Australia announced on Thursday that it will send a ship to rescue the two activists which have been detained on the board of a Japanese whaling vessel.

The two activists boarded the vessel from the Sea Shepherd in order to hand over a letter to the Japanese whalers which it said that they are breaking the international and Australian law by hunting whales.

The Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith told reporters Wednesday evening in Perth: "We would like the transfer to be effected as quickly as possible."

He added: "But people should understand this will be a difficult operation," CNN reports.

On Thursday the Ocean Viking, the Australian vessel which was sent last month in the Antarctic Ocean in order to gather information against the Japanese whalers to use in international court, was in the proximity of the Yushin Maru 2, the Japanese whaler.

The Japanese Fisheries Agency said that they are ready to surrender the two activists, Australian Benjamin Potts and Briton Giles Lane.

A video which was released by the anti-whaling group showed that the activists were tied to the ship’s railing. This move made the group to accuse the whalers of kidnapping.

The captain of Sea Shepherd, Paul Watson, said earlier that the activists were assaulted by the Japanese whalers.

He said: "They're being held hostage, they've been kidnapped and the Japanese are trying to use them to try and extort an agreement out of us, which is to leave them alone ... which to me is a form of terrorism.”

On the other hand the activists are accused of terrorism by the Japanese Fisheries Agency. Pictures were released at a news conference which showed broken bottles which they claim were thrown by the men. Pictures showing the two relaxing on board of the ship drinking tea were released also.

Smith said that the two will be taken from the Japanese vessel by the Oceanic Viking and will be moved to the Sea Shepherd.

He said: "The transfer of men from one ship to another, and then to a third ship in any circumstances is a potentially difficult operation. But this will be a difficult operation occurring as it does in the southern oceans and it will require the cooperation -- the full cooperation -- of the captains of the ships and the men themselves."

Japan whalers sailed in November in the Antarctic Ocean with plans of killing some 1,000 whales. Their actions are not condemned by the international law due to the fact that the killings are for scientific purposes.