FED: Govt mulls use of cruise ship to shadow whalers - report

AAP General News (Australia)
12-18-2007
FED: Govt mulls use of cruise ship to shadow whalers - report

SYDNEY, Dec 18 AAP - The federal government plans to spy on Japanese whalers using
an armed P&O cruise ship.

High-level talks have centred around leasing the Oceanic Viking, a commercial vessel
with a reinforced hull to tackle ice, a crew trained for polar conditions and surveillance
equipment, Fairfax reports today, citing sources.

Image and video taken by the ship would be used in international court action against
the whalers.

"The bottom line is you have got to get close to really see what is going on," a source said.

Under the proposal, the Oceanic Viking would be manned by a Customs boarding team and
have two 50-caliber machine guns on board.

The ship, which has been used to chase Patagonian toothfish poachers in the southern
ocean, would have a civilian crew from P&O.

Despite the weapons, it would be unlikely for Japanese vessels to be fired on or boarded,
Fairfax reports.

A government spokeswoman declined to comment on use of the ship before an official
announcement of the government's intentions.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has said the government is deliberating on the matter and
will make its position clear later this week.

Before the November 24 election, Labor said it would use military "assets" to collect
evidence of the whaling in support of possible international legal action against the
whalers.

Mr Rudd yesterday would not specify what Australian assets would be used.

"Australian assets means Australian assets, which means the property of the Australian
government," he said.

Mr Rudd also rejected comments by Opposition Leader Brendan Nelson that the government
did not fully understand the repercussions of using military vessels to track the Japanese
fleet.

AAP kd/rs

KEYWORD: WHALING AUST SHIP

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