Sea Shepherd struggling to find Japan whaling fleet

Environmental activist group Sea Shepherd's flagship Steve Irwin left Western Australia for the remote Southern Ocean on January 18, 2016, to chase and disrupt the annual Japanese whaling hunt. - AFP/File / Greg Wood

Sydney (AFP) - Environmental activist group Sea Shepherd admitted on Monday it was struggling to find Japanese whaling vessels in the vast Southern Ocean and urged the Australian government to help.

Its flagship Steve Irwin left Western Australia for the remote area on January 18 to chase and disrupt the annual hunt, which resumed in December after a one-year pause despite a worldwide moratorium and widespread condemnation.