Sea Shepherd Has the Japanese Whaling Fleet on the Run

At 2345 G.M.T. the Steve Irwin intercepted the Japanese harpoon vessel Yushin Maru
#2 inside the Australian Antarctic Economic Exclusion Zone at 64°26 South and 132°
40' East.

The encounter took place in dense fog and in dangerous ice conditions. The Steve
Irwin launched a Delta boat with a crew to attack the Yushin Maru #2 with rotten
butter bombs. Unfortunately the wind increased to fifty knots with blizzard
conditions. Captain Paul Watson called the small boat crew back for safety reasons
when they were halfway to their target some three miles away.

The Yushin Maru #2 then headed due North to lead the Steve Irwin away from the
whaling fleet. The decoy did not work. The Steve Irwin is now in pursuit of the
whaling fleet.

They have ceased whaling operations and they are now running from the Sea Shepherd
crew.

The Yushin Maru #2 was the same vessel that the Steve Irwin crew boarded in January
2007. This year the crew observed that the Yushin Maru #2 has set up large netting
to be run along the side of the ship to prevent boarding parties from going over the
side. When the whalers realized that the Steve Irwin was onto them, they immediately
ran on deck to deploy the netting.

"It looks like Whale Wars, season #2 is officially underway," said Captain Paul
Watson. "We've got them on the run. They are not in the Ross Sea where they said
they would be. They are in Australian waters. The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society
is officially calling on Australian Environment Minister Peter Garrett and Foreign
Minister Stephen Smith to order the Japanese fleet to comply with the orders of the
Australian Federal Court and to cease and desist from killing to whales in
Australian waters."



Fri, December 19, 2008 7:49 pm - END