Australian Greens leader Bob Brown has called for an interim court injunction to prevent Japan's whaling fleets returning to the Southern Ocean, AAP reports.
Japan's harpoon ships were ordered home this week, about a month early, after weeks of harassment by members of the Sea Shepherd conservationist group.
Australia's ambassador to Japan was summoned to a meeting on Friday to discuss the issue, with Japan demanding that Australia take action against Sea Shepherd.
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But Mr Brown said it was the Japanese whaling fleet that should have action taken against it.
"It's the Japanese whaling fleet that's behaving in an illegal fashion and it's them who should be the subject of an interim injunction - court action now - to see that they don't come back into the southern hemisphere," he told reporters on Saturday in Sydney.
Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd confirmed the meeting took place in Japan but refused to discuss what was said.
"Yes our ambassador attended a meeting at the Japanese foreign ministry in Tokyo yesterday (Friday)," Mr Rudd told reporters.
"As I'm sure you'd understand and respect the contents of diplomatic conversations should remain confidential."
The ABC reported that Japan's foreign minister Seiji Maehara on Friday said his ministry had invited envoys from Australia, New Zealand and the Netherlands where he "conveyed a sense of regret and reiterated a strong request to take effective measures to avoid the recurrence of Sea Shepherd's obstructionist activities".
