Anti-Whaling Boat ‘Sliced In Two’ In Clash
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9:50am UK, Wednesday January 06, 2010
James Jordan, Sky News Online
A high-tech trimaran used by anti-whaling activists to try to halt Japanese hunters in the Antarctic has been sliced in two and is in danger of sinking, say crew-members.
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The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society said its powerboat Ady Gil was rammed by a Japanese security vessel.
According to reports, the Shonan Maru 2 also launched projectiles.
Sea Shepherd’s Australian director Jeff Hansen said: “The Shonan Maru 2 had it in its direct line of sight, coming straight for it.
“It came through and took off a section off the fuselage.”
The whalers accused the Ady Gil’s five New Zealand and one Dutch crew of trying to tangle the Shonan Maru’s rudder and propeller with rope.
They also claimed the protesters aimed a “green laser device” at its crew and threw stink bombs at them.
A Japanese whaling ship
“The Sea Shepherd extremism is becoming more violent. Their actions are nothing but felonious behaviour,” Japan’s Institute of Cetacean Research said in a statement.
All six crew on the trimaran, which holds the record for the fastest circumnavigation of the globe, were rescued unharmed, Sea Shepherd spokesman Paul Watson said.
Mr Watson added: “This seriously escalates the whole situation.”
Japan’s Fisheries Agency, which has no direct involvement in whaling but overseas the country’s fishing operations, said it was making inquiries about the incident.
Fisheries Agency spokesman Toshinori Uoya said: “We have confirmed that there was a collision, but we have no other details.”
admin @ January 6, 2010