Sea Shepherd pulls plug on Japan whale hunt

This file photo taken on December 13, 2011 shows Sea Shepherd's ship 'Bob Barker' moored in Hobart as it prepares to leave to confront the Japanese whaling fleet in the Southern Ocean. -AFP filepic

SYDNEY: Activist group Sea Shepherd on Tuesday pulled the plug on its annual campaign to disrupt Japanese whaling, saying it can no longer match the country’s military and economic power.

The organisation has waged an often violent 12-year high-seas battle against whaling in the Southern Ocean, claiming success for saving thousands of the giant mammals and bringing the slaughter to world attention.