Activists Blockade Ship After Collisions

Sydney Morning Herald

Tuesday February 13, 2007

Andrew Darby

ANTI-WHALING activists blockaded a Japanese vessel after their ships collided in the Antarctic yesterday.

Low on fuel and facing arrest, the Sea Shepherd activists hoped to draw in other ships from the Japanese fleet and launch a final attack in which one of the protesters' own ships might be sacrificed.

The Kaiko Maru suffered propeller damage, but crew told rescue authorities last night it was under way again.

The Sea Shepherd attacked the factory ship Nisshin Maru on Friday, but could not disable it and lost contact with the fleet after being forced to rescue two activists from a broken dinghy.

After scouring waters around the Balleny Islands, south of New Zealand, the Sea Shepherd's ships, the Farley Mowat and Robert Hunter, yesterday surprised the spotter ship Kaiko Maru. Two collisions followed in which the Robert Hunter was holed, said the Sea Shepherd's president, Paul Watson. The Kaiko Maru was then blockaded against sea ice, he said.

The Japanese vessel issued a distress call saying it was under attack and in immediate danger.

Mr Watson said the Sea Shepherd's ships were low on fuel and suggested that they might attempt to ram the stern of the Nisshin Maru in a final act. He appealed to Australia to enforce its territorial waters in the Antarctic against whaling.

The Minister for the Environment, Malcolm Turnbull, confirmed Australia's opposition to whaling but said: "It is simply unacceptable for any vessel to threaten or to use violence against other ships at sea."

Hiroshi Hatanaka, director-general of Japan's Institute of Cetacean Research, said the activists had thrown smoke pots onto the Kaiko Maru and damaged its propeller.

"Sea Shepherd is conducting a campaign of outright destruction and terrorism," Dr Hatanaka said. "We have serious concerns that someone will be injured or killed."

The rescue co-ordination centre at Maritime New Zealand said the Kaiko Maru had withdrawn its request for aid.

© 2007 Sydney Morning Herald

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