Dec. 13 - On Dec. 10, the governments of Australia, the Netherlands, New Zealand and the United States issued a Joint Statement on Whaling and Safety at Sea calling for responsible behavior and condemning any actions that imperil human life in the Southern Ocean. The governments stressed, "We are deeply concerned that confrontations in the Southern Ocean will eventually lead to injury or loss of life among both whaling crews and protestors, many of whom are nationals of our countries." They further emphasized, "We remain resolute in our opposition to whaling in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary, established by the International Whaling Commission, and are disappointed at the recent departure of the Japanese whaling fleet for the Southern Ocean."