Activists try to stop refuelling

CANBERRA - Environmentalists have again clashed with Japanese whalers in Antarctic waters, with Greenpeace activists failing to prevent the refuelling of the fleet's factory ship.

The protesters piloted an inflatable boat between the Nisshin Maru and supply ship the Oriental Bluebird, a spokesman on board the Greenpeace ship Esperanza said.

"They've gone ahead with refuelling now - it was too dangerous for us to continue blocking them because they were pushing their two ships together, which was quite a dangerous manoeuvre with people sitting between on a boat," Greenpeace spokesman Dave Walsh told the ABC.

- AAP