Sea Shepherd pirate ship collides with a Japanese whaling vessel (Video)

YouTube user koe2006 has added a new video of the clash between anti-whaling group Sea Shepherd and the Japanese whaling fleet, this one showing a collision between Sea Shepherd’s Robert Hunter and the Japanese ship:

I’m no expert on ship navigation, but from the looks of the video, the Japanese ships appears to be making a turn while the Robert Hunter (donning a pirate flag) continues straight ahead and collides with the whalers. Would that make it Sea Shepherd’s fault, or the fault of the whalers?

[The video is dated February 12, which means it was recorded prior to the fire that broke out on another Japanese whaling ship.]

23 comments - What do you think? Posted by James - February 16, 2007 at 10:01 pm

Categories: Japanese Food, Politics Tags:

http://www.transpacificradio.com/2007/02/03/enoki/ Garrett

Damn. So much for being environmentalists. Sea Shepherd are straight up pirates. That was beyond blatant.

The Japanese ship clearly knew what was about to happen – recording the screen, saying the date and coordinates out loud.

Anti-whaling is one thing, ramming ships in the Antarctic Ocean is another.

Fern

We arent environmentalists. We are stopping whaling.

James

The Rules of the Road (Sea Laws) say that any ship astern of another has to give way. The environmentalists were at fault, and in the case of this going to court, would pay the majority of the damages.
James

Sorry, I mistook where the stern of the Japanese boat was. They were on converging courses and almost side by side. If they were in a shipping lane, the Japanese ship would be at fault I think. They’re not in shipping lanes, so I can’t remember, but I still think the sternmost ship has to give way.
http://www.3kun.wordpress.com 3kun

[...Racist foreigner attempts to impose UN sanctions on Japan; supports ramming of peaceful Japanese ships!
...]

Fern

You call Japanese ships that spill tons of blood into the oceans every year peaceful! Thats ridiculous!

Im a foreigner, and I am against whaling!! The UN sanctions NEED to be imposed on Japan, Wake up Japan, you cant just plunder the oceans for ever. EVENTUALLY YOUR GONNA RUN OUT! STAY OUT OF THE MARINE SANCTUARY! I was raised in a Japanese family, my step dad and sisters are Japanese and I love the Japanese people, culture and much of their food as well. Im not racist. Im against the Japanese whaling and the corrupt few that keep it going and do stupid things like try and advertise it to the next generation in burgers. Im against the bull crap, not Japan, and I will be on the next Sea Shepherd trip to Antarctica to show my support for Sea Shepherd and I will have the utmost respect for the Japanese crew, I will hope that it doesnt get to this point, but we will defend the whales (especially the Humpback) at all cost.

Sea Shepherd is something people should be proud to support. We live in a time where the governments and private interests care for nothing or who they hurt in their path to what they want, Sea Shepherd is standing in where the Australian government and Us Government should be.

I am proud to be a Sea Shepherd Memeber and We WILL stop whaling.

eli

Overtaking vessels are always required to give way.
Future Gaijin

From the video it seems that if the Japanese ship was to turn starboard (right) it would be damaged by an iceburg or the ice field.

This being the case, it would seem from the video that the “environmentalists” are either trying to sink the Japanese ship or force them into the ice field and potentially harm the existing ecosystem.
http://tofusando.blogspot.com Akoua Doffou

These “environmentalists” are extremely immature for doing this! Resorting to piracy and attempting to ram a ship isn’t in good reason.
Chris

Of course it’s the environmentalists fault! Are you kidding?
mall

Without considering politics, the are the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea 1972 (COLREGS).

The overtaking vessel must keep well clear of the vessel being overtaken (rule 13). The Robert is not doing that.

Generally the right of way btw vessels is that the ships seeing the left side of the othe ship should give way. It is not clear enough to see if they are following each other or crossing their way ( I tend to conclude the Robert shoudl have changed course.)

If there are existing danger around preventing both ships from manoeuvering easily off their route, they should stay apart. The Robert is not doing that.

If there are no danger around, the Japanese ships should have not turned so rapidly and keep straight route. it seems like it is changing course and therefore may have caused the collision.

I am not native english speaking so the terms may be wrong, but the rules are clear.
Ted Slacks

Makes me proud to be Canadian. Go, Paul Watson! GO!

Fern

Hear hear!

http://tofusando.blogspot.com Akoua Doffou

I’ve now blogged about my opinion on the whaling issue.
Has any of you ever seen the short clip of a smoke canister on the Japanese ship?
http://raincoaster.com raincoaster

Look, the Sea Shepherd Society are NOT environmentalists, and don’t generally claim to be; they’re anti-whaling. Period, full stop. And the reason they have ships is so they can go out there and stop, “by any means necessary” the process of whaling. This is their mission, and they’re not the least bit confused about it, nor are they distracted trying to save the rainforest or any such environmental goal. They are all about stopping whaling, and that’s it.

Please do differentiate between the Sea Shepherd Society (Paul Watson et al) and the environmental movement. They’re two different things; the man was thrown out of Greenpeace thirty years ago.

Fern

He wasnt actually thrown out of Greenpeace, he left.

Fern

It was the Japanese whaling ships fault for being there period. Its an illegal whaling area. They deserve everything they get. This is a MARINE SANCTUARY for the PROTECTION of the whales because they are going to go EXTINCT if greedy blood thirsty whalers dont STOP!

GO CAPTAIN!!! We Love and Support you all the way!

GO SEA SHEPHERD!

Check um out and make your own decision

http://www.seashepherd.org

Amos Severe

Epic Fail.Watson et al are insane pirates.They are criminals who endanger human life everyday.I am really hoping the idiot that got caught will serve jail time in Japan for boarding the vessel in an inane publicity attempt.
Watson is a criminal, and sooner or later he will be responsible for someones death.He should be arrested before it is too late.

Leave the Japanese alone.If you want to force your views on them….that is your problem.

http://www.midsummerhouseshame.makessense.co.uk/index.html Aran

As I understand the situation, the ship has docked in Australia and the Australian authorities have looked at the evidence and have not taken any action against Sea Shepherd.

It is clear however that the whaling ship was in breach of international law. The Sea Shepherd organisation acts to enforce the law in regards to illegal whaling. If pirate whaling ships insist on operating they can expect not protests, but law enforcement. Whaling is an illegal and immoral activity it is perfectly appropriate for action to be taken to stop it.

Read more about the law enforcement and animal protection work conducted by Sea Shepherd on it’s web site: http://www.seashepherd.org/
paul williams

does it matter who’s fault it was. as long as some whales were saved that day its all good. if the whaling ship sank then it would have been evan better.
Patrick

The whaling ship is in breach of international law.

Actually the whaling ship is the pirate ship in this case and can be legally sunk.

It too bad the SeaShepherd won’t sink these ships while they are at sea.
Dan USA citizen

These “Sea Shepherds” need to be arrested for terrorism. the japanese people have a right to govern the way they see fit. and who are these so called “shepherds” to interfere?. The limited whaling that they are engaging in isn’t enough to deplete the species or cause their extinction.. these are just bleeding heart MORONS who forget that we need to eat therefore we hunt!…
Kangaroo Man

http://www.care2.com/news/member/100041282/1134804

Japanese should get together and start Land Sheppard and start stopping the Australians from killing kangaroos.

Sea Shepherd pirate ship collides with a Japanese whaling vessel (Video)

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