Australia will send an aircraft to Antarctica to monitor Japan's whale hunt, Environment Minister Greg Hunt says.

Making the announcement in Melbourne on Sunday, Mr Hunt said it was important to monitor the whaling season, given the risk of confrontations between protesters and whalers.

"It sends a clear message that the Australian government expects all parties to abide by the laws of the seas," he said in a statement.

Mr Hunt said the choice of a plane instead of a ship was made for operational reasons as the most effective means of monitoring a wide area of the Southern Ocean.

He said flights would be planned ahead of time and staffed by customs and border protection officers.

AAP