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Damage to the bow of the Greenpeace ship MV Arctic Sunrise following a collision with the factory ship of the Japanese whaling fleet, Nisshin Maru. The Nisshin Maru cut across the bow of the Arctic Sunrise, causing the collision.
Enlarge ImageOver night the Nisshin Maru had been offloading accumulated whale meat onto a supply vessel, the Oriental Bluebird, and early this morning Greenpeace activists onboard inflatables began to paint the words "whale meat from sanctuary" on the side of the Oriental Bluebird. This action in no way impeded the transfer of the meat and the tiny inflatables did not represent a threat to either vessel.
The Arctic Sunrise was observing the action from over one kilometre away on the opposite side of the supply vessel from the Nisshin Maru. As the activists completed painting the slogan, the Nisshin Mura suddenly disengaged from the supply vessel coming around a full 360 degrees before making for the Arctic Sunrise and striking it on the port side. The ship's captain tried to pull out of the way of the oncoming whaler.
While the impact has left the Arctic Sunrise "battered and bruised" it has not been disabled but the crew have had to secure the mast on the fore deck.
Straight after the ramming the Nisshin Maru began to steam away from the scene. Both the Arctic Sunrise and the Esperanza are in pursuit with every intention of continuing to peacefully protest the hunt.
Greenpeace has repeatedly informed the whaling fleet and its controlling organisation in Tokyo, the Institute for Cetacean Research, of its peaceful intentions and explained the purpose of the protest against the hunt.
"Over the past few days Greenpeace activists have repeatedly run the gauntlet between the whalers' harpoons and their prey in order to protect the whales and defend the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary. No amount of bullying or intimidation will prevent us from defending the whales, nor from broadcasting images of the kills to the world," said Rattenbury.
Flying in the face of international protest and repeated calls from the International Whaling Commission (IWC) to stop its annual 'scientific' whale hunt, this year the Fisheries Agency of Japan has more than doubled its planned catch of minke whales to 935 and added 10 endangered fin whales. Over the next 2 years 40 more fin whales will be added to the annual kill along with 50 humpback whales. Fin whales are the second largest creatures on earth, after blue whales.
For more information on the campaign to defend the whales go to: http://oceans.greenpeace.org
Notes to Editor
Full copies of Greenpeace's communication with the whaling industry,
the Japanese Coast Guard and the Institute Cetacean Research outlining our
peaceful intent can be found at http://oceans.greenpeace.org.
- Referring to an earlier incident, December 21 2005, when the catcher
ship the Kyo Maru bumped the MY Esperanza the Institute for Cetacean
Research said "the same thing occurred five years ago when in 1999 another
collision occurred between Japan's research vessels and a Greenpeace
vessel".
However, it was Nisshin Maru, not the Arctic Sunrise, which was at fault for the collision in December 1999 also. The Lloyd's database records the incident as a ramming of the Arctic Sunrise by the Nisshin Maru. The Nisshin Maru was the overtaking vessel. Rule 13 of the International Maritime
Organization Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea states that "any vessel overtaking any other shall keep out of the way of the vessel being overtaken."
- The campaign to defend the whales in the Southern Ocean Whale
Sanctuary is the first stage in an ambitious new Greenpeace campaign
'Defending our Oceans'. Over the next year the Esperanza will be
Greenpeace's main platform in arguing for a network of marine reserves or
parks covering 40% of the world's oceans: places that will be protected from
industrial exploitation and destruction, from industrial fishing and
hunting, and places from which our oceans can begin the process of repair
and recovery.
- Seventy crew and campaigners from 19 countries are on board the two
Greenpeace vessels: UK, Netherlands, Canada, Australia, Ghana, Russia,
Norway, Denmark, USA, France, Italy, Japan, Ireland, India, New Zealand,
Spain, Sweden, Austria and Argentina.
Further contact information for reporters to get video, photos or report details
For video and stills: Video available from Greenpeace International Video Desk +31653504721 Photos available from Greenpeace International Photo Desk +31653819121 or +31653819255
Contact information
-
Shane Rattenbury, Greenpeace Southern Ocean Expedition Leader, on board the Esperanza, 872 (or 3) 324 469 010 (GMT +7)
John Bowler, Greenpeace International, Project Leader, in Amsterdam +353872394692
Mike Townsley, Greenpeace International Communications, +31621296918