The pristine waters of the Southern Ocean are once again under threat from poachers, said Sea Shepherd chief executive Alex Cornelissen. "We would like to remind the Japanese government that the whales ofthe Southern Ocean are protected by international law by Australian law and by Sea Shepherd. "As such, any violation of the sanctity of the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary or the Australian Whale Sanctuary will be regarded as a criminal act" During the suspension of Japan's whale hunt, Sea Shepherd has been targeting the catching of rare Antarctic and Patagonian toothfish in the southern ocean