By Rob Taylor
A photo of an adult minke whale and her calf being towed up the rear ramp of a Japanese factory processing ship in Antarctic waters prompted headlines including "They call it science."
"This isn't about science, it isn't about research. They're calling it science, but really it's killing whales," Garrett said.
Despite a moratorium on whaling, Japan is allowed an annual "scientific" hunt, arguing whaling is a cherished tradition and the hunt is necessary to study whales. Its fleet has killed 7,000 Antarctic minkes over the past 20 years.
In one photo a banner hangs from the back of the factory ship saying it is conducting "legal research under the ICRW (International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling)."
Another photograph shows a whale tethered to harpoon lines at the bow of a whaling ship.
"It's very disappointing. It's distressing when you think that it can take up to 15 minutes after a harpoon actually hits a whale for the whale to die. "It's even sadder when you consider there's a calf involved," Garrett told local television.
The Sea Shepherd group said they would try and accelerate their departure for Antarctica after the release of the pictures to launch more protest action.
(Editing by Sanjeev Miglani)
