According to media reports, Japanese whalers filed a lawsuit on December 8 in the US District Court of Seattle to prevent "acts of violence" by Sea Shepherd activists during this year's whaling operations in the Antarctic. In a statement, Japan's Institute of Cetacean Research (ICR), and Kyodo Senpaku Kaisha Ltd, which operates the whaling vessels, said they had filed the lawsuit to establish legal protection of their ships and crews. A spokesman for the whalers said the lawsuit would only target violent activities and did not seek monetary compensation from Sea Shepherd, but did seek a permanent stop to the activists' actions. Sea Shepherd founder, Paul Watson, said the ships his organisation used in past years were not owned by Sea Shepherd USA, nor were they US-flagged vessels and thus, the US government and courts have no authority over the ships.
Joint Press Release from Japan's Institute of Cetacean Research (ICR), and Kyodo Senpaku Kaisha Ltd
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