The Japanese Whaling Association wants the Government to refuse entry to an anti-whaling protest ship if it tries to refuel in a New Zealand port.
The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society's flagship, the Steve Irwin, has been chasing Japanese whalers near Antarctica since mid-December and is returning to an undisclosed port to refuel - either in New Zealand, Australia or Chile.
The Japanese Whaling Association has called on the New Zealand and Australian governments not to allow the ship into port.
A spokesperson for Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully says the Government will not comment on the issue until it is known the ship is heading for New Zealand. The spokesperson says officials know where the ship is, but would not say how.
