Australia orders out Japanese whaler

A Japanese whaling vessel that entered Australian waters in the Antarctic has been ordered out by an Australian research vessel.

A government spokesman said the research ship ,the Aurora Australis, came across the whaler early on New Year's Day about 70km (45 miles) inside Australia's economic exclusion zone.

The research vessel ordered it to leave Australian waters and the authorities believe it returned to its factory ship.

The whaler was with a fleet of five Japanese vessels that set sail in early November, planning to catch around 400 Minke whales which Japan maintains are abundant despite complaints from environmentalists.

Although Japan gave up commercial whaling in line with an international moratorium in 1986, it has been carrying out what it calls scientific research whaling since 1987.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service