A warm welcome is being organised for Sea Shepherd ships, the Bob Barker and the Steve Irwin, on Sunday 6 March, Greens Leader Bob Brown said today.

"At least 800 whales are alive and swimming free in the ocean south of Tasmania due to Sea Shepherd's courageous crew," Senator Brown said in Hobart.

"I hope there will be an even bigger turn out of Hobartians than last year and I am looking forward to joining the welcome as Paul Watson and his crew step ashore."

Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown today congratulated Sea Shepherd Conservation Society for its victory over the Japanese whale hunters in Antarctic waters.

"Sea Shepherd and other campaigners have achieved a great victory," Senator Brown said.

"The tide has turned in Japan," Senator Brown said, after Japanese Fisheries Minister Michihiko Kano announced today that this season's whale hunt was over.

"Let's hope February 9th 2011 goes down in history as the day that the last whale was slaughtered in Antarctic waters."

"We must all remain vigilant."

Japan's slaughter of Antarctic whales seems to be in its death throes, Greens Leader Bob Brown said in Canberra today.

After speaking with Sea Shepherd's Captain Paul Watson, Senator Brown described the behaviour of the whaling fleet factory shop Nisshin Maru as "bizarre".

Nisshin Maru has re-entered the Pacific Ocean from the Drake Passage south of South America. 

"It is either headed home to Tokyo or will take a week to rejoin its three idle whale catcher ships now in the Ross Sea."

Senator Rachel Siewert, Australian Greens Marine Spokesperson has joined leader Senator Bob Brown in welcoming reports of a possible early end to Japan’s annual whale hunt in the Southern Ocean.

“Today’s news may well signal the beginning of the end of Japanese whaling in the Southern Ocean,” Senator Siewert said in Canberra today.

The Australian Greens today said the admission of corruption by Japan's Fisheries Agency officials highlights yet again the farce of Japan's whaling program.

"Japan's so-called 'scientific' whaling program never had any credibility and this shows it up yet again," said Australian Greens spokesperson on whaling, Senator Rachel Siewert today.

Greens Leader Bob Brown today urged the Australian government to at least conduct aerial surveillance of the Southern Ocean, after Japanese whalers doubled their hunting area.

"I spoke to the Japanese ambassador in Canberra yesterday, offering the opinion that this is criminal behaviour in the Australian Antarctic Territory," Senator Brown said.