Whaling ship attacked by activists: Japan

AFP, March, 2008

TOKYO (AFP) — Militant environmentalists hurled stinging acid for more than an hour onto a Japanese whaling ship off Antarctica on Monday, hurting three crew members, officials said.

Both Japan and Australia, the leading opponent of whaling, condemned the latest attack by the Sea Shepherd group, which has vowed to stop Japan's controversial expedition by force if necessary.

Members of Sea Shepherd threw more than 100 brown envelopes containing a white powder and bottles of butyric acid from their own vessel onto the Japanese whaler Nisshin Maru, Japanese officials said.

Butyric acid is liquid or a white powder that stings the eyes.

Two crew members and two coast guard officers complained of pain after the hour-long attack, the Fisheries Agency said. Three of them required treatment by washing out their eyes.

Japan said it would file strong protests with Australia, where the Sea Shepherd's Steve Irwin vessel last ...