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[TODAY'S TOP STORIES] from [The Japan Times]

[NATIONAL NEWS]
Thursday, Jan. 7, 2010
Sea Shepherd boat crippled when struck by whaler

SYDNEY/TOKYO (Kyodo) A high-tech "stealth" boat operated by the Sea Shepherd antiwhaling group was damaged Wednesday in a collision with a Japanese whaling fleet vessel in Antarctic waters, with each side blaming the other for the incident.

Paul Watson, head of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, told Kyodo News the Shonan Maru No. 2, a vessel sent by Japan to ensure the security of its whaling fleet, deliberately rammed his group's A$2 million (US$1.8 million) vessel Ady Gil and "sheared the bow right off."

"It ripped 8 feet (2.5 meters) of the front of the vessel off," Watson said. "At this point it does not look salvageable. It's taking on water."

According to his account, both vessels has been stationary in the water when the Shonan Maru No. 2 started up and then steered deliberately into the Ady Gil, which had been harassing the fleet, at around 3:50 p.m. Australian time.

One of the Ady Gil's six crew members sustained several cracked ribs in the incident, he said, adding that five crew members were evacuated, but its captain remained onboard "trying to see what he can do to salvage the vessel . . . or at least some of the equipment."

Watson, speaking from aboard the ship Steve Irwin, also said Sea Shepherd put out a mayday distress signal "but the Japanese fleet refused to acknowledge that and just kept going. It was a hit and run."

The Japanese Fisheries Agency blamed the collision on Sea Shepherd, saying the Shonan Maru No. 2 crew had tried to ward off the approaching Ady Gil with water cannon but the antiwhaling vessel employed maneuvers such as suddenly reducing speed, which resulted in the collision.

Glenn Inwood, the spokesman for the Institute of Cetacean Research, said that according to his report the Ady Gil was idling in the water and then went "full steam ahead" to cut off Shonan Maru No.2. He said the Ady Gil skipper miscalculated and the "fault lies" with Sea Shepherd vessel for the collision.

According to Watson, the Shonan Maru No. 2 has been "particularly aggressive" this year after it earlier tried to damage the activists' helicopter. "I think their order this year is to try and cause material damage to the ships."

The incident came after Japan's semiofficial Institute of Cetacean Research reported earlier Wednesday that the Ady Gil's crew had launched projectiles at the Nisshin Maru, the mother ship of Japan's whaling fleet.

It said the high-tech Ady Gil had come "to collision distance directly in front of the Nisshin Maru bow repeatedly deploying and towing a rope from its stern with the intent to entangle the Japanese vessel's rudder and propeller."

The institute condemned Sea Shepherd for "extremist actions" that threaten the safety of the Japanese whalers.

"Their actions are nothing but felonious behavior," it charged.

In a statement on his organization's website, Watson said, "The Japanese have now escalated this conflict very violently."

"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," he added.

The Japanese Fisheries Agency said Wednesday's protest activities by the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society marked the fourth time this season for it to obstruct the operations of Japan's whaling fleet in Antarctic waters.

Sea Shepherd has sent three vessels for this year's operation, including the Steve Irwin and a surprise appearance, the Bob Barker, a former Norwegian Antarctic whaling vessel that the group said caught the Japanese "completely off guard."

"The objective of Sea Shepherd's three-ship campaign is to bankrupt the illegal Japanese whaling fleet and to sink them economically," it said.

Australian Environment Minister Peter Garrett called for calm after the incident, which occurred in the area of Commonwealth Bay off the Adelie Coast of Antarctica.

"It's critical for safety at sea to be the highest priority and for the absolute and utmost restraint to be exercised by all parties in this very remote and inhospitable region," he said.

He said the Australian Maritime Safety Authority had not been asked to respond to the collision, adding Australia had no immediate plans to send a vessel to monitor the situation.

Meanwhile, local media reports Wednesday said Japan has been chartering flights from Australia to monitor the location of the Sea Shepherd antiwhaling vessels in the Southern Ocean.

Watson claimed the planes are being charted illegally by Glenn Inwood, the spokesman for the Institute of Cetacean Research.

"We actually caught him in a bit of a bind because he misrepresented himself to the charter company saying he was a representative of the New Zealand government," he told Kyodo News.

Inwood, when asked about the allegation, answered, "No comment."

Acting Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard said Australia is seeking legal advice on the matter.

"I make it very clear on behalf of the Australian Government we do not condone this action by the Japanese Government," she said.