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Sea Shepherd vows to continue campaign after whalers destroy Ady Gil

Takver | 07.01.2010 04:14 | Animal Liberation | Ecology | Ocean Defence | World

Yesterday was a hectic day in Commonwealth Bay, near Antarctica, in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary. The Ady Gil, while stationary, was puposefully rammed at speed by the Japanese whaling security vessel, the Shonan Maru 2. And the Japanese whaling fleet, and the world discovered Sea Shepherds surprise new conservation ship, the Bob Baker, an ex-Norwegian Antarctic ice-class whaling vessel that was bought in 2009 and secretly refitted in South Africa.

In the Antarctic early morning twilight at 0300 Hours, 6 January, the Bob Baker found the Nisshin Maru and her four harpoon vessels. The Japanese whaling operation had been caught unawares. They had been focussing on the location of the Steve Irwin, paying New Zealander Glenn Inwood's Omeka Public Relations company to hire charter flights first in Albany, and then in Melbourne and Hobart to locate and follow the Steve Irwin.

The 'spy flights' from Albany were able to direct the Shonan Maru 2 to shadow the Steve Irwin when it left Fremantle so that the main whaling fleet could avoid a conflict and do their whale slaughter in peace. The straegy worked for two weeks, until the Steve Irwin returned to Hobart to refuel and reprovision. Leaving Hobart on New Years Eve, the Steve Irwin was able to slip past undercover of a thunderstorm. The spy flights from Melbourne and Hobart organised by Glenn Inwood, estimated to cost about $18,000, could not locate the Steve Irwin due to the low cloud cover.

The Sea Shepherd also had some unexpected assistance departing Hobart from six people on a small motorboat, self identified as 'Taz Patrol', who patrolled the perimeter of the Australian Economic Exclusion Zone (EEZ) locating the Yushin Maru and twittering it's location to the world (and Sea Shepherd).

So with the whaling fleet located, New Zealand skipper of the Ady Gil, Pete Bethune, drove his powerboat around the Nisshan Maru whaling factory ship, attempting to foul the factory ship's propellors. Evidently only one bauble of rotten butter reached the deck of the Nisshan Maru, but the green laser photonic disrupters were also used. In return the Nisshan Maru fired up its LRAD acoustic weapon and used its water cannon. Stalemate.

So the Ady Gil retreats with the Nisshan Maru fleeing. Sea Shepherd's new vessel the Bob Baker prepares to chase the Nisshan Maru and the fleet, while most of the Ady Gil crew sit on the roof with the vessel in a stationary idle. The videos show the Japanese harpoon vessel, the Shonan Maru 2 charging the Ady Gil with water canons blazing. Peter Bethune tells his crew to prepare for a drenching, little realizing the danger he and his crew were facing. While the water cannon sprays the roof of the Ady Gil blinding the crew, the Shonan Maru turns sharply to starboard right at the Ady Gil. In the few moments before impact Peter Bethune guns the Ady Gil, but it is far too late with Shonan Maru 2 slicing 2 metres off the bow of the Ady Gil, forcing the powerboat momentarily underwater and immersing the crew in the icy waters holding on to the roof for their lives.

Even after impact and seperation of the ships, the Shonan Maru 2 continues to pound the bedraggled crew hanging on to the top of the Ady Gil with water canon blasts.

Video: Japanese Whalers film Ady Gil being rammed by Shonan Maru 2
 http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2010/01/06/18634457.php

Video: Ady Gil rammed by Shonan Maru 2 filmed by Sea Shepherd from Bob Barker
 http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2010/01/06/18634456.php

The Institute for Cetecean Research refused to accept responsibility fo the ramming saying in a media release "At about 12:30JST today the New Zealand-registered watercraft Ady Gil collided with the Japanese Antarctic whale research (JARPA II) vessel Shonan Maru No. 2. The collision resulted in damage to the Ady Gil disabling it for navigation."

The Ady Gil's skipper, New Zealander Pete Bethune, insisted the vessel was stationary and farewelling fellow activists on the Bob Barker when the incident happened. Mr Bethune told The Age that the 490-tonne Japanese ship turned toward the 18-tonne Ady Gil from about 75 metres away. ''We thought they were going to turn a water cannon on us and I told my crew to brace for that,'' he said. ''Then they T-boned my boat. It was just massive ... It's a miracle we all survived.''

Initial reports indicated the six aboard were uninjured and able to board the Bob Barker from the floating rear section, however one person has been diagnosed with some broken ribs sustained in the ramming.

''Today is a clear example of how the Japanese don't give a shit,'' Mr Bethune said. ''But this is the end of whaling. You can't go around saying you're trying to conduct scientific research when you're prepared to drive into other people's boats.''

Fellow crew member Laurens de Groot said: ''They were trying to kill us, ramming us like that in one of the most hostile environments in the world.''

Sydney-born activist Jason Stewart, a former policeman who now lives in New Zealand who was on board the Ady Gil. He said the protest vessel had become low on fuel and it was forced to stop its pursuit of the Nisshun Maru "We were basically disengaged and we were waving goodbye to the other Sea Shepherd vessel, the Bob Barker, which was going to continue the pursuit of the Nisshin Maru," he said. "I was inside the boat at this point and suddenly I could hear one of the Japanese boats coming at us. I took a look through a window and I could see the bow of the Shonan Maru No. 2 coming straight at us and then it just hit us and there was a big crunch, a hell of a bang. The next thing I remember was seeing daylight through a big hole."

Jason Stewart made a mayday call from the Ady Gil and said the Japanese made no effort to help. "We were just sitting ducks and they just took us out," he said. "I was only 4m from where the hull took the nose off our boat. "It can't have been anything but a deliberate attack."

So what was the response of the Australian Government? Peter Garret faced a gaggle of journalists and said "we call on all parties to exercise absolute restraint, because safety at sea is the number one priority." To a question asked about what the Government is doing regarding the Japanese whaling fleet breaching the Antarctic Treaty by refuelling in an area not far from a major penguin colony, Garrett deflected by not answering.

While the Rudd Government deployed the Oceanic Viking in 2008 to collect evidence on Japanese whaling, two years of "diplomatic talking" have passed with no change. Garrett said "in the event that we cannot resolve this issue, the option for legal action against the Japanese, which has been made clear by the Prime Minister." Peter Garrett continues to waffle on with the Government increasingly being seen as ineffective on this issue, despite a Federal Court decision finding whaling in the southern ocean whale sanctuary and Australian Antarctic territory is illegal under Australian law.

"The Japanese whalers have now escalated this conflict very violently," said Captain Paul Watson. "If they think that our remaining two ships will retreat from the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary in the face of their extremism, they will be mistaken. We now have a real whale war on our hands now and we have no intention of retreating." Captain Paul Watson is onboard the Steve Irwin racing towards the area at 16 knots but still some five hundred miles to the north.

"This is a substantial loss for our organization," said Captain Watson. "The Ady Gil, the former Earthrace, represents a loss of almost two million dollars. However the loss of a single whale is of more importance to us and we will not lose the Ady Gil in vain. This blow simply strengthens our resolve, it does not weaken our spirit." he said.

Sources:
Sea Shepherd News, Jan 5, 2009 - Japanese Whalers Ram Sea Shepherd Ship Ady Gil
 http://www.seashepherd.org/news-and-media/news-100105-4.html

Institute of Cetecean Research -
 http://www.icrwhale.org/gpandsea.htm

Peter Garrett - Collison in the Southern Ocean, Japanese whaling, Murray-Darling Basin
 http://www.environment.gov.au/minister/garrett/2010/tr20100106.html

Takver

Comments

Hide the following 10 comments

390tonnes vs a small boat, whalers prove what whimps they are,arrest captain

07.01.2010 05:14

of this so called security vessel for attempted murder & the whalers for poaching endangered species now!The law looks like a ass as usual it seems.
Shame ady gil didnt gun it out of there sooner,looked serious but hope it gets refitted soon.
Maybe more low level aircraft scouts & parasail rigs being experimented to save fuel on cargo vessels are worth using to save fuel for the Neptunes armarda.

These filthy whalers have the arrogance of corrupted rapist shoguns the Ninja clans fought off in medieval times,
get ya laser goggles on & go for it sea sheps, the world is behind you

Ninja clansman, MIB, Intergalactic bloc


Video shows whalers disrespect for life

07.01.2010 08:46

This shocking video  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bbuq0YEIPNU shows the Shonan Maru changing course so that it is aiming for the Ady Gil! Absolutely disgusting. Who is the captain? This is pretty much attempted murder. It's a miracle no one was killed.

contact the Japanese embassy to let them know this is disgusting.

Disgusted


japanese embassy protest

07.01.2010 12:26

is there going to be a protest outside the japanese embassy?

concerned of tumbridge wells


Embassy Protests

07.01.2010 13:01

Yes, if anyone is planning protests outside the Japanese Embassy then please put up details ASAP.

Sim1


protest japan

07.01.2010 21:19

protest japan.
target japanese companies,
target their embassies.

solidarity with the crew of S.S.

Fran


Limpet mines anyone?

08.01.2010 00:36

They limpet mined the pirate whaler Sierra in 1980. Lets do it now to the Nissan Maru! Blow the fuckers out of the water, who gives a shit! You slaughter sentient creatures, and we'll scuttle your ships. Fair deal no?

Half the Spanish whaling fleet was sunk in a similar fashion too.

Pirate


Maybe it's these old eyes...but

08.01.2010 12:15

I watched that video several times and then i watched the others from diferent angles.

It clearly shows the Maru turn into a close course but the bow settles to clear the Adi by about 5 meters. It then shows the Adi under acceleration when the Maru was about 10 meters away. The collision is therefor the Adi's fault, sorry but look for yourself. the Maru is a heavy vessel and required much more time to turn than was allowed by the skipper of the Adi.

In a vid from the Maru it shows a following "station keeping" wake from the Adi, and shows the Marus course to be constant and steady after the turn. then you can clearly see the Adi go under power ( jet wash from stern) and move into the path of the Maru.

The Adi's skipper f##ked up and instead of going to astern he accelerated and placed his crew and vessel in harm.

deal with the facts of the case, the Maru was in the wrong for not stearing a maintained course when smaller vessels were in the area but the Adi was very wrong in breaking maritime law by 1:being too close to a larger vessel 2:moving into the path of said vessel and putting the crew at risk.

anon


taken on the chin

08.01.2010 16:55

I've supported Sea Shepherd for a long time and I reckon that this incident will not make the slightest difference to the resolve of Captain Watson and his crew. It's part of the ongoing tit for tat battle between Sea Shepherd and the Japanese whalers. The new super dooper boat must have really pissed off the whalers. A sign that Sea Shepherd are getting the upper hand.

St Giles


Details of UK protest against illegal whale slaughter

08.01.2010 20:32

Below is a copy of an e-mail I received about a UK protest.

"There will be worldwide demonstrations this week against the illegal slaughter of whales in Antarctica and the violent actions of the Japanese whaling fleet.
Demonstations have already been planned in Canada, Australia, Chile and Germany with many more to come.

UK Demonstration:

12-2pm outside Japanese Embassy, 101 Piccadilly, London.
Friday 15th January.
Green Park tube station is very close.

All groups, organisations and individuals are encouraged to attend.

The London Coalition for the Abolision of Whaling is coordinating the UK demonstration assisted by Sea Shepherd."

Please circulate.

Sparky The Clown


@ everyone

10.01.2010 11:56

this is good that anti-whaling is back in peoples thoughts (aided not doubt by TV docu/soap about SS antics, which shows how hard their fight is).
I think we should really get on against the japanese and other offending countries, make it the subject everyone's bothered about again, having seemingly fell off peoples 'to care about' list*.



*of the 'mainstream' audience, not 'alternative/revolutionary' audience, by the way, before you troll me to death.

fran


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