TOKYO , Japan ( CNN ) -- Anti-whaling activists are accusing a Japanese boat of destroying their vessel Wednesday by ramming into it during a skirmish in the Southern Ocean . But Japanese authorities deny their boat intentionally rammed the activists ' catamaran and said instead the incident happened accidentally when the activists were harassing their whaling fleet . Sea Shepherd Conservation Society says its boat was ripped apart by the Japanese vessel during the incident . `` In an unprovoked attack captured on film , the Japanese security ship Shonan Maru No . 2 deliberately rammed and caused catastrophic damage to the Sea Shepherd catamaran Ady Gil , '' said a statement from Sea Shepherd . The statement said six crew crew members , five from New Zealand and one from the Netherlands , were rescued by the crew of the Sea Shepherd ship Bob Barker . None of the Ady Gil crew were injured , the statement said . The statement quoted the captain of the Bob Barker as saying the Shonan Maru No . 2 deliberately rammed the Ady Gil , ripping off eight feet of the bow of the vessel . `` The Japanese whalers have now escalated this conflict very violently , '' said Captain Paul Watson . `` If they think that our remaining two ships will retreat from the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary in the face of their extremism , they will be mistaken . We now have a real whale war on our hands now , and we have no intention of retreating . '' A Japanese Fisheries Agency statement blamed the conservation group for the incident . `` This is a continuation of the harassment of the Japanese research whaling program by Sea Shepherd and is extremely dangerous to threaten vessels and its crew . This is absolutely unforgivable , '' the statement said . The incident continues an ongoing feud between conservation agencies and Japanese whaling fleets . The Southern Ocean is a term used to describe parts of the Indian , Pacific and Atlantic oceans that surround Antarctica . CNN 's Yoko Wakatsuki and Kyung Lah contributed to this report .
The incident continues an ongoing feud between conservation agencies and Japanese whaling fleets . Activist statement says Japanese vessel deliberately rammed the Ady Gil . Japanese Fisheries Agency blames the conservation group for the incident .