-Sea Shepherd News-

Link: http://www.seashepherd.org/news-and-media/news-110109-1.html

Sunday, January 09, 2011

The Bob Barker Engages Poachers in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary Delta team trying to slow the Yushin Maru No. 2 as it fires its water cannons at the exposed crewThe Southern Ocean - Accusations from the Japanese hunter killer boat theYushin Maru No. 2 that crewmembers from the Bob Barker threw “flash bang” grenades at their vessel are entirely false. The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society does not have possession of flash bang grenades nor have we ever had possession of such weapons. “Activists started hand-throwing at least two flash bangs and one smoke bomb toward the YS2.” Flash bang grenades were actually used by the Japanese Coast Guard in 2008 against Sea Shepherd crewmembers but Sea Shepherd has not, and will not deploy these dangerous weapons in retaliation. However, Sea Shepherd crewmembers did deploy stink bombs and smoke bombs during this engagement. The object of this exercise was to attempt to throw theYushin Maru No. 2 off the tail of the Bob Barker. Sea Shepherd views the constant tailing of their vessels as a provocation to deter the Japanese whalers. As long as the harpooners continue tailing the Bob Barker and the Steve Irwin, they will prevent Sea Shepherd from closing in on the Nisshin Maru,however, in doing so Sea Shepherd will continue to keep these two vessels from whaling themselves. The fast interceptor vessel the Gojira continues to pursue its tracking of the Nisshin Maru westward. The Delta team catches up with the Japanese harpoon vessel the Yushin Maru No. 2 amidst fierce seasThe exercise to attempt to throw the Yushin Maru No. 2 off the tail of the Bob Barker was initially successful. Unfortunately, the small Zodiac boats that initially slowed the Yushin Maru No. 2, had to cover 80 miles of open sea in order to return back to the Bob Barker, resulting in damage to one of them due to the heavy seas. The Bob Barker was forced to return to pick up their crew and ensure their safety. This delay allowed the Yushin Maru No. 2 to locate the Bob Barker once again. The Institute of Cetacean Research (ICR) stated that one of the Bob Barker’ssmall boats became entangled in their own prop fouling line and therefore became disabled. This statement is untrue. The inflatable boat became disabled after the confrontation with the Japanese whaling vessel, and solely due to damage to the pontoon from prolonged pounding against heavy seas. “Our boat crew’s courage is amazing,” said Captain Paul Watson from theSteve Irwin. “They bravely put a great distance between themselves and theBob Barker in this exercise, thereby exposing themselves to freezing temperatures in the open boats for many hours, in waters littered with growlers and small icebergs.” As usual, the ICR described the confrontation as an “attack” but noted that no damage was inflicted to the Yushin Maru No. 2and there were no injuries on either side. Today marks the eleventh day since Sea Shepherd successfully located the Japanese whaling fleet before they could begin whaling. During this time, the Yushin Maru No. 2 and Yushin Maru No. 3 have been unable to fire single harpoon. The Yushin Maru No. 1 is presumably with the Nisshin Maru fleeing westward. A fishing vessel sighted them on January 9th relaying their position to Sea Shepherd. Considering the distance the Yushin Maru has covered during the last eleven days, the speed at which they are traveling, and the fact they only have one harpoon vessel with them, the chances of them whaling are low, and if any whaling has taken place, it will be minimal. While running at full speed whaling is inefficient. Whaling with only one harpoon vessel is inefficient. Whaling with three conservation vessels on your ass is also inefficient. There are still two months remaining, and Sea Shepherd will maintain their pursuit of the Japanese whalers until the end of the whaling season to ensure the maximum number of whales will be saved.