The marine conservationists who clashed with Maltese fishermen on the high seas are accusing Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi of defending the illegal tuna operation.
Sea Shepherd Conservation Society captain Paul Watson also accused Maltese politicians of standing to gain by defending the tuna industry, since it raked in more than €100 million for the economy.
The ongoing tuna war between environmentalists on one side and fishermen and the authorities on the other has changed its nature and is now a war of words.
The Prime Minister had on Sunday said the government would not tolerate a situation where Maltese fishermen going about their business were attacked and obstructed, in reference to recent clashes between Sea Shepherd and Malta-bound vessels carrying tuna.
Capt. Watson in turn asked Dr Gonzi to explain perceived irregularities in the catch of 800 tuna that its ship, the Steve Irwin, released on Thursday. In his statement, Capt. Watson insisted the Steve Irwin did not ram the cage but that the ship put its bow up to the cage to observe what was inside.
However, the government is insisting the control on tuna fishing was being done according to the strict International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna (ICCAT) rules.
There are also contradictory versions on how the tuna cage with Maltese divers on board was rammed.
According to Sea Shepherd, the Steve Irwin was rammed by the Rosaria Tuna, owned by local tuna ranchers Fish and Fish, which in turn pushed them into the cage.
However, in a counter statement, the Federation of Maltese Aquaculture Producers denied this, saying the Steve Irwin rammed the cage deliberately "twice before". The federation also released video footage which it said supported its claim.
The federation said it was informed that the owners of the tuna would be pursuing a claim against Sea Shepherd and it was awaiting the outcome of these proceedings.
Questions sent to ICCAT to clarify the situation remained unanswered by the time of going to print.
The Resources Ministry also reiterated: "All the relevant documents were aboard the vessels as required by regulations. These documents are verified by Maltese authorities once the request to cage tuna has been made."