Whale Wars TV are they setting bad precedent ?

Whale wars is a reality show about the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society's campaign against Japanese whaling in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary off the coast of Antarctica.The Japanese claim that their whaling is legally accepted research, which Sea Shepherd and others contend is a cover for banned commercial whaling. Sea Shepherd has been both criticized and praised for tactics of direct action sabotage which include throwing stink bombs of butyric acid as well as ramming, boarding, and otherwise attempting to disable the Japanese vessels. If it was a US ship being attacked by Japeneese it would be piracy or war. It leaves me mystified. Making reality TV on one persons view of whaling and making it entertainment. Would the English make a reality TV show with hunt sabatures being seen as Heros ?