As antiwhaling campaigners gear up for their annual voyage to interrupt Japanese whaling activities, Australia, New Zealand and the Netherlands issued a joint statement Monday condemning any violence.
"Our governments jointly call upon all parties to exercise restraint and to ensure that safety at sea is the highest priority," Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith, New Zealand Foreign Minister Murray McCully and Dutch Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen said in the statement.
They said any unlawful activities, committed by either Japanese whalers or antiwhaling demonstrators, will be dealt with under international and domestic laws.
Ramping up its efforts to stop the hunt, the U.S.-based Sea Shepherd Conservation Group is sending two boats this year.