Japanese whaling ship, protesters' boats collide

February 20, 2013 @ 2:51 am

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) - An anti-whaling activist group accused a Japanese whaling vessel of intentionally ramming two of its ships Wednesday in waters near Antarctica. Japan's Fisheries Agency, however, insisted the protesters were responsible for the collisions.

Sea Shepherd Conservation Society founder Paul Watson said he was aboard the ship Steve Irwin when the Japanese boat Nisshin Maru collided with it, the Bob Barker and a tanker used to refuel the Japanese whaling fleet.

Watson said the Japanese ship deliberately rammed the Sea Shepherd vessels to try to move them aside and get to the refueling tanker. He said the Japanese ship also accidentally hit the tanker. He said the incident, near the Australian Davis Research Base on the Antarctic coast, was particularly dangerous because the tanker was involved.

Japan's Fisheries Agency blamed the Sea Shepherd boats, saying they had taken the offensive and had hit the Nisshin Maru at least four times during refueling despite verbal warnings. No one was injured, but the Nisshin Maru's bow was dented and a handrail was damaged, the agency said in a statement.

"It's unforgivable," the agency said. It said the Sea Shepherd's action was "a dangerous act that threatened the safety of our research fleet and lives of its crewmembers."

Sea Shepherd boats and the Japanese whaling fleet have had past clashes and collisions.

Japan says it hunts whales for scientific purposes, an allowed exception to an international whaling ban, though anti-whaling activists say the hunts are a cover for commercial whaling.

Japan decries Sea Shepherd as a terrorist group that risks lives through tactics used to obstruct the whaling fleet.

Watson said the Bob Barker sustained the most damage in the Sea Shepherd fleet from Wednesday's clash. He said it initially put out a distress call to Australian maritime authorities after it lost power and began taking on water, but that the crew had gotten the situation under control. He said no one from the Sea Shepherd fleet was injured.

Australian Maritime Safety Authority spokeswoman Jo Meehan said they were aware of the reports but weren't involved in any active search-and-rescue operations.

Australian Environment Minister Tony Burke said in a statement that he was seeking more information about the incident.

"The government condemns so-called `scientific' whaling in all waters and we urge everyone in the ocean to observe safety at sea," Burke said.


(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
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Comments (5)


  • Add A Comment

  • R L M 456 wrote...
    Sea Shepherd Conservation Society are TERRORISTS
    February 19, 2013 9:55 pm
    they are breaking international laws

    I am not in favor of whale fishing

    I am in less favor of PIRATES acting as envionmetalists

    paul Watson is as bad as Somolie Pirates

    They should be shot out of the Water

    anyone giving money to them is very foolish

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • thinktank wrote...
    Japanese whale poaching
    February 19, 2013 10:01 pm
    The Sea Shepherd org is there attempting to prevent the Japanese whalers from illegal poaching in the Antarctic. It is unfortunate that a damaged ship might now pollute the pristine waters of the area. Time to rein in Japanese arrogance with political or military means.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • thinktank wrote...
    Japanese terrorists
    February 19, 2013 10:21 pm
    RLM456, you are confused. It is illegal to hunt whale anywhere in the world. The Japanese whalers are the terrorists...ramming Sea Shepherd ships that attempt to enforce the global moratorium on whaling. Activism is not terrorism.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • HPD 5-0 wrote...
    "think"tank
    February 20, 2013 5:42 am
    It's illegal to ram ships, assault their crew etc too. It's call terrorism or piracy. It's amazing how the left can justify just about any crimes now. But when you have Owebama et al committing them daily, it's kinds fogs the mind of what's right and what's wrong, doesn't it?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • thinktank wrote...
    Focus
    February 20, 2013 8:18 am
    HPD 5-0, "the left", "Owebama", "terrorism"...you're making some pretty loose connections. The issue is preservation of endangered species, over Japanese profit and greed. Sure, tho world is plagued with corruption and crisis, (and ignorance), but this is just one battle that someone has chosen to fight. Your grand-kids will appreciate that there are whales still to be seen. FYI, it was the Japanese who were ramming ships today.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }