Whalers attack Sea Shepherd ship

Environmental group Sea Shepherd claims it is under attack by a fleet of Japanese Whalers in the Southern Ocean.

The crew on board the Bob Barker, an anti-whaling ship, are bracing for a long night ahead after being attacked by the Yushin Maru and Yushin Maru No. 3 at 5.15pm (AEDT) on Sunday in the Ross Sea, Sea Shepherd spokesman Adam Burling said.

The Japanese whaling ships have sought to destabilise the Bob Barker by towing steel cable across the bow of the ship to disable its propeller and rudder, he said.

Another Japanese whaling ship the Nisshin Maru was 40 nautical miles away from The Bob Barker at the time the attack began.

The previous two attacks against the Sea Shepherd lasted nine and six hours, respectively, Mr Burling said.

Last month Japanese whalers used the same tactics in an assault on the Bob Barker with an aim to deter the anti-whaling vessel from blocking whale poachers in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary, the Sea Shepherd has previously reported.

Environment Minister Greg Hunt ordered an investigation into earlier claims a Sea Shepherd vessel was rammed by the whalers in New Zealand waters on February 2.