海洋守護協會（Sea Shepherd Conservation Society）的史帝夫厄文號（the Steve Irwin） 結束數週以來干擾日本捕鯨艦隊的活動，已由南極羅斯海域（Ross Sea）的衝突區撤離，正在返回澳洲途中。
在駕駛艙裡，船長瓦特森（Paul Watson）表示，撤退行動一方面是保護船隻及船員，另一方面是要確保1千小時以上的獵鯨紀錄影像免受搶奪。整段航程是由海洋守護的攝影師以及Discovery動物星球頻道的「鯨魚戰爭」電視節目所拍攝紀錄。
瓦特森是海洋守護協會的創立者及會長，他表示自己相信日本政府在1月31日派遣了安全鑑「太洋丸38號」（Taiyo Maru），從斐濟出發攔截史帝夫厄文號。
瓦特森於2月9日指出，「根據斐濟的消息來源， 太洋丸號應該攜帶了特殊的登船設備，受命要搶下我們的船以及所有影像證據。我們不能讓日本得到這些紀錄影片。」
太洋丸38號預計會在數日內到達羅斯海域。
瓦特森說，史帝夫厄文號在與日本捕鯨船僵持的時候僅剩4天的燃料，所以遲早必須返航，他計畫在下一個捕鯨季重新行動時，使用速度更快、航行距離更久的船艦。
瓦特森表示，他要對付的3艘日本魚叉船在速度與操縱性能上都超越史帝夫厄文號，因此處於劣勢。
他說，「我們必須阻擋這些殺手魚叉船，必須跑在這些獵人殺手船的前面，所以我需要速度跟他們一樣快的船。我打算明年弄一艘這樣的船來重新行動。 」
海洋守護協會在過去一週與捕鯨艦隊周旋交鋒，發生無數次千鈞一髮的險境，以及兩次衝撞造成輕微損傷。
捕鯨艦隊今年裝設了名為「遠距音波發射器」（LRAD）的聲波武器，以及強力水砲來應付海洋守護的船員。他們也朝保育人士丟擲金屬物品及高爾夫球。
海洋守護船員則回擲裝滿酸腐牛油的瓶子還以顏色，並輔以繩索，從後方阻擋魚叉船將死鯨運上日本的加工船隻。
瓦特森說，「史帝夫厄文號與魚叉船在2月6號發生兩次碰撞事件，因為魚叉船強行闖越史帝夫厄文號的封鎖，以進行盜獵行動。這些碰撞並不是海洋守護所刻意製造的。」
碰撞事件中沒有捕鯨船員受傷。史帝夫厄文號則有3名船員負傷，其中一位被聲波武器的爆響擊中倒地，左眼上方縫了5針。
位於東京的日本鯨類研究機構(the Japanese Institute for Cetacean Research, ICR)表示，史蒂夫厄文號(Steve Irwin)和日本捕鯨船在2月6日的相撞事件是「海洋守護協會」（Sea Shepherd）釀成的錯。
ICR視海洋守護協會的行為是「嚴重的海上恐怖行動和對國際海洋法的侵害」，而南極日本船員提供的錄影畫面也佐證了他們的說法。
ICR執行長森本實(Minoru Morimoto)在東京發表聲明，史蒂夫厄文號的船長完全忽略了該船和日本研究船上船員的安全，從事極度危險的舉動。
他說：「對史蒂夫厄文號提供庇護與燃料、食物補給的澳洲政府，以及為該船註冊與豎旗的荷蘭政府，也應該對容許史蒂夫厄文號在海域犯下嚴重罪行負起責任。」
華生船長(Watson)駁回海洋守護協會蓄意撞擊日方捕鯨船的指控。
「捕鯨人和他們雇的公關現在可以自說自話，但我們有超過1000小時的連續鏡頭畫面，記錄下這場戰役的每一刻。我們的故事將在動物星球頻道每週的『鯨魚戰爭』(Whale Wars)單元當中播放，人們可以收看並自行判斷。攝影機是這世上最有力的武器，而我們想要呈現這股威力。」
今年史蒂夫厄文號的船員從2008年12月18日至2009年1月7日持續追蹤日籍船隊，航行距離長達兩千多哩，使其停工長達一個月。
返回澳洲補給燃料後，這些船員重返南極海域，在2月1日重新確定捕鯨船的位置，接下來9天繼續進行追捕，在此期間這些捕鯨人只有辦法捕殺5隻鯨魚。通常他們一天是可以捕捉8至10隻鯨魚的。
After weeks of interference with the activities of the Japanese whaling fleet, the Sea Shepherd ship the Steve Irwin has withdrawn from the confrontation in the Ross Sea and is returning to Australia.
At the helm, Captain Paul Watson says he is withdrawing in part to protect the ship and its crew from further injury and also to protect more than 1,000 hours of video documentation of the whale hunt from seizure. The expedition was documented by the Sea Shepherd videographers and by the Discovery Channel's Animal Planet for the television program "Whale Wars."
Watson, founder and leader of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, said he believes that on January 31 the Japanese government dispatched a security vessel called the Taiyo Maru No.38 from Fiji to intercept the Steve Irwin.
"The ship is believed to be carrying a special boarding unit and has orders to seize the ship and all video evidence, according to a source in Fiji," said Watson today. "We cannot allow this documentation to be captured by Japan."
The Taiyo Maru No.38 is expected to arrive in the Ross Sea within days.
The Steve Irwin had only another four days of fuel reserves to remain with the Japanese whalers before being forced to return anyway, said Watson who plans to begin preparations to return next season with a faster and longer range ship.
Watson said he has been operating at a disadvantage against three harpoon boats that are superior in speed and maneuverability to the Steve Irwin.
"We need to block those deadly harpoons and we need to outrun these hunter killer ships and to do that I need a ship that is as fast as they are and I intend to get one and I intend to return next year," he said.
During the past week, confrontations between the Sea Shepherd and the whaling fleet have resulted in numerous close calls and two collisions causing minor damage.
The whaling fleet this year deployed sonic weapons known as Long Range Acoustical Devices, LRAD’s, and high powered water cannons against the Sea Shepherd crew. They threw metal objects and golf balls at the conservationists.
The Sea Shepherd crew fought back with canisters of rotten butter and lines and by blocking the rear of the Japanese factory vessel where the harpoon vessels were trying to unload dead whales.
"On February 6th, two incidents occurred where the Steve Irwin collided with harpoon vessels as they forced their way past the Steve Irwin's blockade in their pursuit of their poaching activities," said Watson. "These collisions were not intentional on the part of Sea Shepherd."
No whalers were injured. Three members of the Steve Irwin’s crew were injured with one man requiring five stitches above his left eye after being hit by a blast from the LRAD and knocked over.
In Tokyo, the Japanese Institute for Cetacean Research says the two collisions between the Steve Irwin and Japanese whaling vessels on February 6 were the Sea Shepherd's fault.
The ICR calls the Sea Shepherd's actions "high seas terror acts and breaches of international maritime law" and says video filmed by Japanese seamen in the Antarctic Friday backs their claims.
ICR Director-General Minoru Morimoto said in Tokyo, "The Steve Irwin 'captain' is completely ignoring the safety of crews aboard both the Dutch vessel and the Japanese research vessels and engaging in extremely dangerous behavior."
"The Australian Government, which has harbored and allowed to the Steve Irwin to refuel and reprovision its supplies as well as the government of the Netherlands which has registered and flagged the vessel should also be held accountable for allowing this vessel to commit serious criminal acts at sea," he said.
Watson dismissed Japanese accusations that Sea Shepherd deliberately rammed their whaling ships.
"The whalers and their hired PR flunkies can say whatever they want now but we have over 1,000 hours of video footage documenting every moment of the campaign. Our story will be told on a weekly series on Animal Planet with the show Whale Wars. People can watch and judge for themselves. The camera is the most powerful weapon in the world and we intend to demonstrate that power."
This year the crew of the Steve Irwin pursued the Japanese fleet from December 18, 2008 until January 7, 2009 for over 2,000 miles, shutting down their operations for a month.
After returning to Australia to refuel, the crew headed back to the Southern Ocean, relocated the whaling fleet on February 1 and pursued them for another nine days, during which time the whalers were only able to kill five whales. Typically the whalers take eight to 10 whales per day.
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