Anti-whaling ship sliced in half by Japanese

The Times ^ | 1/6/2010 | Anne Barrowclough

[bruinbirdman]

Japanese whalers have sliced in half a high-tech anti-whaling boat in a dramatic escalation of the annual battle between the whaling fleet and environmental activists

Activist on the Ady Gil aims a projectile launcher at a Japanese whaler

The $1.5 million, 79 foot long 'stealth' boat Ady Gil sank after the attack in Southern Ocean but its six man cew was rescued uninjured, said Captain Paul Watson, founder of the radical environmental group Sea Shepherd.

Captain Watson said the Ady Gil, a light weight vessel that resembles Batman's spacecraft more than a conventional boat, was idling in waters near Commonwealth Bay in the Antarctic when it was suddenly rammed by the Japanese ship Shonan Maru, which was providing security to Japan's whaling fleet.

"This seriously escalates the whole situation," said Captain Watson. Speaking from on board the Steve Irwin mother-ship, which was 500 miles away from the collision, Captain Watson added: "According to the (Japanese) Institute of Cetacean Research, the Ady Gil's crew were launching projectiles at the Nisshin Maru and attempted to entangle its propellers with rope."

Australia director for Sea Shepherd Jeff Hansen said the Ady Gil was at a standstill when it was rammed..

"They (the crew) saw the Shonan Maru approaching and tried to back away but they couldn't get out of way in time and were T-boned by the Shonan," said Mr Hansen.

"The Shonan put a hole in the Ady Gil and the nose has clean broken off," he said.

Mr Hansen said the Ady Gil issued mayday call that was not answered by the Japanese whaling fleet. The crew were now on the fleet's third boat, the Bob Barker, he said, but wee unsure if the Ady Gil could be salvaged..

The Ady Gil, a biodiesel

[Cvengr]

Strikes me as though the environmentalists label could be easily read as “pirates” or “terrorists” threatening the lives and vessels of other nations on the high seas.

Why is Great Britain harboring these terrorists?

[cizinec]

“I don’t understand eating whales”

Not questioning your belief, but

Pigs are smarter than dogs, and cows are smarter than horses. Some argue that cetaceans are smarter than humans.

So why do we eat beef and pork, but not dog and horse (in most societies, anyway)?

If I can kill it, I'm smarter than it is. The real issue is that pigs are tastier than dogs, and I've never eaten horse, but I doubt it's as tasty as beef. If I can kill it, it's delicious and I'm hungry . . .

All this talk about Japanese fish, playing chicken, beef and pork is making me too dang hungry. I'm going for breakfast.

[Conan the Conservative]

Other than the ramming, the best part of the video was after the collision when the boat crew sprays them with the firehose. Looks like the batboat getting pizzed on.

[Graybeard58]

You’ve convinced me, I’ll not eat any more whale meat.

[elcid1970]

Make that a low-carb breakfast that is high in animal protein. I always do.

;^)

[CharlesWayneCT]

You mean this guy?:

[cowtowney]

Sure do
won’t eat my dog though
love fish

[ArrogantBustard]

Hurrah for the Japanese!

[ArrogantBustard]

if the Japanese had fired a harpoon into the Ady Gil and then set it alight with flares, it would still have been justifiable self-defense. Not to mention hilarious television.

Put it on PPV. I'd watch ...

[Verbosus]

International law states that research vessels must sell the whale meat.

[Mr Rogers]

It seems the greenies aren’t aware of parody. Consider this line:

“Mr Hansen said the Ady Gill, a small vessel built for speed, was trying to get out of the way.”

So a small vessel built for speed couldn’t get out of the way of a ship 5 times its size? Did they consider MOVING?

“MV Steve Irwin Captain Paul Watson said protest vessels currently had the whaling fleet on the run.”

Maybe the whaling fleet should hire some stingrays...

[castlegreyskull]

Actually, I think the Somali Pirates have more noble intentions than these people.

First off the Somali pirates are trying to earn a living in a land where there is no economy and feed their family. What are these people doing? They are unnecessarily putting the lives of themselves, their crews and the lives the Japanese whaling crew at risk.

Secondly, I think these Sea Shephards are big hypocrites. They have nothing better to do than harass hard working men trying to bring home some money for their families? Do they help the poor in the USA and on the streets as well as trying to save the whales.

These people should thank these whalers every day they continue to live they were literally fished out of the sea for their insane seamanship, and let them do their jobs.

[CodeToad]

Since most of these anti-whaling pirates are US citizens the US should be arresting and prosecuting them. If they tried any of their assaults against my big whaling boat I would intentionally run them through.

[moehoward]

Google “Illegal Japanese Fishing”. The Japs routinely fish in anyone’s backyard they want to and most of this “hunting” of whales is done in Australia’s whale sanctuaries.

Sounds like poaching to me.

[bruinbirdman]

"unless I have enough information to verify it."

Especially when it comes from the UN, WHO.

yitbos