Japanese whalers end hunt, says Sea Shepherd JAPANESE whalers appear to have abandoned their Antarctic hunt, with Sea Shepherd activists saying they are tracking the fleet as it steams away from the Southern Ocean. After a series of heavy collisions between the whaling vessels and the Sea Shepherd fleet, the factory ship Nisshin Maru and its harpoon ships were on Saturday headed away from the Australian Antarctic Territory into the Indian Ocean. "Things are looking good for the end of whaling for this season," said Sea Shepherd captain Paul Watson. We came, we intervened, we stood fast, we won. The Japanese government was yet to comment, but it appeared that the whalers had quit the southern hunting grounds after a shorter-than-usual season, having taken no more than 75 whales by Sea Shepherd's estimation, far fewer than previous seasons. Japan's consul-general in Melbourne, Hidenobu Sobashima, said his government did not discuss the movements of the fleet. This week the activists' vessels were battered while blockading attempts by Nisshin Maru to refuel from the tanker Sun Laurel in ice-strewn seas off Australian waters. Fresh doubts also emerged over the role of the Japanese government in whaling hunts, with the sudden appearance of a big Japanese military icebreaker in the midst of the conflict. Mr Watson claims a helicopter from the icebreaker Shirase appeared to transfer Japan Coast Guard security officers to the whaling fleet's refuelling tanker. At the height of the sea clashes, flash-bang grenades were thrown from the factory ship by uniformed Japan Coast Guard officers, Sea Shepherd says. Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke said he was told by Japan: "Neither the Shirase nor its helicopters have provided any support to whaling vessels or the refuelling vessel, Sun Laurel." With the Shirase's next port of call in Sydney, Mr Watson suggested: "Maybe Mr Burke should ask the police to examine their GPS record the next time they dock." Mr Burke said there was no joy in the whalers heading home when they had an intention of returning. "Hopefully this is the last, or nearly the last occasion where they are able to behave in this way, before the International Court of Justice is able to give its ruling," Mr Burke said. The ICJ is due to hear this year Australia argue that the scientific whaling program is a sham and a breach of international law.