The International Whaling Commission criticized environmental activists protesting Japan's whaling fleet, accusing them Saturday of threatening safety at sea.
The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and other anti-whaling groups have repeatedly harassed the Japanese whaling fleet to interfere with its hunt.
The whaling commission "called upon the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society to refrain from dangerous actions that jeopardize safety at sea, and on vessels and crews concerned to exercise restraint".
"The commission and its contracting governments do not condone and in fact condemn any actions that are a risk to human life and property in relation to the activities of vessels at sea," it said in a statement.
Japan kills about 1,000 whales every year under what it calls a scientific research program. Critics call the Japanese program a cover for commercial whaling, which has been banned by the commission since 1986.
Japan has accused the activists of terrorist tactics and insists it only wants to take the types of whales that are plentiful.
On Friday, the Japanese coast guard said Sea Shepherd activists threw rotten butter and other objects at a Japanese whale-processing ship about 1,800 miles south-southwest of Melbourne, Australia, in the Antarctic Ocean.
The coast guard said its officers aboard the vessel responded by tossing "warning balls." Australia's foreign minister described the devices as "flash bangs," or stun grenades.
Despite the commission's rebuke, Sea Shepherd said it plans to continue its actions.
"This is the 21st century," said Paul Watson, captain of the group's Steve Irwin ship. "The IWC should be an organization to protect the world's whales from this barbaric practice."
"Here they are condemning us for throwing stink bombs, but the Japanese are attacking endangered whales in violation of an Australian court order _ they are no different to poachers."
The whaling commission also addressed worsening strains between its members.
Japan, Norway and Iceland lead a group keen to reintroduce commercial whaling, but other members, including Britain, remain firmly opposed. The polarization has made decision-making in the commission _ which is designed to conserve whale stocks and regulate the development of the whaling industry _ increasingly difficult.
The commission said it would consider using small negotiating groups, adopting cooling-off periods when problems arise and reducing the use of voting to help aid progress.
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