After a voyage of 24 days, the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society's ship Farley Mowat arrived in the port of Fremantle at C Berth on Monday.

The Farley Mowat will spend the next five months making preparations to return to the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary in Antarctica to oppose the illegal activities of the Japanese whaling fleet. Sea Shepherd will be sending two ships to the Antarctic coast in December.

Our objective is to uphold international conservation law in accordance with the Principles of the United Nations World Charter for Nature," said Captain Paul Watson, the Founder and President of the international marine conservation society. "We are not going south to take pictures or protest whaling. Our aim is to stop their illegal activities and to save whales."

Japan intends to kill over 1,000 whales in the Southern Whale Sanctuary including 50 endangered humpbacks and 50 endangered fin whales.

"This is a crime against nature and it is a crime against humanity," said Captain Alex Cornelissen, the skipper of the Farley Mowat. "These whales do not belong to Japan and they have no legal right to kill them. Someone must stand up to the arrogance of the Japanese whalers and we intend to do so."

The Farley Mowat is stopping in Perth at the request of many Western Australian supporters.

"Australia is now the most vocal and most outspoken nation in the world in opposing whaling. We are thrilled that Australians are supporting us in this important effort," said the Farley Mowat's Chief Cook who will be setting foot in her native Australia for the first time since departing Melbourne in December of 2005 to chase the Japanese fleet.

The crew of the Farley Mowat are international volunteers. Their courage, dedication, and commitment to this cause is the fuel that drives Sea Shepherd's resolve in sailing deliberately into harm's way to save the whales from the criminal harpoons of the Japanese whaling fleet.

The Farley Mowat will spend a week in Fremantle before heading to Melbourne.