Marine Life & Conservation
Japanese whaling ship rams Sea Shepherd boat in the South Pole after whale slaughter – watch video
A Japanese harpoon whaling ship has rammed a conservationist protestors’ vessel in dramatic scenes in icy seas off Antarctica.
Video released by anti-whaling organisation, Sea Shepherd, shows the Japanese ship the Yushin Maru 2 crashing into the bow of the Bob Barker last week in the Southern Ocean off the South Pole.
Sea Shepherd claims the collision was deliberate and part of a sustained attack by three whaling ships on the protestors.
The Sea Shepherd boats, the Bob Barker and the Steve Irwin, were patrolling off Antarctica in the RossSea, the most pristine marine ecosystem on earth in which a high concentration of marine wildlife has remained mostly free from pollution, mining and fishing.
Known as “the last ocean”, the RossSea teems with large predatory fish, whales, seals and penguins.
The Sea Shepherd vessels had sailed to the Ross Sea to interfere with a Japanese whaling fleet comprising the Yushin Maru, Yushin Maru 2, Yushin Maru 3 and the world’s only whaling factory ship, the Nisshin Maru.
Sea Shepherd claims the Japanese ships launched a sustained eight hour attack from around 1am Australian Eastern Daylight Time (AEDT) on Sunday 2nd February.
Sea Shepherd said its ships had positioned themselves off the Nisshin Maru’s slipway to block the harpoon vessels from loading the corpses of whales they had caught onto the factory ship.
The Nisshin Maru is chartered by Japan’s Institute of Cetacean Research (ICR), which claims to be a nonprofit research organization of whales and dolphins, but which Sea Shepherd and Greenpeace say is just a Japanese Government-funded operation for slaughtering whales for profit.
In the attack, which continued until 9am, the harpoon vessels overtook the Sea Shepherd ships, crossing their bows and coming within three to five metres in numerous “dangerous manoeuvres”, Sea Shepherd claimed.
It said the Yushin Maru 3 struck the Bob Barker and quoted the ship’s captain, Peter Hammarstedt, and Siddarth Chakravarty of the Steve Irwin saying the two ships on several occasions had to steer out of the harpoon whalers’ paths, narrowly avoiding potential collisions.
‘The whaling vessels also made consecutive attempts to foul the propellers of the Sea Shepherd ships by dragging steel cable across the bow of the conservation ships,’ Sea Shepherd said.
Greenpeace claims the Nisshin Maru has twice rammed its vessel, the Arctic Sunrise, although the Institute for Cetacean Research contested Greenpeace was to blame.
ICR says on its website Greenpeace and Sea Shepherd engage in dangerous ‘sabotage’ which endangers life at sea.
‘Sea Shepherd group, one of several Greenpeace offshoots, joined the interference against Japan’s whale research and, imitating Greenpeace methods such as illegal boarding and ramming of research vessels, started to use increasingly dangerous and violent sabotage methods which include entangling devices (propeller foulers), throwing and shooting of chemical-containing projectiles, smoke bombs and incendiary devices,’ ICR said.
‘Such dangerous actions by these groups are not peaceful protest but unforgivable acts akin to terrorism that threaten human life at sea.
‘Over and over again we have strongly condemned the harassment and sabotage actions by these groups and demand again that they refrain from further spreading violence under pretext of protecting whales.’
Sea Shepherd’s team of volunteers from around the world has photographed the ICR’s harpooning of whales, and slaughter of dolphins in the Japanese port of Taiji.
Australian Alana West told of the scene at Taiji last year, when the Japanese team herded a pod of striped dolphins into Taiji Cove and how she could hear ‘the distress cries of the dying pod members’.
‘Although the noise and confusion of the killing must have been terrifying for these dolphins, they did not swim to the other end of the Cove, as they so wanted to be with their pod members who were in fear and pain and were taking their last breaths,’ Alana said.
‘It was incredibly harrowing to witness.’
Source: www.dailymail.co.uk
Here is the video:
[youtube id=”7QCKpq15qTI” width=”100%” height=”400px”]
After a two-year tour of UK art galleries, community spaces and aquariums, the Shark Trust’s acclaimed Oceanic31 exhibition takes its final bow at the Royal Geographical Society later this month. And the unique collection of artwork, depicting 31 species of oceanic sharks and rays, donated by 31 artists, is now open for bids from art lovers and shark enthusiasts. The online auction, launched today, will close on the 7th December at 8pm (BST). The money raised will support the Shark Trust Oceanics Programme.
People can now bid on 27 of the artworks by visiting this website:
https://superstars-auctions.com/sharktrustauction
It is a chance to own a beautiful piece of original art and to support the Shark Trust. The timing of the auction also means that these would make a very special Christmas gift for any shark-lover.
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- Bigeye Thresher Shark by Janina Rossiter
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- Carcharodon carcharias by Jimmy Higgs
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- Croc VR 2030 by Tom Mead
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- Oceanic Whitetip by ATM
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- Silky Street by ScapaJoe
The diversity of pieces mirrors that of the sharks and rays they represent. You can bid on paintings, digital creations, sculptures, mixed media and more. You can pick your favourite artist or species of shark. Or you can select the perfect artwork to make a statement in your home or office. Whichever you choose, you will be supporting the work to protect these amazing animals.
One of the pieces of art has been selected to be auctioned live by Steve Backshall at the For the Love of Sharks event at the Royal Geographical Society in London on the 29th November. In addition to this, two further pieces will be raffled at this event, giving people a chance to win an incredible piece of shark art. For the Love of Sharks is the Shark Trust’s flagship evening. A night to celebrate sharks. Steve Backshall is the headline speaker at this event that will see other prominent shark advocates join him on stage.
Tickets for the event can be snapped up here:
https://thesharktrust.org.uk/Event/flos24
Those that would like to see the Oceanic 31 exhibition have one final chance. It is being displayed at the Pavilion at the Royal Geographic Society from 26th November until the 7th December. Entry is free.
Find out more here:
https://www.rgs.org/events/upcoming-events/oceanic-31
Paul Cox, Shark Trust CEO, Said “This exhibition has given us the opportunity to reach out to a new audience. And inspire more people with the wonderful sharks and rays on which our Big Shark Pledge campaign is based. We are immensely grateful to the 31 artists who have worked so hard to create these works.”
Bid for your favourite Oceanic 31 artwork here:
https://superstars-auctions.com/sharktrustauction
Banner Image: Smooth Hammerhead by Alicia Hayden
Until 28 November, prizes worth a massive £10,000 – including experiences, products and tuition – feature in a line-up of items that can be won for £5 in an online prize draw to celebrate Bite-Back Shark & Marine Conservation’s 20th anniversary and help generate crucial funds for the future.
Top of the list of prizes is the chance to spend time with adventurer and wildlife expert Steve Backshall, a workout session with Nat Geo star Aldo Kane, a kayaking trip alongside white-water expert and diver Sal Montgomery and a Zoom call with ‘shark whisperer’ Cristina Zenato.
On top of that, some of the most admired companies in the diving and scuba industry have been quick to support the charity with fabulous prizes that make the £5 ticket price worth more than just a flutter.
Master Liveaboards, BSAC, Midlands Diving Chamber, Go Freediving and Blue Shark Snorkel have all generously donated experience prizes, while celebrated photographer Alex Mustard has donated a print and artists Scott Gleed and Olivier Leger have donated a sculpture and illustration to help boost the fundraising pot.
Fourth Element has donated Ocean Positive gear and LA watch company Nodus has gifted the charity a stunning dive watch. For land lovers, the charity has included a five star London hotel stay at Bankside Hotel plus a family visit to Longleat Safari Park in the roster of prizes.
Campaign director for Bite-Back, Graham Buckingham, said: “We’ve been overwhelmed with support from companies and individuals that we truly admire and who have supported us on our 20 year journey and we’re truly grateful to them all. While we feel incredibly proud of our achievements over the past two decades – and we are super excited about the next chapter – this prize draw isn’t a vanity project. It represents a real lifeline to our work and important advancements in the global protection of sharks. So we hope divers, dive clubs and even bargain hunters grab some tickets to make this a massive success.”
The charity hopes that the prize draw will generate crucial funds to launch a brand new, ground-breaking, campaign to enrol the public and increase support for the protection of sharks around the world.
To enter the competition visit www.bite-back.com/prizedraw. The prize winners will be announced on 1 December 2024.
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