Chronology of the whailing wars - thanks to the Age

1946 Japan resumes Antarctic whaling for food post-World War II, with US encouragement. Australia opposes. IWC formed under the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling.

1972 Paul Watson and others form Greenpeace and challenge uncontrolled Soviet whaling in the North Pacific.

1986 IWC final reach a moratorium on commercial whaling after numbers crash.

1987 Japan issues itself a permit under IWC to take whales for scientific research in the Antarctic

1989 First Greenpeace action in the Antarctic

1994 IWC establishes a circumpolar Southern Ocean wildlife sanctuary but Japan rejects.

2005 Sea Shepherd begins clashes with whaling fleet.

2009 Conflict with the Japanese fleet escalates - high intensity acoustics and ship boargisn

2010 Andy Gil sliced in two by whalers's security ship Shonan Maru No 2. IWC peace talks collapse.

2011 Japan cuts season short and withdraws in the face of opposition from the three fleet Sea Shepherd flotilla.

Links

IWC: http://iwcoffice.org/

International Fund for Animal Welfare (global whales campaign manager is Paul Ramage): http://www.ifaw.org/ifaw_asia_pacific/index.php

Sea Shepherd; http://www.seashepherd.org/