Australia condemns Japan whaling boat A JAPANESE whaling boat has annoyed the federal government by entering Australian waters in the Southern Ocean. Environment Minister Tony Burke says the government has confirmed that a whaling support boat from Japan, the Shonan Maru No.2, has entered Australia's exclusive economic zone near Macquarie Island in the Southern Ocean. "Australia has made it clear to Japan on a number of occasions that vessels associated with its Japanese whaling program are not welcome in Australia's exclusive economic zone or territorial sea," Mr Burke said in a statement on Thursday. The minister said the boat was a non-whaling support ship, which was part of the fleet accompanying whaling vessels. "Our embassy in Tokyo has conveyed these sentiments directly to the Japanese government," Mr Burke said. Bob Brown, mission leader of anti-whaling activist group Sea Shepherd, commended Australia for raising the issue with the Japanese government. "This vessel has armed personnel aboard," Dr Brown said in a statement. It is an affront to Australia that it is entering our territorial waters surrounding the World Heritage-listed Macquarie Island, which is part of Tasmania.