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.
Speaking from onboard the Arctic Sunrise, the Greenpeace
expedition leaderShane Rattenbury said: "There is no way to
describe this as anything but adeliberate ramming which placed the
safety of our ship and the lives of ourcrew in severe danger."
Over night the Nisshin Maru had been offloading accumulated
whale meat ontoa supply vessel, the Oriental Bluebird, and early
this morning Greenpeaceactivists onboard inflatables began to paint
the words "whale meat fromsanctuary" on the side of the Oriental
Bluebird. This action in no wayimpeded the transfer of the meat and
the tiny inflatables did not representa threat to either
vessel.
The Arctic Sunrise was observing the action from over one
kilometre away onthe opposite side of the supply vessel from the
Nisshin Maru. As the activists completed painting the slogan, the
Nisshin Mura suddenlydisengaged from the supply vessel coming
around a full 360 degrees beforemaking for the Arctic Sunrise and
striking it on the port side. The ship'scaptain tried to pull out
of the way of the oncoming whaler.
While the impact has left the Arctic Sunrise "battered and
bruised" it hasnot 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 thescene. Both the Arctic Sunrise and the Esperanza are in
pursuit with everyintention of continuing to peacefully protest the
hunt.
Greenpeace has repeatedly informed the whaling fleet and its
controllingorganisation in Tokyo, the Institute for Cetacean
Research, of its peacefulintentions and explained the purpose of
the protest against the hunt.
"Over the past few days Greenpeace activists have repeatedly run
thegauntlet between the whalers' harpoons and their prey in order
to protectthe whales and defend the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary.
No amount ofbullying or intimidation will prevent us from defending
the whales, nor frombroadcasting images of the kills to the world,"
said Rattenbury.
Flying in the face of international protest and repeated calls
from theInternational Whaling Commission (IWC) to stop its annual
'scientific' whalehunt, this year the Fisheries Agency of Japan has
more than doubled itsplanned 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 killalong with 50 humpback whales. Fin
whales are the second largest creatureson earth, after blue
whales.
For more information on the campaign to defend the whales go
to:http://oceans.greenpeace.org
Other contacts: 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
VVPR info: For video and stills:Video available from Greenpeace International Video Desk +31653504721 Photos available from Greenpeace International Photo Desk +31653819121 or +31653819255
Notes: 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 Greenpeacevessel". 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.