The 17 governments comprehensively denounced the so-called scientific hunt as a sham, noting that "Japan is now killing more whales in the Antarctic every year than it killed for scientific research in the 31 years prior to the introduction of the moratorium on commercial whaling." They further express "grave concerns" that the hunt "will undermine the long-term viability" of both fin and humpback whales. The whaling fleet plans to take up to 935 minke whales this season, with ten endangered fin whales, and eventually increase the annual take of fin whales to 50 and adding 50 humpback whales.

"Greenpeace is delighted that so many governments have joined with us today in calling for an end to the killing of whales in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary. Our activists from the high seas to the high streets hope that the Japanese Government will listen to the overwhelming voice of opposition being expressed around the world and bring the hunt to an immediate end," said Shane Rattenbury the leader of Greenpeace's expedition in the Southern Ocean.

From the frigid waters of the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary to the streets of Amsterdam, Berlin, Calcutta, Tokyo, Auckland, people are being asked to sign up as Ocean Defenders and take action online to help stop whaling in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary.

Along with pressure from Governments, corporations also have a role to play in bringing an end to the hunt. Nissui, is such a company. Japan's second-largest marine products company, Nissui owns one third of Kyodo Senpaku, which operates the whaling fleet. People are being urged to tell Nissui that "whaling is bad for business" and call on the company to get Kyodo Senpaku out of whaling.

Two Greenpeace ships, the Esperanza and the Arctic Sunrise, left Cape Town on November 20 in order to defend the whales in the Sanctuary. Since December 21 the ships have been pursuing the whaling fleet and continually disrupting the whaling by placing inflatables between the harpoons and whales.

The campaign to defend the whales in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary is the first stage in an ambitious new Greenpeace campaign 'Defending our Oceans'. Over the next year the Esperanza will be Greenpeace's main platform to promote a network of marine reserves or parks covering 40% of the world's oceans: places that will be protected from industrial exploitation and destruction, from industrial fishing and hunting, and places from which our oceans can begin the process of repair and recovery

For more information on the campaign to defend the whales go to: http://oceans.greenpeace.org