Forced to address the issue just days after hosting Japan’s Prime Minister, the Australian Environment Minister Josh Frydenberg condemned the whalers in a statement on Monday: “The Australian government is deeply disappointed that Japan has decided to return to the Southern Ocean this summer to undertake so-called 'scientific' whaling. It is not necessary to kill whales in order to study them,” he added.

"New Zealand will be expressing its significant disappointment about what is going on there,” echoed New Zealand’s Prime Minister, Bill English, promising to support Australia’s fight to stop Japanese whaling through the “appropriate channels.”

“Frankly, simply being 'disappointed' does not cut it when the majority of Australians want action to stop the Japanese whale-killing fleet,” said Sea Shepherd Australia Director Jeff Hansen in response to the politicians’ comments.

While keeping the Japanese poachers on the run, M/Y Steve Irwin Captain Wyanda Lublink radioed the Yushin Maru #2 harpoon ship: “We have caught you whaling illegally in a protected whale sanctuary in Australian waters. You are in contempt of the Australian Federal Court and the International Court of Justice, and we demand you stop your operations.” Receiving no reply, she further informed the poaching vessel that Sea Shepherd had video footage of them with the whale. “We will take this evidence back to Australia so there can be an investigation.”