That is This: Japanese Whalers Ram Sea Shepherd Ship Ady Gil

!UPDATE! videos added
Japanese Whalers Ram Sea Shepherd Ship Ady Gil

Watch online:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bbuq0YEIPNU
View from the Sea Shepherd ship Bob Barker of the Ady Gil being rammed by Japanese whaling ship Shonan Maru No. 2, operated by The Institute of Cetacean Research (ICR), on January 6, 2010. The Ady Gil sustained heavy damage. A salvage ship will make it's way to the Ady Gil in order to determine if the ship can be saved. All of the six Ady Gil crew members were rescued by the Sea Shepherd's new vessel, the Bob Barker. One crew member sustained broken ribs in this collision.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bH_5wEWaqe8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Brw6JN0lQXY

Tuesday, January 05, 2010
http://www.seashepherd.org/news-and-media/news-100105-4.html

(en) 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?”

Updated news:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/01/08/2787921.htm
http://ow.ly/TOBJ

(cz) Futuristicky vypadající loď Ady Gil australské ekologické skupiny Sea Shepherd Conservation Society se potopila v Antarktidě po srážce s japonskou velrybářskou lodí, které se snažila zabránit v lovu kytovců. Šest členů posádky Ady Gil vyvázlo ze střetu bez zranění.

Aktivisté oznámili, že se loď, která vzdáleně připomíná vůz filmového Batmana, potápí po srážce s velrybářskou lodí Sonan Maru 2, která údajně najela na příď plavidla. Posádka byla bezpečně přepravena na další loď aktivistů.

Japonský institut pro výzkum kytovců, pod jehož záštitou lov probíhá, zase informoval, že Ady Gil během dne zaútočila také na vlajkovou loď velrybářů Nisšin Maru. Aktivisté se prý snažili lany zablokovat kormidla a lodní šrouby lodí.

V australském parlamentu se přitom právě diskutuje o letech špionážních letadel, která japonské společnosti vysílají z australských letišť, aby monitorovala činnost aktivistů a velrybáři se tak mohli snáze vyhnout jejich útokům. Ačkoli lety neporušují mezinárodní úmluvy, podle některých politiků napomáhají nelegálnímu lovu velryb.

Loď Andy Gil patřící hnutí Sea Shepherd Conservation Society

Skupina Sea Shepherd Conservation Society si pravidelně bere na mušku japonské velrybářské lodě, které připlouvají k břehům Antarktidy v době, kdy je na jižní polokouli letní sezona. Cílem kampaně je podle ochranářů způsobit lovcům velryb finanční ztráty a zachránit co možná nejvíc mořských savců.

V prosinci po velrybářích aktivisté pálili z vodních děl, snažili se je dočasně oslepit pomocí laserů a použili katapulty s kyselinou máselnou, která vydává velmi pronikavý zápach. Velrybáři proti nim údajně použili dalekonosné akustické zařízení LRAD (Long Range Audio Device), nesmrtící zbraň vysílající velmi hlasitý zvuk, používanou například proti somálským pirátům. - více o bitce mezi velrybáři a aktivisty zde

I přesto, že je komerční lov velryb zakázán od roku 1986, mezinárodní úmluvy umožňují japonským společnostem lovit velryby v rámci vědeckého výzkumu. Podle ekologických aktivistů však ulovené velryby neslouží k výzkumu, ale jejich maso se v Japonsku běžně prodává.

Zdroj: iDnes.cz

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mm4B_o6uL6o