Japanese and Sea Shepherd boats are steaming towards the Antarctic. Will there be violent conflict? It's possible. Japan is adamant that it wants to continue killing whales in Antarctic waters. Sea Shepherd is passionately opposed.

Since 1986 there has been a moratorium on the killing of whales. However the International Whaling Commission allows that some whales may be killed for scientific research if that research is essential for rational management. In 2014 the International Court of Justice decided Japan's whaling was not justified for purposes of scientific research and ordered Japan to stop whaling.

In addition, the Australian Federal Court decided in November that Japan was in wilful contempt of breaching Australian environmental laws in the Antarctic Whale Sanctuary by killing whales there. A fine of $1 million was imposed on the company carrying out the killing, a company contracted by a Japanese government organisation, the Institute for Cetacean Research.

The institute put a new research proposal to the International Whaling Commission this year, but the commission rejected this proposal. So the law and international regulation oppose Japan's actions and yet the whaling continues.