Anti-whaling activists accuse Japan fleet of attack

Anti-whaling activists have accused a Japanese vessel of ramming their high-tech speed boat during a confrontation in the Southern Ocean.

Video of the incident appeared to show the Japanese ship severely damaging the Ady Gil, but all six crew were rescued.

Earlier the campaigners - who are trying to stop Japan's whaling fleet - said they threw chemicals onto the whaling boat to prevent it being used.

The whalers said the activists tried to tangle their propeller with a rope.

'Whale war'

In recent years the two sides have regularly confronted each other in the waters around the Antarctic.

THE LEGALITIES OF WHALING Objection - A country formally objects to the IWC moratorium, declaring itself exempt. Example: Norway Scientific - A nation issues unilateral 'scientific permits'; any IWC member can do this. Example: Japan Aboriginal - IWC grants permits to indigenous groups for subsistence food. Example: Alaskan Inupiat

Sea Shepherd spokesman Paul Watson said the incident had turned the confrontations between the whalers and the activists into a "real whale war".

A statement on the Sea Shepherd website said a Japanese vessel that was accompanying the Nisshin Maru whaler "deliberately rammed" the Ady Gil, a high-tech speed boat that resembles a stealth bomber, shearing off its bow.

The crew of the Ady Gil, five from New Zealander and one from the Netherlands, were picked up unharmed by nearby Sea Shepherd vessel Bob Barker near Commonwealth Bay.

"The Ady Gil is believed to be sinking and chances of salvage are very grim," the Sea Shepherd statement said.

A video apparently shot from on board the Japanese vessel showed the two ships smashing into each other at speed.

The Ady Gil was swamped by waves, its nose was torn off and damage could be seen to its side.

Japan's Institute of Cetacean Research (ICR), which administers the hunt, accused Sea Shepherd of using the Ady Gil to attack its vessels.

They alleged the trimaran speedboat came dangerously close to the Nisshin Maru, trying to entangle its rudder and propeller with a rope and launching stink bombs at the vessel.

"The Sea Shepherd extremism is becoming more violent... Their actions are nothing but felonious behaviour," the (ICR) said in a statement.

Japan's fisheries agency said it was the fourth time this season that the anti-whaling activists had interfered with the whaling fleet's operations, Kyodo news agency reported.

The Sea Shepherd group sends boats to Antarctic waters each year aiming to disrupt the Japanese hunt.

Japan abandoned commercial whaling in 1986 after agreeing to a global moratorium; but international rules allow it to continue hunting under the auspices of a research programme.

Conservationists say the whaling is a cover for the sale and consumption of whale meat. Current Japanese programmes aim for a total catch of more than 1,000 whales per year.

THE ADY GIL The Ady Gil, formerly Earthrace, was designed for a successful round-the-world speed powerboat record attempt in 2008. It was acquired by Sea Shepherd last year and renamed after a Hollywood businessman benefactor. 1. The hull is described as a wave-piercing trimaran. It is made out of carbon fibre with a foam core, but has had Kevlar armour added to defend against ice. It is capable of submarining up to 7m (23ft) underwater. 2. Much of the helm was originally modelled on a racing car. It was fitted with racing-style seats and a carbon steering wheel. Its windscreen is 17mm laminated toughened glass. 3. Power comes from two 540 hp engines, and the boat can reach speeds of more than 40 knots (75km/h). It runs on biodiesel fuel and has a range of between 2,000 (2,700km) and 13,000 nautical miles depending on speed. 4. The 14-tonne vessel's distinctive horns act as ducts to channel hot air from the engines and suck in cool air. The interior has space for six beds. Sources: Sea Shepherd, Earthrace, Craig Loomes Design Group

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