"Sea Shepherd Pulls Plug On Japan Whale Hunt"

"SYDNEY - Activist group Sea Shepherd on Tuesday pulled the plug on its annual campaign to disrupt Japanese whaling, saying it can no longer match the country's military and economic power.

The organisation has waged an often violent 12-year high-seas battle against whaling in the Southern Ocean, claiming success for saving thousands of the giant mammals and bringing the slaughter to world attention.

But the group's founder Paul Watson said his ships -- which usually leave from Australia -- would not sail this year, with different strategies and tactics needed to hinder the hunt.

"What we discovered is that Japan is now employing military surveillance to watch Sea Shepherd ship movements in real-time by satellite and if they know where our ships are at any given moment, they can easily avoid us," he said in a statement."

Martin Parry reports for AFP August 29, 2017.