The Japanese whaling fleet is said to be on the run again in the Antarctic after being found by activists who followed up a tip from the Federal Environment Minister, Greg Hunt.

The factory ship Nisshin Maru was re-located in the Ross Sea, far south-east of Australia, by the Sea Shepherd activists after it gave them the slip earlier in January.

Illustration: Matt Golding

Following the first Australian Customs aerial monitoring flight of the fleet, on 14 January, Mr Hunt said the aircraft located Nisshin Maru over 1,000 nautical miles away from the Australian Search and Rescue Zone.

"From this, Sea Shepherd was able to deduce the location of the whaling fleet," the activists said in a statement.