Sea Shepherd News

Bob Barker Rammed by Illegal Whaler

At 1209 PM Fremantle, Australia time, the Yushin Maru 3 intentionally rammed the Sea Shepherd ship Bob Barker, penetrating it's hull and endangering the lives of it¹s crew. The collision occurred at 65 degrees 21 South, 67 degrees 58 East, about 180 miles off Cape Darnley in the Australian Antarctic Territory.

The Bob Barker had been actively blocking the slipway of the Nisshin Maru, the Japanese whaling fleet’s factory ship when the collision occurred. Four harpoon ships, the Yushin Maru 1, 2, and 3 and Shonan Maru 2, were circling and making near passes to the stern and bow of the Sea Shepherd vessel. The Bob Barker did not move from its position. At which point, the Yushin Maru 3 intentionally rammed the Bob Barker, creating a 3-foot long 4-inch deep gash in the mid starboard side of the Sea Shepherd vessel above the waterline.

No crew was injured during the collision. The Bob Barker continues to block the slipway of the Nisshin Maru, preventing the transfer of slaughtered whales and effectively shutting down illegal whaling operations.

The incident demonstrates a continued escalation of violence by the illegal whalers in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary.

Update: Bob Barker Shuts Down Illegal Whaling

The Sea Shepherd ship Bob Barker has shut down illegal whaling operations in Antarctica. The ship with its volunteer crew has caught up with the Nisshin Maru factory ship and is actively blocking its slipway.  The Nisshin Maru will be unable to process whales as a result of Sea Shepherd’s efforts.

The Bob Barker intends to stay in this position off the stern of the Nisshin Maru until the whalers return home or until they run out of fuel. Sea Shepherd’s other ship, the Steve Irwin, is racing to the area to join the action.

Four other whaling vessels are in the area surrounding the Nisshin Maru and Bob Barker. They include: the Yushin Maru 1, 2, and 3 as well as the notorious Shonan Maru 2, which one month ago today sank the Sea Shepherd Ady Gil in an act of blatant aggression.

Says Captain Chuck Swift, “As we sit in the shadow of this cetacean death machine, I’m proud to captain this ship and fine crew on such a noble mission. We will end these illegal operations once and for all, thanks to support from our staff and supporters the world over.”

Sea Shepherd Welcomes Dr. Sidney Holt to the Advisory Board

Dr. Sidney Holt is one of the most influential marine biologists of the 20th Century.  Born in England in 1926 and educated at the University of Reading, England. He is today a resident of Umbria, Italy.

Sidney was the co-author with R. J. H. Beverton of a book "On the Dynamics of exploited Fish Populations" first published in 1957 and which has since gone to three more editions, and has been described by his peers as “the most widely cited fisheries book ever published. . . a great work (that) created a solid foundation for one of the two major global visions of the science of fisheries². This book was the genesis of the modern age-structured approach to the optimal management of fishery resources. Beverton and Holt will continue to be a source of inspiration and insight for many years to come."

Sidney was years employed for twenty-five years in United Nations organizations, having been appointed at various times Director of the Fisheries Resources and Operations Division of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO, in Rome), Secretary of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) and Director of UNESCO's Marine Sciences Division in Paris.