Three anti-whaling activists, Geoffrey Tuxworth, Simon Peterffy and Glen Pendlebury, who were held aboard a Japanese whaling ship will not be charged and will be turned over to Australian authorities, reports said.

This was confirmed by Australian authorities after a series of talks with Japan. Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard thanked the Japanese government for its cooperation.

According to sources, criminal charges will not be filed against the activists because no injury was caused to crew members of the Shonan Maru 2 or to the body of the ship, which was en route to the Antarctic whaling grounds.

The three members of Forest Rescue Australia scaled aboard the Shonan Maru 2 over the weekend to demand the whaling security ship leave Australian waters. They were detained in the ship by the crew.

Australian authorities immediately initiated talks with the Japanese for their release. Meanwhile, the three went on hunger strike as they demanded that they be turned over to Australia.

A spokesman for the Japanese whaling program at the Institute of Cetacean Research said the incident occurred about 25 miles (40km) off the West Australian coast, outside Australian territorial waters but inside Australia's 200-mile (320km) economic zone.

According to Australian government's Web site, the government's contiguous zone is adjacent to its territorial sea, extending up to 24 nautical miles from its territorial sea baseline. In this zone, Australia "may exercise the control necessary to prevent or punish infringements of its customs, fiscal, immigration or sanitary laws and regulations."

Meanwhile, Australia's "exclusive economic zone extends from the outer edge of the territorial sea up to 200 nautical miles from the territorial sea baseline. The outer limit is less than 200 nautical miles in some areas, in accordance with agreements with neighbouring countries."

In its exclusive economic zone, Australia has sovereign rights to "explore and exploit, conserve and manage the natural resources of the waters, seabed and subsoil. Jurisdiction also extends to the establishment and use of artificial islands, installations and structures, marine scientific research, the protection and preservation of the marine environment, and other rights and duties."

"If people take this sort of action and they take it outside of Australian territory, the government cannot guarantee the approach that a foreign government will take to this sort of action, so it is time for some cool heads," Attorney General Nicola Roxon said.