Japanese Whalers Ram Sea Shepherd Ship Ady Gil

[Guest guest]

>Wed, 06 Jan 2010 17:55:28 +1100

>Philip <phil

>undisclosed-recipients:;

>our ship the Ady Gil was sunk by Japanese in Antarctica

>

>

>In a confrontation with the Japanese whalers in Antarctica today our

>ship the Ady Gil was sunk by a harpoon escort ship. All crew have

>been rescued.

>

>At the same time, our new secret ship The Bob Barker arrived from

>Mauritius on the scene today to join the Steve Irwin in the campaign

>to stop the illegal slaughter of whales in Antarctica.

>

>More details follow.

 

 

Sea Shepherd News

 

 

Tuesday, January 05, 2010

Japanese Whalers Ram Sea Shepherd Ship Ady Gil

 

Famed Catamaran is sinking in the Southern Ocean

Six crewmembers Rescued by the Sea Shepherd Ship Bob Barker

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 catamaran Ady Gil.

Six crew 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.

The Ady Gil is believed to be sinking and chances of salvage

are very grim.

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 now 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? "

 

--

Merritt Clifton

Editor, ANIMAL PEOPLE

P.O. Box 960

Clinton, WA 98236

 

Telephone: 360-579-2505

Fax: 360-579-2575

E-mail: anmlpepl

Web: www.animalpeoplenews.org

 

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