Adam Harvey reported this story on Wednesday, December 7, 2011 08:09:00

TONY EASTLEY: Japan's whaling fleet has left its home port for another season in the Southern Ocean and it's getting there courtesy of extra money kicked in from the nation's earthquake recovery fund.



The Japanese fleet will have beefed-up security after its last season was cut short by the Sea Shepherd anti-whaling group.



But there's anger in Japan and elsewhere about how that's being paid for.



The Japan Fisheries Agency says it's a legitimate use of the earthquake money because one of the towns devastated by the March quake was a whaling port.



Adam Harvey takes up the story.



ADAM HARVEY: Three vessels have set sail from the port of Shimonoseki in western Japan.



Their mission, to catch 900 whales over the next three months in the icy waters of the Southern Ocean.



They didn't get anywhere near that amount last season and the Sea Shepherd conservation group is hoping for a repeat performance.



Paul Watson is the group's founder. He spoke to AM from his ship, the Steve Irwin, which is moored off Fremantle Harbour.



PAUL WATSON: So every year we've gone down we've gotten more successful than the year before and this last season was our most successful yet. They only took 17 per cent of their quota which meant we saved 863 whales and they went back six weeks early.



ADAM HARVEY: Three Sea Shepherd vessels will depart from Fremantle and Hobart over the next few weeks.



On board the whaling vessels - extra security and coast guard personnel.



Japan say they're needed to protect a legitimate "scientific" enterprise.



The Japan Fisheries Agency issued a statement to AM.



EXCERPT FROM STATEMENT: The government is aiming for commercial whaling so the purpose of whaling is to gather scientific data.



ADAM HARVEY: The Japanese government has kicked in an extra $28 million to help fund this year's whaling operation.



There's anger, though, about the source of that money. It's come from Japan's earthquake recovery fund.* (See Editor's Note below)



The Japan Fisheries Agency says it's a legitimate use of that money because one of the towns devastated by the March quake was a whaling port.



EXCERPT FROM STATEMENT: Ishinomaki is one of the prominent whaling towns. It has a food culture of eating whale too. The whole community is aiming to restart commercial whaling. We will continue gathering data so it can carry out commercial whaling.



ADAM HARVEY: Junichi Sato is the executive director of Greenpeace Japan. He says it's a massive stretch to link whaling to the earthquake.



JUNICHI SATO: It's not related to the recovery at all. It is used to cover the debts of the whaling program because the whaling program itself has been suffering from big financial problems.



ADAM HARVEY: Paul Watson.



PAUL WATSON: I know there's a lot of angry people who said 'Look I didn't send my money to help the victims of the tsunami only to have you use it to go down south and kill whales'.* (See Editor's Note below)



ADAM HARVEY: Mr Watson says it's bound to get ugly this summer in the Southern Ocean.



PAUL WATSON: I did ask the Australian Government for assistance. I think the responsible thing considering the number of Australian citizens involved would be to send a vessel down to keep the peace. But they don't seem to be too interested in that.



ADAM HARVEY: The Environment Minister Tony Burke says whaling in the Southern Ocean is wrong and unlawful but there are no plans to send a customs or navy vessel.



Opposition environment spokesman Greg Hunt says that's weak.



GREG HUNT: There is a risk of a significant, potentially fatal conflict at sea between whalers and protesters and the Government must dispatch a customs vessel by Christmas day in order to coincide with the likely arrival of both the whaling fleet and protesters in the Southern Ocean.



ADAM HARVEY: The first whales should be caught by the end of the month. The season lasts until March.



TONY EASTLEY: Adam Harvey reporting.



EDITOR'S NOTE (15 December 2011): To clarify, the source of funds for the whaling program is a supplementary budget allocation from the Japanese government. The Japanese government says no donated funds have been allocated to the whaling program. See statement: www.au.emb-japan.go.jp/pdf/whaling_response.pdf