Australia to continue whaling flights

Australia will continue to monitor the activities of the whaling and protest fleets in the Southern Ocean, even thought the first flight spotted no whaling activities or safety infringements.

Australian Customs sent an aircraft on Sunday morning to observe Sea Shepherd's the Bob Barker and the Japanese whaling vessel the Yushin Maru No 3.

This is the first monitoring mission to be undertaken during the Southern Ocean whaling season in six years, and only the second ever.

A statement by Environment Minister Greg Hunt said monitoring in the Southern Ocean will continue during the whaling season, which is expected to end in March.

The plane's flight over the Southern Ocean comes after Sea Shepherd Australia chairman and former federal Greens leader Bob Brown urged the Australian government to police the whaling activity after obtaining footage of dead whales on Japanese vessels.

The Abbott government made an election promise to send a customs vessel to monitor Japanese whalers in Antarctica, but after the election promised only a plane to observe protesters and whalers in the Southern Ocean.

"It is important that Australia has a presence in the Southern Ocean during the whaling season and to remind all parties that it is important to abide by their safety at sea obligations," Mr Hunt's statement said.