Whale wars

So I'm watching a show called whale wars. It looks like it it about a group of people called the sea shepherd who are trying to prevent the japanese from hunting the whales to sell the meat. The shepherd crew threw things at them and ramed their boat trying to deter them from killing the whales. But all I am seeing is the shepherd crew damaging their own boat while the Japanese is still hunting and killing them. Why is this show on and what are these people really trying to do?