand "effective measures to avoid the recurrence of Sea Shepherd's obstructionist activities."
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