14 DAY TRIAL // It turns out this past weekend was especially rough for Sea Shepherd activists in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary. Thus, it was earlier today when the organization announced that, late Sunday night, one of its vessels got attacked by Japanese whalers.
In a press release on its website, Sea Shepherd details that the vessel in question is The Bob Barker. If the name sounds familiar, this is because, one week ago, this vessel was the target of yet another ambush organized by the Japanese whaling fleet.
At that time, The Bob Barker was tailing the Japanese factory vessel, i.e. the Nisshin Maru. Hence, there is little doubt that the two Japanese harpoon ships that attacked it did so in order to help the Nisshin Maru escape.
However, when it was ambushed this past Sunday, the Sea Shepherd ship was nowhere near the Japanese factory vessel. In fact, the organization maintains that the Nisshin Maru was not even visible on The Bob Barker's radar.
“In this most recent attack, the Nisshin Maru was 40 nautical miles away from conservation ship, and not even visible on radar,” Sea Shepherd writes on its website.
Just like they did during their previous attack, the Japanese harpoon vessels attempted to use steel cables to disable the propellers and the rudder of The Bob Barker.
Thus, the activists maintain that the whalers crossed the vessels bow a total of eleven time, and towed steel cables behind them during each of these crossings.
When attempting to protect their ship, the crew aboard The Bob Barker also found themselves attacked. More precisely, it would appear that the whalers threw a bamboo spear at them. Luckily, no activist was harmed.
“The Bob Barker launched two small boats to defend their ship and attempt to cut the steel cables during the assault, sustaining damage of the antennas of the small boat in the process,” the organization says.
“The crew of the attacking harpoon ship also threw a bamboo spear at the crew of the small boat, but no Sea Shepherd crew was injured,” it adds.
Sea Shepherd explains that this attack followed the discovery of the fact that the Japanese whalers had somehow managed to kill at least one other whale.
Thus, the Sea Shepherd fleet claims to have obtained footage showing blood running from the side of the factory vessel and the several head of a whale resting on the ship's deck.
Despite the fact that high officials in Australia appear to be in no hurry to intervene and gain control of the situation in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary, the organization says that it has absolutely no intention to leave the area. At least, not until the Japanese whalers do so as well.
“Sea Shepherd will remain vigilant in our defence of the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary, enforcing international conservation law when governments refuse to take action,” said The Bob Barker's Captain, Peter Hammarstedt, in a recent statement.