The Sea Shepherd conservation group has intercepted a Japanese harpoon fleet with the help of a drone on Christmas Day.
A Sea Shepherd Conservation Society spokesman confirmed to AAP it had caught up with the fleet at 37 degrees south, 1600km above Antarctic waters.
A military-style drone was used to intercept the fleet.
“This is going to be a long, hard pursuit from here to the coast of Antarctica,” Captain Paul Watson said.
“But thanks to these drones, we now have an advantage we have never had before – eyes in the sky.
“We can cover hundreds of miles with these drones and they have proven to be valuable assets for this campaign.”
The drone named Nicole Montecalvo was donated to Sea Shepherd’s Steve Irwin ship by Bayshore Recycling of New Jersey, and Moran Office of Maritime and Port Security, also of New Jersey.
Commercial whaling is banned under an international treaty.
But since 1987, Japan has continued whaling under what claim is a scientific research into the marine mammals.
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