By Cathy Alexander
Japanese whaling vessels are expected to target Australian waters in their upcoming summer hunt.
But they won't do this without a fight, as protesters plan to disrupt the kill.
Federal government officials have told a Senate budget estimates hearing that if the Japanese follow their usual pattern, they would this year focus on Antarctic waters claimed by Australia.
Last year they hunted in New Zealand waters.
Donna Petrachenko from the Environment Department told the hearing that the Japanese had not said how many whales they would kill this summer.
In recent years Japan had aimed for a kill of 850 whales.
Ms Petrachenko said Australia hoped Japan would kill fewer this year, and would not kill any humpback whales.
The hearing heard Paul Watson, skipper of the protest vessel the Sea Shepherd, was on Monday granted a visa to come to Australia.
The Sea Shepherd, which chases Japanese whaling vessels around Antarctic waters most summers, has been accused of ramming ships and lobbing stink bombs and chemicals on to their decks.
The hearing heard Japan was considering a proposal to create a whale sanctuary in the south Atlantic.
Australian whaling envoy Sandy Hollway has been paid almost $2000 a day for his work, but has not visited Japan recently, the hearing heard.
Australia opposes whaling, but this stance does not appear to have deterred the Japanese government.
There is a glimmer of hope for anti-whaling activists - Japan has a new, left-leaning government after a long period of conservative rule. The new government indicated it supports whaling some months ago, but has not expanded on its policy.