WELLINGTON: The New Zealand Government said yesterday it was "deeply concerned" about the whales being killed in Antarctica by Japan under its so-called scientific research programme.

Conservation Minister Chris Carter said the government totally rejected claims that the whaling under way was needed for scientific research and the protests taking place in the Southern Ocean reflected the strong feelings on the subject of many New Zealanders.

"New Zealanders regard whales as iconic creatures and do not understand the need to kill them for scientific or any other purposes," Carter said, rejecting Japanese claims that killing was necessary to provide information on whale populations.

But with reported clashes between the whalers and protest ships manned by the international environment group Greenpeace and the more militant Sea Shepherd organization, Carter urged restraint by all parties in what he said was "one of the most dangerous and remote environments on the planet."

Earlier, Carter revealed that Royal New Zealand Air Force maritime surveillance aircraft were flying over the area to monitor the Japanese and out of concern for New Zealanders on board the Greenpeace boats.

But he rejected calls by the Green Party in Parliament to send a frigate to the area in response to reports that Japan may send armed police or troops to guard the fleet.

Carter described the Japanese threat as an "hysterical reaction" to confrontations between the whalers and the protesters who have accused each other of deliberately ramming vessels in dangerous confrontations.

He said: "Japan has taken over 6,500 Antarctic minke whales in the Southern Ocean for the purposes of scientific research. This year it plans to take a further 935 minke whales and 10 endangered fin whales. There are also plans to ultimately kill the endangered humpback whale."

Carter said New Zealand would continue working with like-minded countries including Australia, South Africa, the United Kingdom, most European nations, the United States and Latin America to stop whaling.

Source: China Daily