Whaling protest boat out of fuel

The Sea Shepherd anti-whaling protestors have been forced to pull out of the Southern Ocean due to a lack of fuel.

The group's flaghsip, the Farley Mowat, has been chasing the Japanese whaling fleet for six weeks.

Its skipper Paul Watson said last night: "We are disappointed to have to leave, but we now have no alternative, as we no longer have the fuel resources to stay.

"We have over-stretched our fuel and now have just enough to reach the nearest port."

First Officer Alex Cornelissen said it would take 10 days to reach the nearest port. He said: "If we don't run into any extreme weather we should have just enough fuel to make land."

Sea Shepherd had made arrangements to refuel from a tanker near the French Kerguelen Islands, but the delivery was cancelled.

Mr Watson claimed the whaling fleet refuelled illegally from a tanker inside the Antarctic Treaty Zone.

He said the Farley Mowat had been successful in preventing the fleet killing whales on "over 15 days" since the start of December. During that time the vessel has covered more than 4000km.

Sea Shepherd plans to resume the campaign next year with a faster boat.

The Japanese say the whaling is for scientific research.

- HERALD ONLINE STAFF