Japan abandons Southern Ocean whaling season

Japan has confirmed its whaling fleet will abandon this year's hunt in the Southern Ocean.

Japan's Fisheries Agency says a fire on board its main whaling vessel the Nisshin Maru has caused extensive damage to the ship and to equipment on board.

It says the ship is now able to move under its own power, but says continuing its research program in the Southern Ocean would be too difficult.

A 27-year-old man died in the blaze that broke out two weeks ago.

The six ships involved in the hunt will now return to Japan.

The damaged Nisshin Maru is expected to arrive in Tokyo by the end of March.

The New Zealand spokesman for the Institute for Cetacean Research, Glenn Inwood, says the damage to the ship will not affect future whaling programs.

"Once the ship gets back, it will be looked over and inspected to determine the cause of the fire and then it will go into dock to be fully refurbished for north-west and north Pacific research programs which start generally between April and June," he said.

"It won't affect next summer's program at all.

"The research program in the Antarctic is a long-term research program and it will certainly continue from December this year."

Greenpeace says it will follow the ships out of the Antarctic waters.