Japanese Whalers Ram Sea Shepherd Ship Ady Gil

Famed trimaran is sinking in the Southern Ocean; six crewmembers rescued by the Sea Shepherd Ship Bob Barker.

(ANTARCTICA) - In an unprovoked attack captured on film, the Japanese security ship Shonan Maru No. 2 deliberately rammed and caused catastrophic damage to the Sea Shepherd trimaran Ady Gil.

Six crewmembers, four from New Zealand, one from Australia, and one from the Netherlands were immediately rescued by the crew of the Sea Shepherd ship Bob Barker. None of the crew Ady Gil crew were injured.

According to eyewitness Captain Chuck Swift on the Bob Barker, the attack happened while the vessels were dead in the water. The Shonan Maru No. 2 suddenly started up and deliberately rammed the Ady Gil ripping eight feet of the bow of the vessel completely off. According to Captain Swift, the vessel does not look like it will be saved.

“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 and we have no intention of retreating.”

Captain Paul Watson onboard the Steve Irwin is racing towards the area at 16 knots but still remains some five hundred miles to the north. The Bob Barker has temporarily stopped the pursuit of the Nisshin Maru to rescue the crew of the Ady Gil. The Japanese ships initially refused to acknowledge the May Day distress of the Ady Gil, but ultimately did acknowledge the call. Despite acknowledging the call, they did not offer to assist the Ady Gil or the Bob Barker in any way.

The incident took place at 64 Degrees and 03 Minutes South and 143 Degrees and 09 Minutes East.

Until this morning the Japanese were completely unaware of the existence of the Bob Barker. This newest addition to the Sea Shepherd fleet left Mauritius off the coast of Africa on December 18th and was able to advance along the ice edge from the West as the Japanese were busy worrying about the advance of the Steve Irwin from 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.”

The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society is requesting that the Australian government send a naval vessel to restore the peace in the waters of the Australian Antarctic Territory. We have 77 crew from 16 nations on three vessels, six of them were on the Ady Gil. Of these, 21 are Australian citizens: 16 Australians on the Steve Irwin and five on the Bob Barker. Sea Shepherd believes that the Australian government has a responsibility to protect the lives of Australian citizens working to defend whales from illegal Japanese whaling activities.

“Australia needs to send a naval vessel down here as soon as possible to protect both the whales and the Australian citizens working to defend these whales,” said Steve Irwin Chief Cook Laura Dakin of Canberra. “This is Australian Antarctic Territorial waters and I see the Japanese whalers doing whatever they want with impunity down here without a single Australian government vessel anywhere to be found. Peter Garrett, I have one question for you: Where the bloody hell are you?”

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Ashley July 29, 2010 7:29 pm (Pacific time)

I think what paul and his crew are doing is awsome!!!! In the name a research there are a few sacrafices that need to be made but not the amount the japs are doing. Thats rediculous. Its a sad things to watch a creature being chased and driven, shot in the back ( which i can imagine is awfully painfull fort the whale) shot repeatedly with a rifle and left to sufacate then cut up, HORRIBLE! I feel for the people who have no heart, for shame on you people!!!! I would be a diffrent story if you were the one being hunted!!!

Z. Mohrmann July 16, 2010 7:42 pm (Pacific time)

I believe in what I see and what I know to be right. The Japanese So called research Vessel was on the hunt for repeated attemps by the Ady Gil to slow if not stop the main research vessel Nishan Maru. After the last prop fouling atempt which seemed to have causeed the Reasearch Vessel to stop. Then in an effort by the Japanese who now relise that this faster but smaller craft to be a threat to the Japanese whaling mission. Directly attacked the smaller craft in order to protect the season's catch. Bottom Line is that this is a money war on the Japanese whalers industry, So they retaleated by attacking what hurts there pockets most. No war is ever with out it's casulties. In this case it's the Ady Gail and it's crew.. There is no real reason why the Japanese need to kill in the name of research..!

January 10, 2010 3:16 pm (Pacific time)

I sure hope Watson gets blown away

Moby Dick January 10, 2010 2:39 pm (Pacific time)

I guess Editor you haven't spent much time around...

Editor: One true definition of insanity is repeating an act and expecting different results. You have been attempting to harass us for years, and trust me that we can smell you from a mile away. We know your IP and we know who you are. So Stuart, the old woman who uses different names always while spouting your rightwing racist agenda, why don't you spend your time with FOX, or do they reject you too because you're such a crackpot?

Stuart January 10, 2010 12:55 pm (Pacific time)

Racist term for Japanese, aka Japs, so what? I hate people who aren't white, they scare me, so what? I'm supposed to like it? For now I'm going to listen to Limbaugh, celebrate the good deeds of George W. Bush and hope that these idiot soldiers hurry up and kill the people where they are fighting. Not that I think very much of veterans, they are a whiny group full of complaints, but they have a job to do for ME.

Yuuri January 9, 2010 7:53 pm (Pacific time)

Dear Editor, look at what the Sea Shepard does. They drop ropes to tangle in the props. That will render a ship powerless, dead in the water. And it's unfixable until docked. Just how are they supposed to get it fixed when their dead as sea? The species of whale being hunted are NOT endangered. The Sea Shepard will use butyric acid for their 'stink bombs'. Butyric acid is deadly to marine life. And they are being tossed onto the ships in glass bottles. They, Sea Shepard, are routinely in violation of international sea laws.

Editor: Yuuri, thanks for your comment. You make what I'm sure is a valid point, but tangling props and ramming vessels is significantly different, and I'm sure you will agree on that point also.

Scott January 9, 2010 11:53 am (Pacific time)

Sea law requires the smaller vessel to give way to the larger vessel. End of story. Nothing else matters. If Sea Shepherd wants to waste it's already shabby reputation and money going after the Japs, let them do it. They will lose in any court that has jurisdiction.

Editor: Wow, black heart and a racist term for Japanese, all in one fell swoop. Anyone who speaks so cut and dry and overly knowing is hard to take, so I wouldn't vest a lot of time in analyzing problems Scott, know what I mean? Opinions are not a conclusion for anyone but the person who speaks them. Besides, you're not even right. No vessel has some imaginary law saying it can change course and cut off another.

nick ripoly January 9, 2010 9:41 am (Pacific time)

Mac, I agree with your comment. I find myself rooting for the whalers as well. I think Paul Watson is a fu--ing terrorist

Webster January 9, 2010 7:27 am (Pacific time)

terrorism noun /ˈter.ə.rɪ.zəm//-ɚ.ɪ-/ n [U] (threats of) violent action for political purposes. So sorry for all involved

Just Bob January 9, 2010 7:22 am (Pacific time)

These ain't exactly children spattin over a shovel in the sand box we're talkin 'bout here. These are fully grown adults playin kid's games! Takin' the life of endangered species is wrong no matter how anyone looks at it. Goin' off to the opposite hemisphere for food also sounds pert desperate as well. Are there any specifics regardin catch limits (fergive me, I'm new in this arena), or regulations I wonder? That thar is international waters, but I do suspect there are some sort of governin limits other than the larger boat always has the right of way (even if the big boat pilot may have sneezed). Tryin ta gain empathy fer the bigger boat now...I could get angry about people tryin to stink me out and ruin me props in effort to disable me boat. Not knowin what is bein lobbed at me could be skeery (and physically dangerous to me crew members). On the other hand, if a research vessel claims to be doing legitimate research, then there should be an open door for full disclosure of the activities in addition to documentation about past research. I also suspect that international efforts would be welcome along the same line of research (in other words betterment of the species being researched). Unless of course the research is the best way to destroy another craft (then people tend to become highly irritated).

Continued January 8, 2010 3:10 am (Pacific time)

The Video from the Bob Barker shows a distinct turn to Starboard, right at the Gil, and then the gil, still being sprayed by hose and LRAD tries to move forward and Shonan Maru making a second course change, now to port and right at the Gil. Seen from the maru it seems like they are intentionally crossing the T. However the water cannon and LRAD are still directed at the smaller boat, no collision alarm or course change signals are ever sounded. Take from that what you will.

former sailor January 8, 2010 3:02 am (Pacific time)

From the Shonan Maru view you see the Gil sitting motionless about 10 deg. and about 50 yards off the whaler's bow. You then see the motionless bow being closed on and drifting into view in a left motion, indicating a right hand turn. The video from the sscs ship Bob Barker shows the

Editor: We did not cut your comment off intentionally, maybe our system did. Feel free to resend and I will add it for you, thanks.

Ed January 7, 2010 3:48 pm (Pacific time)

I'm certainly not a fan of whaling. But neither am I a supporter of terrorism. The whaling issue is clearly one for the courts to decide. Civilized people decide contentious issues such as this through courts and laws. At the present time it appears the Sea Shepards are using terrorism to try to settle the issue. Terrorism is wrong whether the issue is one of environmental concerns or religious beliefs. As regards the LRAD, the Sea Shepards were said to be using lasers to temporarily blind the whalers. Nothing noble about that activity either. Calm and reason need to prevail soon.

Editor: Again, I see no connection between these environmental activists and terrorists, I have see terrorists before, have you? They often wear turbans, they sometimes wear military logos, but their motivations are not saving whales. Also, these are Americans and people from the UK, perhaps you are Japanese but I doubt it. I don't know about lasers, anyone that would put that information out likely wasn't there. Now that we know the Japanese vessel absolutely rammed the Sea Shepard boat intentionally, based on the new video featured in a new opinion piece here, Isn't Hit and Run at Sea Illegal? - Opinion by Dexter Phoenix Salem-News.com I really have to wonder if any other point of view, like the activists having rammed the massive steel vessel with a delicate high tech trimaran, is coming from some looney tunes source like that Nazi Glenn Beck, or sickly Rush Limbaugh. It is utterly amazing that people who oppose tough activists like those in that Sea Shepard boat almost always rely on false information to base their cases.

mac January 7, 2010 5:10 am (Pacific time)

Got to agree with Ed, the Ady Gill pulled in front of the other ship. Old ploy to gather sympathy, and support. I watch this stuff on Discovery and actually find myself rooting for the Japaneses whalers.

Jap speaker January 6, 2010 7:31 pm (Pacific time)

The man is saying "Now it collided with us. The AG ship (Ady Gil) came in front of our ship and collided with us." Then he repeats the last sentence.

Ed January 6, 2010 5:25 pm (Pacific time)

It appears from this video that the Ady Gill was not trying to move until the last few seconds prior to the collision, then they pulled in front of the larger ship, thereby causing the accident. The Sea Shepard's are simply terrorists, trying to enforce their rules on the rest of the world by physical force. Their activities are dangerous and they should be treated as terrorists. Arrested and Jailed, their property confiscated.

Editor: The Japanese whalers were using an LRAD system, do you even know what that is? They were basically immobilized, good luck steering your boat. Oh, but you didn't think of that. People out there trying to save the world's living resources are not terrorists, that is totally absurd. If you want to see terrorists, look at the Israeli military and their inhumane treatment of the people of Gaza. But you're worried about some people who put their lives on the line to save whales. Right or wrong, their daily sacrifice for something they believe involves huge amounts of courage and resolve. In a way that is hard not to respect.

Jeff Kaye~ January 6, 2010 5:14 pm (Pacific time)

Any Japanese translator(s) available to tell us what that guy was saying on the video? Sounded to me like "yeah, bro! We sank their ass!" Either that or "Oh man, I said scare 'em, not kille 'em!" Just my opinion on his tone of voice. But I'm sure there's a Japanese speaker in Salem-News's readership that can help these mates out, what? This means war. Save the whales, sink a whaling ship. Greenpeace might have to change their name. It's a green war out there.

D. HARLOW January 6, 2010 4:33 pm (Pacific time)

what a shame,even whales in the ocean cant get away from terrorism.

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