Greenpeace activists blocked a shipment of endangered fin whale meat going from Iceland to Japan via Rotterdam in Holland and sent a request to the Dutch government as well.

On Friday morning, Greenpeace activists sacrificed their Easter holidays in order to help stop the killing and trade of endangered fin whales. Fewer than 50,000 fin whales are expected to exist in the North Atlantic Ocean and CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna) has put a ban on the international trade of fin whale meat. Iceland and Japan will not sign onto the treaty but the Netherlands has done so. Greenpeace wants the Netherlands to live up to its commitment to stop the killing of endangered whales by not allowing this meat to leave its port.

The lawyer for a New Zealand anti-whaling activist facing serious charges in Japan has accused Japanese authorities of seeking a political show trial against his client. Peter Bethune was detained after boarding a Japanese whaling vessel in the Antarctic Ocean in February. The Sea Shepherd activist wanted to make a citizen's arrest of the captain for running over and sinking his speed boat, alleging that he and his crew were nearly killed. Instead Mr Bethune was taken to Tokyo and now he faces charges of trespass, obstructing the passage of a vessel, carrying a knife and damaging property. The most serious charge against him is causing bodily injury with the Japanese claiming he injured a crewman by throwing rancid butter at a whaling ship. In Japan inflicting bodily injury carries a maximum jail term of 15 years or a fine of up to US$6,000.

A POLICE investigation has been launched into an Easter weekend  attempt to sink a Norwegian whaling ship anchored in a remote Nordic fishing port.

At least two people are thought to have crept on board the vessel "Sofie" berthed in Svolvaer harbour, around 700 miles north of Oslo,  and opened the bilge valve. But the ship's owner discovered the attempt and was able to prevent the vessel from sinking. The water was pumped out last night and the Sofie has now righted itself.

New Zealand Foreign Minister Murray McCully and whaling commissioner Geoffrey Palmer have rebuffed Australian government's criticism that New Zealand is opening the door to commercial whaling, New Zealand media reported on Sunday.

WELLINGTON, April 4 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand Foreign Minister Murray McCully and whaling commissioner Geoffrey Palmer have rebuffed Australian government's criticism that New Zealand is opening the door to commercial whaling, New Zealand media reported on Sunday.

Australian Environment Minister Peter Garrett said earlier a New Zealand proposal would destroy the moratorium on commercial whaling by giving whaling countries the right to kill 1,500 whales a year.