Skip to content or view mobile version

Home | Mobile | Editorial | Mission | Privacy | About | Contact | Help | Security | Support

A network of individuals, independent and alternative media activists and organisations, offering grassroots, non-corporate, non-commercial coverage of important social and political issues.

Antarctica: The Dilemmas of a Stricken Whaling Factory Ship

Takver | 20.02.2007 16:27 | Analysis | Animal Liberation | Ecology | World

The Japanese Government faces tough dilemmas about the best way to move the stricken whale factory ship, the Nisshin Maru, and where best to move it to. The ship remains without engines in the Ross Sea area of Antarctica, damaged by a fire onboard. Strong concerns have been expressed by environmentalists and the New Zealand Prime Minister over the danger of an environmental disaster should the ship's substantial supply of oil leak.

Nisshin Maru in the Ross Sea
Nisshin Maru in the Ross Sea

Robert Hunter in Melbourne
Robert Hunter in Melbourne

Anti-Whaling Banner
Anti-Whaling Banner

Bow damage on the Robert Hunter
Bow damage on the Robert Hunter


The Australian and New Zealand Government do not want the Nisshin Maru in their ports, but under a maritime emergency are obligated to provide Port Facilities. The ship in the area with the best towing capacity is the Greenpeace vessel, Esperanza. But the Japanese have accused Greenpeace of being terroists and it is extremely doubtful they would overcome the loss of face to accept towing assistance from Greenpeace.

A fire onboard in the factory processing area on 15 February, caused the evacuation of non-essential crew to other vessels in the Japanese Whaling Fleet. After the fire was isolated and put out, the body of one member of the crew, Kazutaka Makita, was recovered. The ship has had power restored but has been unable to start the ship engines so far.


== Fire triggers Maritime Distress Signal ==

The Nisshin Maru issued a maritime distress signal resulting in a response from the Greenpeace ship Esperanza. A United States coast guard ice breaker, Polar Sea, also responded but has since moved on after conducting a 360 degree environmental assessment around the Nisshun Maru.

The Nisshin Maru has the supply ship Oriental Bluebird on one side and the whale hunter Yushin Maru on the other. It is drifting in the Ross Sea near pack ice about 100km from the world's largest Adelie penguin breeding rookery, at Cape Adare on the Antarctic coast. The Nisshin Maru is carrying more than 1,000 tonnes (343,000 gallons) of fuel, and if it leaked or spilled could cause incalculable damage to wildlife and the pristine polar environment.

Details of the exact nature of the fire damage are sketchy, although it was located in the processing section of the ship and damaged the main electrical switchboard and equipment used for propulsion. Power has now been restored, but attempts to restart the ship engines have so far failed.

The Greenpeace ship Esperanza is a former fire fighting ship with towing capabilities, with the Captain having 10 years salvage experience on board tugboats. The Institute for Cetecean Research for the Japanese Government has rejected offers by Greenpeace to tow the Nisshin Maru out of the area.

Greenpeace campaigner, Melanie from the Esperanza, said "All of our offers to tow the vessel to safety have been refused by the Japanese authorities in Tokyo. We have been told that the whaling fleet will use its own vessels to tow the Nisshin Maru north, however, the Esperanza still remains the best-equipped ship for the job."

New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark has urged Japan to immediately remove the Nisshin Maru from Antarctic waters to reduce the risk of damage to the fragile polar environment. "We have a huge concern for the environment, a pristine environment in the area of Antarctica where New Zealand has a claim," said Prime Minister Clark. "So we would like to see that stricken ship out of there as soon as possible."

Later on Newstalk ZB radio Helen Clark said "My advice is if you can't see a way of getting that boat out of there without some help either from the American vessel or from Greenpeace or from somebody else, the world is going to be very upset if there's a major spill in that area,"

At her post-Cabinet press conference, she said, "One would hope that the fact that this season has been so ghastly for the Japanese whaling fleet might give cause for some reflection on whether they come back again."

== Will the Whale Hunt Resume? ==

According to a Glen Inwood, a public relations spokesperson for the International Cetecean Research Institute, the damage to the engines isn't as bad as initially determined, "They've pumped out all the water after the fire and are checking the wiring. It would be ideal if they could get moving today and continue on." he said. The prospect of whaling continuing this season is only possible if the Nisshin Maru is available to process the whale meat from the slaughter.

If the whale hunt continues Greenpeace protests from the Esperanza will target the harpoon boats in an effort to frustrate the harpooners, and draw maximum publicity on the barbarity of hunting and slaughtering whales.

== Australia, New Zealand cool on providing Port Facilities ==

New Zealand Conservation Minister, Chris Carter, has also said there were serious issues to consider before New Zealand gave safe harbour to the damaged Nisshin Maru, if a request from the Japanese Government was made. "They do have whale meat on board, it is a vessel that's currently unsafe – and filled with rather nasty and toxic chemicals," Mr Carter said.

A spokeswoman for Australia's Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, Malcolm Turnbull, declined to say whether permission would likely be granted for the Nisshin Maru to enter an Australian port. "Under Australia's Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Act, a whaling vessel may only enter an Australian port with the written permission of the minister for environment and water resources," the spokeswoman said.

There are international obligations to allow a damaged vessel into port if an unforeseen emergency made it necessary to save the vessel or a human life.

While the Esperanza watches the stricken whaling factory ship from a distance, Greenpeace has been providing information on the movement of ice floes in the area from their helicopter. While the weather is currently relatively calm, polar sea conditions can change abruptly causing problems for a ship without propulsion.

== Sea Shepherd ==

While Sea Shepherd set out to disable the Nisshin Maru, it is ironical that it was an onboard fire that seemingly achieved the goal of Sea Shepherd of stopping the whale hunt this season.

The Sea Shepherd vessel, the Robert Hunter, arrived in Melbourne on the 19th February and was greeted by supporters. This ship arrived just before the deadline for losing its British maritime registration. It is understood that Captain Paul Watson is negotiating with another country to flag the vessel. Johnny Vasic for Sea Shepherd said: "We want to make sure we have it before we announce it so we don't get pressure by Japan again."

The second Sea Shepherd ship, the Farley Mowat is due to dock in Melbourne on 22 February. It lost its flag registration after the Japanese Government pressured Belize, and was declared a 'pirate ship' shortly after leaving Hobart for the voyage South. Paul Watson has already canvassed the opportunity of the Farley Mowat to be retired from service and perhaps used as a floating ant-whaling museum.

==Background: ==

* SF Indybay IMC - Sea Shepherd Ship Holed during Collision with Whaling Ship
 http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2007/02/12/18361685.php
* SF Indybay IMC - Antarctic Direct Action: Japanese Claims of Injuries are Bogus says Sea Shepherd
 http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2007/02/09/18360001.php
* SF Indybay IMC - US Government Refuses to Act against Japan on Whaling
 http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2007/02/09/18360043.php
* SF Indybay IMC - Sea Shepherd crew missing in Antarctic waters
 http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2007/02/08/18359650.php

==Sources:==

1. Greenpeace 20 Feb 2007 - The Japanese government is playing Russian Roulette with the Antarctic
 http://weblog.greenpeace.org/oceandefenders/archive/2007/02/the_japanese_government_i.html
2. ENS 19 Feb 2007 - Japan Implored to Move Damaged Whaler Before Fuel Spills
 http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/feb2007/2007-02-19-05.asp
3. Newswire.co.nz - 20 Feb 2007 - Carter Cool On Whaling Ship's Prospects
 http://www.newswire.co.nz/main/viewstory.aspx?storyid=359538&catid=32
4. The Australian - 20 Feb 2007 - Crippled whaler could seek Aussie port
 http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,21260709-1702,00.html
5. Bloomberg - 20 Feb 2007 - Damaged Japanese Whaling Ship May Resume Hunting off Antarctica
 http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601080&sid=aLCsC_Sk_41Y&refer=asia
6. The Age - 20 Feb 2007 - 'Pirate' ship misses flag deadline
 http://tinyurl.com/ypbwkf
7. MIM - 20 Feb 2007 - 'Robert Hunter' Sea Shepherd Crew welcomed to Melbourne
 http://tinyurl.com/32j2c2
8. US Coast Guard Press Release - Coast Guard Cutter Conducts Environmental Assessment of Fire Damaged Fishing Vessel
 http://www.uscgpacificarea.com/go/doc/833/145102/

Takver

Comments

Display the following 2 comments

  1. Salvage — RVR800
  2. prayers — ARA
Upcoming Coverage
View and post events
Upcoming Events UK
24th October, London: 2015 London Anarchist Bookfair
2nd - 8th November: Wrexham, Wales, UK & Everywhere: Week of Action Against the North Wales Prison & the Prison Industrial Complex. Cymraeg: Wythnos o Weithredu yn Erbyn Carchar Gogledd Cymru

Ongoing UK
Every Tuesday 6pm-8pm, Yorkshire: Demo/vigil at NSA/NRO Menwith Hill US Spy Base More info: CAAB.

Every Tuesday, UK & worldwide: Counter Terror Tuesdays. Call the US Embassy nearest to you to protest Obama's Terror Tuesdays. More info here

Every day, London: Vigil for Julian Assange outside Ecuadorian Embassy

Parliament Sq Protest: see topic page
Ongoing Global
Rossport, Ireland: see topic page
Israel-Palestine: Israel Indymedia | Palestine Indymedia
Oaxaca: Chiapas Indymedia
Regions
All Regions
Birmingham
Cambridge
Liverpool
London
Oxford
Sheffield
South Coast
Wales
World
Other Local IMCs
Bristol/South West
Nottingham
Scotland
Social Media
You can follow @ukindymedia on indy.im and Twitter. We are working on a Twitter policy. We do not use Facebook, and advise you not to either.
Support Us
We need help paying the bills for hosting this site, please consider supporting us financially.
Other Media Projects
Schnews
Dissident Island Radio
Corporate Watch
Media Lens
VisionOnTV
Earth First! Action Update
Earth First! Action Reports
Topics
All Topics
Afghanistan
Analysis
Animal Liberation
Anti-Nuclear
Anti-militarism
Anti-racism
Bio-technology
Climate Chaos
Culture
Ecology
Education
Energy Crisis
Fracking
Free Spaces
Gender
Globalisation
Health
History
Indymedia
Iraq
Migration
Ocean Defence
Other Press
Palestine
Policing
Public sector cuts
Repression
Social Struggles
Technology
Terror War
Workers' Movements
Zapatista
Major Reports
NATO 2014
G8 2013
Workfare
2011 Census Resistance
Occupy Everywhere
August Riots
Dale Farm
J30 Strike
Flotilla to Gaza
Mayday 2010
Tar Sands
G20 London Summit
University Occupations for Gaza
Guantanamo
Indymedia Server Seizure
COP15 Climate Summit 2009
Carmel Agrexco
G8 Japan 2008
SHAC
Stop Sequani
Stop RWB
Climate Camp 2008
Oaxaca Uprising
Rossport Solidarity
Smash EDO
SOCPA
Past Major Reports
Encrypted Page
You are viewing this page using an encrypted connection. If you bookmark this page or send its address in an email you might want to use the un-encrypted address of this page.
If you recieved a warning about an untrusted root certificate please install the CAcert root certificate, for more information see the security page.

Global IMC Network


www.indymedia.org

Projects
print
radio
satellite tv
video

Africa

Europe
antwerpen
armenia
athens
austria
barcelona
belarus
belgium
belgrade
brussels
bulgaria
calabria
croatia
cyprus
emilia-romagna
estrecho / madiaq
galiza
germany
grenoble
hungary
ireland
istanbul
italy
la plana
liege
liguria
lille
linksunten
lombardia
madrid
malta
marseille
nantes
napoli
netherlands
northern england
nottingham imc
paris/île-de-france
patras
piemonte
poland
portugal
roma
romania
russia
sardegna
scotland
sverige
switzerland
torun
toscana
ukraine
united kingdom
valencia

Latin America
argentina
bolivia
chiapas
chile
chile sur
cmi brasil
cmi sucre
colombia
ecuador
mexico
peru
puerto rico
qollasuyu
rosario
santiago
tijuana
uruguay
valparaiso
venezuela

Oceania
aotearoa
brisbane
burma
darwin
jakarta
manila
melbourne
perth
qc
sydney

South Asia
india


United States
arizona
arkansas
asheville
atlanta
Austin
binghamton
boston
buffalo
chicago
cleveland
colorado
columbus
dc
hawaii
houston
hudson mohawk
kansas city
la
madison
maine
miami
michigan
milwaukee
minneapolis/st. paul
new hampshire
new jersey
new mexico
new orleans
north carolina
north texas
nyc
oklahoma
philadelphia
pittsburgh
portland
richmond
rochester
rogue valley
saint louis
san diego
san francisco
san francisco bay area
santa barbara
santa cruz, ca
sarasota
seattle
tampa bay
united states
urbana-champaign
vermont
western mass
worcester

West Asia
Armenia
Beirut
Israel
Palestine

Topics
biotech

Process
fbi/legal updates
mailing lists
process & imc docs
tech