- Japanese whalers rammed two Sea Shepherd ships
- One Sea Shepherd ship, Bob Barker, taking on water
- Sea Shepherd in ocean stand-off with whalers
ANTI-whaling group Sea Shepherd has claimed victory after forcing Japan to halt operations due to an interrupted refuelling operation.
The Institute of Cetacean Research announced the halt shortly after Japan denied reports that concussion grenades had been thrown at protesters.
Sea Shepherd says a Japanese whaling ship yesterday rammed its two protest ships, and one, the Bob Barker is taking on water.
Sea Shepherd Conservation Society's Captain Paul Watson, in a posting on his Facebook page this afternoon, claimed the Nisshin Maru had rammed both the Steve Irwin and the Bob Barker "but both vessels continue to hold their positions. The Bob Barker is taking on water in their engine room''.
Captain of the Bob Barker Mr Peter Hammarstedt told the ABC that it was a dangerous confrontation.
A Minke whale loaded on to the slipway of the Japanese whaling fleet's factory vessel, the Nishin Maru (left), as the Yushin Maru No. 2 (right) looks on in the Southern Ocean. AFP PHOTO / "Sea Shepherd Australia / Glenn Lockitch
"The Nisshin Maru collided with my vessel several times and I think we were about 15 to 20 seconds away from being rolled over completely," he said.
The protest vessels came between Japanese ships attempting an at-sea refuelling manoeuvre.
Japanese whaling fleet's harpoon vessel Yushin Maru No. 2, with a minke whale in the Southern Ocean. AFP PHOTO / "Sea Shepherd Australia / Glenn Lockitch
Bob Brown, Sea Shepherd director and former Greens leader, called on the federal government to send the navy to Antarctic waters.
"This is a gross breach of international law by the Japanese,'' Dr Brown told reporters in Melbourne.
A previous collision between Japanese whalers and the Sea shepherd Conservation Society.
"I'm calling the Australian government to dispatch naval vessels now - not just to film the slaughter of the whales by the Antarctic fleet but to restore international law.
"Tokyo is not in control of ... Australian waters.''
Activists in ocean stand-off with whalers
The Australian Greens joined their former leader, Dr Brown, in calling on the government to quickly condemn the violence and send a navy boat to the area.
Greens marine spokesperson Rachel Siewert said she couldn't believe the inaction by the government.
"The government has the capacity to do far more to end the threat of whaling in Australian waters, but they remain reluctant to step up to the plate,'' Senator Siewert said in a statement late this afternoon.
The latest incident was in the Southern Ocean, north of the Australian Casey Research Station.
Speaking from aboard the Steve Irwin, Watson told 3 News the Bob Barker, with 38 crew aboard, was hit a number of times as they tried to stop the Nisshin Maru from refuelling, which he says is illegal in the Southern Ocean.
''(It) has lost power, toppled the main mast, smashed up the deck.''
A mayday has been issued but the crew had managed to stop water from coming in, he said.
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority is responsible for responding to maydays in that part of the ocean. The authority is in the process of responding.
Capt Watson said the Japanese ship had also struck the Korean-owned fuel tanker, the Sun Laurel.
The Japanese Institute of Cetacean Research could not be reached for immediate comment, but last week it said the Bob Barker had tried to sabotage Japanese research vessel Nisshin Maru and Yushin Maru No.2 as they tried to transfer a whale between the two ships.
The confrontation comes the same month the US Supreme Court upheld an injunction ordering Sea Shepherd to keep away from Japanese whaling ships in the Southern Ocean.
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