Sea Shepherd national co-ordinator Bill Watson, of Auckland, said the complaint was on behalf of the crew of the New Zealand-registered Ady Gil, which was allegedly rammed last week by Shonan Maru 2.
Ady Gil skipper Peter Bethune and his crew allege the vessel from the Japanese whaling fleet in the Southern Ocean deliberately rammed the vessel in an act of attempted murder.
Glenn Inwood, the New Zealand-based spokesman for Japan's Institute of Cetacean Research, dismissed the complaint as a publicity stunt, with Sea Shepherd having a "snowball's chance in hell" of succeeding.
Mr Inwood said it was inconclusive which vessel was in the wrong, with Japanese, Australian and New Zealand authorities investigating the incident.
However although the complaint "was slightly out of the parameters of normal police work", it had been referred to the Auckland CIB, and the conservation society was hoping to hear by the end of the week if charges would be laid, Mr Watson said.
Mr Watson said a lawyer in the Netherlands had also filed a criminal case against the whalers, as there were Dutch citizens aboard the rammed vessel, with an arrest warrant for the captain and crew possible, he said.
By comparison, the New Zealand Government was doing little, and Prime Minster John Key should step in and relieve Foreign Affairs minister Murray McCully of his portfolio, he said.
A spokesman for Mr McCully said the incident was being handled in the correct manner and agencies were investigating the matter.
Mr Watson said the sinking of Ady Gil had resulted in membership for the conservation society "increasing significantly".
To capitalise on that exposure, there was a "distinct possibility" its flagship vessel, Steve Irwin, could come to Dunedin in March.
Sea Shepherd South Island representative Tony Denley, of Dunedin, said that in previous years Steve Irwin had berthed in Hobart following its anti-whaling campaign, but Dunedin was likely to be their first choice.
"I think this will lead to a lot of national and international interest in the city."
