Greenpeace boat struck by whaling ship

[Barrett808]

Greenpeace boat struck by whaling ship
09 January 2006
By MAGGIE TAIT

Crew on a Greenpeace boat say they feared for their lives when struck by a vessel being used by a Japanese whaling operation on the Southern Ocean yesterday.

The crew of the Arctic Sunrise was painting the words "Whale Meat" on to the side of a supply vessel that was tied alongside the whaling fleet's mother ship, the Nisshin Maru, 8am local time (2pm NZT) when the incident happened.

Greenpeace and Institute of Cetacean Research (ICR) versions of the incident conflict with the ICR claiming it was the Greeenpeace vessel which deliberately rammed it as it attempted to transfer cargo.

Greenpeace expedition leader Shane Rattenbury said that crew in inflatable rafts had been using rollers on poles to daub the supply boat loading up with whale meat from the Nisshin Maru when the larger vessel separated itself and allegedly came for the Greenpeace boat.

"When the Nisshin Maru pulled away it executed an almost 360 degree circle to come around the rear of the supply vessel to seek out the Arctic Sunrise. There was absolutely no need for it to make that move. . . it did that full circle and came for the Sunrise."

(more)

http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3533659a12,00.html

Bloody but defiant
January 09, 2006

WITH menacing actions and words, Japan yesterday defied the world to stop it killing whales.

A Japanese harpooner allegedly rammed Greenpeace activists in the Antarctic, and the country's whaling industry lashed out at opposition to its bloody trade.

In a rare public statement, Japan Whaling Association president Keiichi Nakajima declared that killing the giant mammals was the only effective way to study them.

Mr Nakajima also called on countries like Australia to tolerate the culls out of respect for "cultural diversity".

"There are enough whales for both those who want to eat them and those who want to watch them," he said.

(more)

http://dailytelegraph.news.com.au/story/0,20281,17762518-5001022,00.html

[LeftyMom]

1. Not entirely unexpected

If they weren't ruthless bastards with no respect for life or decency, they wouldn't be whaling. :grr:

[tatertop]

3. Particularly in light of what we know of whales today

[Hermosa Beach Dem]

63. Let's see for ourselves....

OK...couple of thoughts going on here.

1) Whaling is bullshit and should be made illegal everywhere
2) See number 1)
3) I admire Greenpeace's efforts
4) See numbers 1-3

I've scoured the internet for videos of the collision and came across the link below (see the two links under "Video and Photos". What do you folks think?

http://www.icrwhale.org/gpandsea.htm

[pokercat999]

2. Ya would think by now Greenpeace would equip their

boats with surface to surface missles........come now smile.

[napi21]

4. Greenpeace isn't the sharpest group on the planet.

I remember when my son was stationed on the Nimitz and they were in the middle of the Pacific somewhere. Greempeace was upset with them about something, and started (with a very small ship in comparrison) to try to harrass the Nimitz. Apparently, they THOUGHT they could get the BIG SHIP to turn around!

They were warned by the crew on the Nimitz to get out of the way...several times. They refused and continued to cut in front and cross paths. Finally the Nimitz gave them a final warning, and the Captain issued the order to proceed.

Greenpeace did finally get out of the way, and the Nimitz proceeded to it's final destination in the Persian Gulf. It was during Gulf War1.

I'm sure Greenpeace has very good intentions, and many of their causes are good ones, but they don't appear to be too smart.

[Dead_Parrot]

13. Not the sharpest, but...

...you do have to have to admire thier guts. If the Nimitz had hit them and killed the crew (which seems probable given the size of the thing) the captain would be in breach of half the maritime laws ever written: Whilst he'd probably not go to jail, he'd certainly loose his command. It's just a game of chicken.

You're right, though, Greenpaece have turned into the Rebels Without a Clue. Shame...

[MADem]

14. It's called the Law of Gross Tonnage

And it is a law that must be obeyed!!! There are no exceptions, only consequences.

It doesn't matter what the rules of the road are, or maritime law, any dunce knows that the larger the vessel, the longer the time to turn, stop, reverse, do anything at sea...

[pschoeb]

45. Actually they were in the Straight of Georgia

In Canadian Territorial waters, the Nimitz is a nuclear Air craft Carrier, that two weeks before the Greenpeace action, 4 sailors had said the reactor was unsafe, and that the navy routinely falsified the certification papers for sailors who worked the reactor. There is also a Military Testing Area around there, and I think Greenpeace was also protesting this as well.

[go west young man]

50. Not the sharpest? I defer on that one.

They were years ahead on global warming, the depletion of the Amazon Rainforest, the Canadian sealhunts, illegal logging in Canada, poaching in Africa, toxic power plants (they just helped shut down a major one only two months ago by bravely climbing 400ft. smoke stacks and hanging banners.) They have revamped thier whole organization recently and are growing. The Bush administration has even attempted to have them banned from U.S. waters as recently as last year in Miami. They are active, motivated, focused and agressive. Stupid they are not. I proudly give $20 a month and its great to know its my gas thats helping bring these issues to light. It's David vs. Goliath so it may look a bit futile to some but in the long run Greenpeace wins. Read up on thier current activities and you'll see that they are more impressive than you realize. :)

[SaveElmer]

59. Amen...

I too am a monthly contributor...they are a wonderful organization

[Kipling]

5. I wonder why they bother. Whale doesn't even taste that good.

[leftchick]

7. $$$$$$$

Greed, Profit, $$$$$$.

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

41. Actually,

Japan loses money on this little venture every year.

[leftchick]

47. good

sick MFers that they are.

[leftchick]

6. Greenpeace Press release....

http://oceans.greenpeace.org/en/the-expedition/news/whalers-ram-ship-111

Southern Ocean, International — This morning our ship the Arctic Sunrise was deliberately rammed and damaged by the Nisshin Maru, the factory ship of the Japanese whaling fleet. Straight after the ramming, the Nisshin Maru began to steam away from the "scene of the crime". However both the Arctic Sunrise and the Esperanza are in pursuit with every intention of continuing to peacefully protest the hunt.



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.



DONATE.....https://secureusa.greenpeace.org/securedonate/index.php?usa_source_template=oceans&from=YIL

[sasha031]

8. thanks, I'm joining

[leftchick]

9. I had been a member for years

and lapsed a few years ago. I had been reading of the terrific work they have been doing against the Japanese whalers when boom! I got a phone call to renew my lapsed membership! Perfect timing!

Save The Whales!



:hi:

[sasha031]

11. I belong to many animal rights groups

it's so depressing to see humans have not evolved. maybe that would be a good argument for the creationist folks, man is still in the Neanderthal period.

[Bosun]

22. So the Japanese rammed her bow with her side?

How gullible can you people get?

This is all pathetic and easily seen through propaganda...'

[flvegan]

27. How so? Oh, and be specific, my Norwegian, whaling supporting friend...

[flvegan]

29. Hey, btw, I have two words for you...

Myrild and Nybraena.

I hope they serve as good artifical reefs down there at the bottom...

Ramming speed, baby.

[LeftyMom]

30. .

:D

[Sgent]

35. Looking at that picture....

I'm hard pressed to envision an accident scenerio where Greenpeace isn't at fault -- either entirely or at least equally.

Can someone elighten me?

[fleabert]

56. The Nisshin Maru cut across the bow of the Arctic Sunrise,

causing the collision.

ever had someone pull out in front of you when they shouldn't have? I have. My front end was smashed, and I t-boned their driver's side back seat door and trunk area. Witness stated that there was no way humanly possible for me to avoid the collision, and I was going 5 mph under the 30mph speed limit. Of course I had to take their word for it, as I was unconscious after the incident.

they just took a left without even looking to see if anyone was coming, this ship deliberatly 'pulled out in front of them' to use car-speak.

[One_Life_To_Give]

57. Not enough evidence to prove who is at fault

While the Greenpeace video shows that Artic Warrior is in Nishin Maru's danger zone. Making her the Stand-On vessel. Additionally it would appeare from the video the Arctic Warrior was being overtaken. While this would appear to make Arctic Warrior the victim. I didn't see enough detailed evidence about how the vessels came to be in such close proximity and what actions were taken to avoid collision long before the vessels were this close. I didn't get a good enough view of the Nishin Maru to see if she had hoisted any RAM nor can we see if there were other vessels on her port side. I doubt anyone has a recording of the radar plots leading up to and including the collision. From what I have heard an Admiralty Court would probably find both vessels to be at fault for this collision.

[joefree1]

10. More ships, more actions, stop the war on the earth

Actions like this make the Japanese Whalers look cruel and greedy (which they are).

[DRoseDARs]

12. The rubber dingy attacked the big metal boat? Yeah, and the Pope can fly.

Bloody Hell, what were the Japanese whalers thinking in coming up with that defense? Pathetic desperation to explain away their actions. :thumbsdown:

[Name removed]

21. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[sweetheart]

15. "killing the giant mammals was the only effective way to study them."

This fallacy is still behind physiology and too many biological sciences to
be funny.

The biology of a living organism is different than that of a dead one.
http://www.bartleby.com/107/183.html
http://education.yahoo.com/reference/gray/subjects/subject?id=183

On each of the preceding links, you'll find a "node of ranvier"

In early 20th century neruology, they presumed wrongly that the node fires
"1 and 0" like a binary system. Why, because they never studied living tissue.

The node of ranvier turns to fire different distribution signals at different
incoming voltage levels. This would turn the brain in to a complex, switching
system varying based on living impulses. (reality).

But likely you yourself were taught in biology that the nervous signal fired like
an electrical wire all the way to your brain without disconnection or variable
routing nodes... an axon to the brain...

But when we only study dead tissue, we do not realize its complexity, and
the node of ranvier can be studied by future knowledge archeologists as an
example of systemic misunderstanding based on studying dead subjects.

What a failure for science to study dead animals to exemplify living ones,
as if there were some "normal set" out there of these dead creatures to
benchmark against.

But, within that 1 statement comes the fallacy of modernity, that scientific frames
are removed from their context for the sake of convenience, and in that process,
the ultimate deception of true knowledge.

[MasonJar]

16. The Japanese are despicable for doing this against international

law, but what about our own Navy, which knows full well the danger its sonar presents to these endangered mammals. Do they care? Do they go directly to whale and porpoise habitats? No and then yes. Man is unabashedly the cruellest animal alive.

[flvegan]

17. Both Greenpeace and Sea Shepherd have been chasing these

whalers for the past two weeks. While I love Greenpeace for how they're doing things, I look forward to Capt. Paul Watson and The Farley Mowat to get a good bearing on one of the whalers. Sometimes the law has to be upheld, and "ramming speed" isn't just a phrase to them.

[Barrett808]

18. Sea Shepherd and Greenpeace updates:

http://seashepherd.org/whales/blog/whales_blog_001.html
http://seashepherd.org/news.html

http://weblog.greenpeace.org/
http://oceans.greenpeace.org/en/the-expedition/news

[Bosun]

19. terrorists

Watson and his ilk are nothing but terrorist scum as can be seen from such acts as the sinking of the "Nybræna" and the "Senet" as well as other ships.

[LeftyMom]

20. oh boy

:popcorn:

[Straight Shooter]

24. "terrorist scum"

Yeah, we all live in mortal fear of those who try to protect whales. :eyes:

[Name removed]

25. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[NFL80]

33. Yes. Shut this poster up. Tombstone him NOW!!!

If you do not agree with the majority of posters, your right to free speech will be disabled. Screw the First Amendment. To hell with the constitution, it is only a g'damned piece of paper.

[LeftyMom]

34. The first amendment prevents congress from passing laws restricting speech

It does not protect the non-existent right to spew pro-whaling talking points on a privately held political message board and for that matter the poster in question is supposedly in Norway so he has no first amendment rights.

Take a civics class and get back to us. :eyes:

[Shakespeare]

48. Perhaps you should avail yourself of the DU rules for posting.

This is not a first amendment zone, and no, rightwing viewpoints are not welcome here. Have a lovely day.

[saigon68]

54. Adios

Vaya Con Dios

[flvegan]

26. From Norway, huh?

Well, you and your whale-killing ilk just keep on doing what you do.

I hope to Goddess that you and I will meet one day on different terms. You whale, I defend.

We'll see who comes out on top...

[flvegan]

31. Terrorists are those that defy the law and inflict destruction

upon those unable to defend themselves.

Wear that badge with the honor you deem fit, Bosun.

Watson and "his ilk" are heroes sending the ships of your whaling ilk to the bottom of the briny sea.

Oh, and, um...get used to it.

[flvegan]

32. Those crickets must be deafening by now, poster.

That's all I'm hearing, anyway.

[Endangered Specie]

23. If they are dumb enough to try to stop a ship numerous times in size...

well, I suspect one day Darwin will come knocking.

[flvegan]

28. "They...dumb...?"

I'm intrigued as to your intent...

[Endangered Specie]

36. It sounds fishy...

seems like they were trying to stop a very large ship with a small boat. Somehow that makes me think some screws were loose. :shrug:

[LeftyMom]

37. It's gutsy

but taking big risks for the right cause is worth it to some people.

[depakid]

39. Guess they might link up with Sea Shepards-

though that would have an adverse effect on their philosophy of non-violent action....

[Barrett808]

38. Update: Damage Control

Damage Control
by Lally, onboard the Arctic Sunrise

Following today's ramming of the Arctic Sunrise by the Nisshin Maru the entire whaling fleet headed off over the horizon with the Esperanza following close behind. Meanwhile, onboard the Arctic Sunrise the focus of the day swung to damage limitation. From my layman's point of view our mast was sitting at a funny angle, there is a big dent in our bow and the steel has been torn as if it were paper.

Immediately after impact our team of highly skilled engineers rushed to the scene to assess the situation and begun working to make everything safe. Onboard we have a fully equipped mechanics and metal workshop and its contents soon arrived on deck. Grinders, welders, wire brushes, wrenches and lots of things I have never seen before were being put to use and huge chunks of steel that took three people to lift were taken from on top of the containers in the hold and carried to the bow. I had always wondered what they were for but I guess now I know.

For the next four hours the engineers and deck crew worked tirelessly in the freezing sea spray and Antarctic wind to make our mast safe and secure while the ship moved at near full speed after the Whaling fleet. Sparks were literally flying as various metal supports were welded between the mast and deck. Thick metal wires have also been added to support it on either side as a safeguard against the storms we will undoubtedly face in the future.

Dave the Chief Engineer and Penny the 2nd Engineer filled me in on what has been going on:
"Due to the inherent strength of this vessel, it being of icebreaker class, bow damage was limited to well above the water line. The deck was crumpled for the first two hull frames - around 60cms. Engineers immediately investigated for flooding and to see if there was any other damage. Temporary stays were immediately rigged by engineers and deck crew to secure and support the foremast and later they rigged more stays and welded steel supports to the badly damaged and bent mast in case of future bad weather."

(more)

http://weblog.greenpeace.org/oceandefenders/archive/2006/01/damage_control.html#003630

[Matilda]

40. The Japanese are claiming that Greenpeace rammed the Nisshin Maru

but this video link gives the lie to that:

http://media.smh.com.au/?rid=17816&sy=smh&source=smh.com.au%2F&t=38BJIP&player=wm7&rate=2357&flash=1&ie=1

Also, at the time Shane Rattenbury of the Arctic Sunrise was talking
by phone to a Sydney Morning Herald reporter, who heard the whole
incident as it happened.

I don't give a flying fuck about cultural diversity - the Japanese are
lying, as we all know, about their reasons for killing whales, and it's
time they came out of the dark ages.

I refuse to eat Japanese food because of what they do, and I wish more
people would boycott it.

[xchrom]

42. stop the barbaric act of whaling and this

will stop.

[Matilda]

43. Japan has now brought enough small countries

dependent on its aid into the International Whaling Commission, to
carry a motion to dispense with the moratorium on whaling and return
to open slather once again.

The countries who favour retaining the moratorium knew this was coming,
and it's hard to understand why they didn't move to ban any country
that isn't directly involved. Some of the African countries brought
in by Japan, and who will vote as they're told to, don't even have a
coastline.

It's vote-buying pure and simple.

[xchrom]

44. yes -- i'm aware of this -- and it's garbage!

and i don't believe in just punishing japan for this -- the western countries -- not unlike our current bushista era that we live in -- have allowed this crap to happen and consequently deserve our ire.

p.s. it's amazing isn't it -- how the folks in charge have silently aided japan in it's goals while fucking the feelings of it's citizens over?

[wordpix]

55. stop whaling NOW! Thanks, Greenpeace and Sea Shepherd

[Barrett808]

46. Update: Tons of 'science' packaged up and ready to go

Tons of 'science' packaged up and ready to go
9 January 2006
by Andrew, onboard the Esperanza

Right before it circled around and rammed our ship, the Nisshin Maru was tied up to a combination tanker/freezer ship called the Oriental Bluebird - transferring boxes labelled "kujira" to their hold. It's hard to estimate how many tons of meat there was, but safe to say it will bring in quite a lot of cash. Past hunts have brought in an annual income of more than $50 million (US) - and this season they have more than doubled their quota.

The whaler's so called "science" has been strongly criticized by legitimate whale researchers, and the International Whaling Commission has repeatedly said it does not need the data produced by the whalers. So why do they really do it? The sheer amount of meat being taken back for sale makes it clear that, as we have said all along, this is in fact a commercial whale hunt.

http://weblog.greenpeace.org/oceandefenders/archive/2006/01/tons_of_science.html

[Barrett808]

49. NZ Herald: Japan may use 'military' on Greenpeace

Japan may use 'military' on Greenpeace
11.01.06
By Ainsley Thomson

Japan has warned it may send armed aircraft to defend its whaling ships in the Southern Ocean if clashes with protest boats escalate.

The whaling nation also says it may ask Australia to take action against protesters.

The increasingly tense conflict prompted a Green Party call last night for New Zealand to send a frigate to Antarctica in a monitoring role - an option the Government quickly ruled out.

The confrontation with the whalers intensified yesterday, with conservation group Sea Shepherd threatening to ram and disable the Japanese whaling fleet.

(more)

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=1&ObjectID=10363188

[Judi Lynn]

51. 20 Years On and Whales are Under Threat Again: Japan, Norway, Iceland

20 Years On and Whales are Under Threat Again: Japan, Norway, Iceland
by Michael McCarthy
January 10, 2006

~snip~
Dust down the slogan, it's needed once again: Save The Whale. Twenty years on from the introduction of the international whaling moratorium that was supposed to protect them, the great whales face renewed and mortal dangers in 2006.

A double threat is looming for the world's largest mammals, many of them endangered species, in the coming year.

In the biggest whale slaughter for a generation, more than 2,000 animals are likely to be directly hunted by the three countries continuing whaling in defiance of world opinion, Japan, Norway and Iceland. And in a crucial political move, this year the pro-whaling nations look likely to achieve their first majority of votes in whaling's regulatory body, the International Whaling Commission (IWC).

The first development will be brutal, bloody and shocking to many people who might be under the impression that whaling is a thing of the past. But the second may be even more significant for whale welfare in the long term, for it would pave the way for an eventual resumption of commercial whaling, which the 1986 moratorium put on indefinite hold.
(snip/...)

http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=17&ItemID=9500

[Barrett808]

52. Japanese fight back (post video of Arctic Sunrise collision)

Japanese fight back
By LARISSA CUMMINGS
January 12, 2006

JAPANESE whaling crews yesterday hit back in the propaganda war over the marine mammals by releasing video footage they claim shows a Greenpeace vessel deliberately steering into their path before the two ships collided.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Video released by The Japanese Institute of Cetacean Research: http://www.icrwhale.org/eng/GPAS1.mpg
Video released by Greenpeace:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

At least two crew members of the Japanese Institute of Cetacean Research (ICR) vessel Nisshin-Maru filmed the collision in the Southern Ocean last Sunday and the footage has been posted on the institute's website.

The Japanese say the video contradicts claims by Greenpeace protesters that the Japanese vessel purposely rammed their ship the Arctic Sunrise.

A statement accompanying the footage claims Greenpeace "had plenty of time to avoid a collision and instead turned their vessel hard to port to deliberately ram the Japanese research vessel."

(more)

http://dailytelegraph.news.com.au/story/0,20281,17791818-5001021,00.html

[fleabert]

58. looks like the Japanese ship was at fault to me...

if GP had be trying to ram their boat, wouldn't they have turned after the collision with much more force? Looks like the the whaling ship very deliberately sideswiped the bow of the GP ship, imo.

[Barrett808]

62. No evidence Japan has asked Dutch authorities to intervene

Latest addition of sick & sad news: The Japanese have now OFFICIALLY DEMANDED THE DUTCH GOVERNMENT TO STOP GREENPEACE, given that the Sunrise sails under dutch flag. Again the Japanese are using the word piracy in their statement, and accusing Greenpeace of dangerous behaviour. Right... And to top it off all the newssites mentioning this latest development are leaving it in the middle who caused the accident. Those sloppy journalists do not even bother to do some research on the true events.

Just be assured, that if anyone of our disgustingly environmentally ignorant government would only give a hint towards obeying, than the heat is on.... We will be on the barricades! You fight your peaceful fight, we will fight ours in support.
Take care!

RESPONSE FROM MIKE, GREENPEACE MEDIA OFFICER:

Dear all

We have made further inquiries about the Fisheries Agency of Japan making formal contact with the Dutch Government, as the Arctic Sunrise is Dutch registered, and asking them to stop Greenpeace.

No such communication has been made. The Dutch government have no document or communication of any description from Japan on this subject.

So complaints from the Fisheries Agency of Japan to the Dutch authorities are about as illusive as peer-reviewed publications from the Institute for Cetacean Research :)

mike

http://weblog.greenpeace.org/oceandefenders/archive/2006/01/outraged_take_a.html#comments

[wordpix]

53. first Japan says it's research, then says, we eat the whales. LIARS

[Barrett808]

60. Japanese set up collision, says expert

Japanese set up collision, says expert
12.01.06
By Ainsley Thomson and Wayne Thompson

Japan has accused Greenpeace of ramming its whaling ship in the Southern Ocean and then selectively editing video coverage of the collision for the world's media.

But a maritime law expert believes the video footage shows the Japanese set up the collision - which has led to an escalating diplomatic row between Japan, New Zealand and Australia - so they could blame it on the protesters.

Japan's Institute of Cetacean Research director-general Hiroshi Hatanaka said video taken from the Nisshin Maru showed the Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise could have avoided the collision on Sunday but instead turned hard to port.

"The skipper turned the boat into the path of the Nisshin Maru and rammed us at our weakest point," he said.

"It was a deliberate action to get media coverage."

However, Australian maritime law expert Dr Eric Wilson, of Monash University, Melbourne, said the Arctic Sunrise was set up for the collision by the clever skipper of the Nisshin Maru. "By executing a 360-degree turn at exactly the moment he did, he created a situation where the Greenpeace vessel could not but strike the Japanese vessel.

(more)

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=2&ObjectID=10363349

[rinsd]

61. Apparently all is fair in love and war......

...you can't debate a tactic when it is endorsed and performed by both sides.