[Jaydelart]

I don't like the idea of whaling. However, I also find protesters - for example: the kind shown in the television show "Whale Wars" - extremely annoying (to put it bluntly).
Protesters even boarded Japanese vessels... to do... what?
~ And they wondered why the Japanese detained them.

That's like forcing entry into a stranger's car and expecting not to get in trouble for it.
That, to me, was incredibly idiotic. In my personal opinion - and forgive me if you disagree - they put Steve Irwin's name in vain.

I prefer for whaling to decrease, or stop, officially in a formal, more secure manner... rather than having a boat full of hostile civilians harass ships like a band of fake pirates.
The latter method is far too reckless in comparison to the former, for various reasons:

(1) Hostile behavior at sea, (especially) these days, can be translated as a deadly scenario, which not only confuses the Japanese in distinguishing a real threat from a fake one... but also puts the protesters in danger, in the event that the Japanese choose to defend themselves with deadly force. You can't expect them to understand English -- or, by extension, your intentions.

(2) Harassing a person doing their job can be unfair. Perhaps that person is in that situation due to certain circumstances in their own lives. After all, pawns are only pawns. The king (or kings) is in charge; He should be the real target, not the man trying to earn a living for himself or his family.

(3) Similar to number 1, creating a more chaotic environment in the icy seas increases the already high likelihood of something going wrong: a person falling overboard, critical equipment malfunction, or even injury from any of the heavy features of the ships...

... There are also concerns for health and the effects on international relations to consider.

My point is that, although I disagree with the Japanese on whaling, I think a victory should be won against them on the political stage, without all the unnecessary risks brought with direct anti-whaling protesters.

My 2 cents.