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Whale Wars: Boat Sliced in Two in Antarctic Clash
Fox News ^ | January 6, 2010 | AP

Posted on 01/06/2010 9:09:19 AM PST by jazusamo

A conservation group's boat had its bow sheared off and was in danger of sinking as it took on water Wednesday after it was struck by a Japanese whaling ship in the frigid waters of Antarctica, the group said.

The boat's six crew members were safely transferred to another of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society's vessels, the newly commissioned Bob Barker. The boat is named for the American game show host who donated $5 million to buy it.

The clash was the most serious in the past several years, during which the Sea Shepherd has sent vessels into far-southern waters to try to harass the Japanese fleet into ceasing its annual whale hunt.

Clashes using hand-thrown stink bombs, ropes meant to tangle propellers and high-tech sound equipment have been common in recent years, and crashes between ships have sometimes occurred.

The society said its vessel Ady Gil — a high-tech speedboat that resembles a stealth bomber — was hit by the Japanese ship the Shonan Maru near Commonwealth Bay and had about 10 feet (three meters) of its bow knocked off.

Locky Maclean, the first mate of the society's lead ship, said one crewman from New Zealand appeared to have suffered two cracked ribs, but the others were uninjured. The crew members were safely transferred to the group's third vessel, though the Ady Gil's captain remained on board to see what could be salvaged, he said.

"The original prognostic was that it was sinking, but at this point it is flooded with water but it seems to still have a bit of buoyancy," Maclean told The Associated Press by satellite phone from the ship, the Steve Irwin.

The group accused the Japanese ship of deliberately ramming the Ady Gil.

(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News
KEYWORDS: adygil; antarctic; antarcticseashepard; japan; seashepard; whalingwars
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To: jazusamo
Two questions: (1) Was a Kennedy captaining the speed boat? (2) Was the speed boat flying this: If no to question 2, the whaler had right away
41 posted on 01/06/2010 9:49:34 AM PST by sticker
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To: faucetman

looks to me like the pirates were trying to foul the prop of the whaler. (coils of line and floats on the rear deck of the pirate boat, which was trying to cross the path of the whaler)

Dead in the water in tha antarctic among the icebergs is easily fatal for ship and crew.


42 posted on 01/06/2010 9:49:47 AM PST by lack-of-trust
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To: All

Have to love the mind of the radical enviro-wackos. Step on a turtle egg or kill a whale and you should get the death penalty. Kill a baby in the womb and the liberal....it’s a choice. I have actually heard that Sierra Club idiot in a unguarded moment of candor..say “Well people are not endangered..” I think we heard that before in 1930’s Germany. Liberals love animals cause they basically do what they are told, don’t talk back and don’t dispute their moronic ideas, like a living doll.


43 posted on 01/06/2010 9:50:38 AM PST by pburgh01
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To: DieHard the Hunter

Is anyone else confused by DieHard the Hunter being against...hunters?


44 posted on 01/06/2010 9:56:19 AM PST by gnickgnack2 (QUESTION obama's AUTHORITY)
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To: DieHard the Hunter
To heck with all self-righteous enviromental terrorists AND Bob Barker.

Geesh.

The man was a game show host for which he ought to have been lucky to retire to a condo in Florida-it is not like he did anything such as life saving surgeries,rescued people from burning building,etc.,p>Our society pays photogenic boobs way too much and then has to suffer their public pronouncements and pushy opinions on how the rest of us should live.

45 posted on 01/06/2010 9:58:23 AM PST by hoosierham (Waddaya mean Freedom isn't free ?;will you take a credit card?)
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To: gnickgnack2
> Is anyone else confused by DieHard the Hunter being against...hunters?poachers?

There, that ought to clear up your confusion for ya.

46 posted on 01/06/2010 10:03:05 AM PST by DieHard the Hunter (Is mise an ceann-cinnidh. Cha ghéill mi do dhuine. Fàg am bealach.)
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To: jazusamo

Just the idea of challenging a ship when basically you are in a row boat is nuts? What is it that makes them even think they have a chance doing this? One of these days the boat is gong to sink and they will die doing these idiot things.


47 posted on 01/06/2010 10:05:14 AM PST by chris_bdba
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To: aMorePerfectUnion

> The SS are not a judge and jury and warden. They are
interfering outside the law.

I don’t particularly like the idea of extra-judicial interference, either. However, the Japanese are not abiding by the provisions that would permit some limited whaling for *scientific* purposes only: they are doing full-on whaling — which is contrary to the Convention.

What the Japanese are doing is wrong, and I am pleased with the Sea Shepherd Society for holding them to account.

Just because it is edible and it is there doesn’t mean that it should be available in unlimited quantities for Japanese consumption.


48 posted on 01/06/2010 10:07:15 AM PST by DieHard the Hunter (Is mise an ceann-cinnidh. Cha ghéill mi do dhuine. Fàg am bealach.)
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To: LonePalm

> Isn’t the purpose of a shepherd to preserve a flock so that the animals can eventually be harvested for human use?

Sometimes. Just as often the shepherd preserves the flock from hostile animals like wolves, so that the flock can be sheared.

> The Japanese are the harvesters here.

In this case, the Japanese are the wolves here.

I won’t often side with Environmentalists, but in this case I will. The Japanses have no business whaling in the Antarctic Ocean. They are poachers.


49 posted on 01/06/2010 10:15:44 AM PST by DieHard the Hunter (Is mise an ceann-cinnidh. Cha ghéill mi do dhuine. Fàg am bealach.)
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To: lack-of-trust
FREEPERS are Psychic!

Thank you. Though generally it's common courtesy to ping who you quote. :) Didn't realize there was a new thread on the topic, but I think my ears were burning so decided to hunt. :) And all things considered, the Bob Barker was in a perfect position across the path of the Japanese ship, it was broad daylight - whereas the intention was to use the Ady Gil as a 'stealth' ship, even painting the hull a supposedly radar absorbing black, and it was during a time of relatively clear skies.

I'd like to have my winnings applied to the Freepathon, plz.

50 posted on 01/06/2010 10:21:34 AM PST by kingu (Favorite Sticker: Lost hope, and Obama took my change.)
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To: DieHard the Hunter
They have no business in the Antarctic.

Wrong my friend. Freedom of the seas has a tradition about a thousand years old on our planet. Anyone interfering in this manner is legally classified as a pirate and in a rational world would be shot on sight.

Unless of course you're willing to allow say the Somali pirates to determine when and where NZ flagged shipping can and cannot go.

In this case, it is the Japanese who are the criminals.

Where are the Indictments? When do the trials begin? Or are you countenancing vigilante justice?

51 posted on 01/06/2010 10:26:53 AM PST by Lurker (The avalanche has begun. The pebbles no longer have a vote.)
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To: jazusamo

This story has been posted at least three times, and IT GETS FUNNIER EVERY FREAKING TIME!


52 posted on 01/06/2010 10:27:10 AM PST by Slings and Arrows (HALP UZ AL GOR. PLEEZ SEND GLOBUL WARMING.)
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To: DieHard the Hunter

Thank you Japanese fishermen! Please go home via the Somalia coastline. Our pussy gubmints won’t take those little b’rds out but your on top of what’s on a lot of our minds and I applaud you.


53 posted on 01/06/2010 10:27:47 AM PST by yorkie01
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To: Slings and Arrows
Youtube view from Bob Barker, convienantly right in front of the Japanese ship before the collision...

And the view from the Japanese ship where you can hear the audio of the sonic defenses.

In both videos you can see a small rooster tail appear from the back of the Ayd Gil moments before impact, either to ram, or to avoid collision... Oh, and more updates in this thread where we find out the Ady Gil is not sinking, but has taken on quite a bit of water.

54 posted on 01/06/2010 10:33:32 AM PST by kingu (Favorite Sticker: Lost hope, and Obama took my change.)
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To: Slings and Arrows

Even better is the picture of the damaged boat that wasn’t flying a flag. They did have the Jolly Roger painted on the hull side.

Under Admiralty law, they are pirates.


55 posted on 01/06/2010 10:36:01 AM PST by Azeem (The world will look up and shout "Save us!"... And I'll whisper "No.")
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To: sticker
I'm surprised that the Japanese weren't flying (You are running into danger.).

It would not surprise me if the enviro-weenies had (Man Overboard) at the dip (preparatory).

Garde la Foi, mes amis! Nous nous sommes les sauveurs de la République! Maintenant et Toujours!
(Keep the Faith, my friends! We are the saviors of the Republic! Now and Forever!)

LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)

56 posted on 01/06/2010 10:37:46 AM PST by LonePalm (Commander and Chef)
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To: Slings and Arrows

Yep, I did a title search and a couple keyword searches and nothing came up. I was pretty sure it had been posted but like you say, it’s kinda funny and I couldn’t pass it up.

Watson’s group has been asking for this for some time and they’re lucky it didn’t turn out worse.


57 posted on 01/06/2010 10:38:39 AM PST by jazusamo (But there really is no free lunch, except in the world of political rhetoric,.: Thomas Sowell)
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To: DieHard the Hunter

“The Japanses have no business whaling in the Antarctic Ocean. They are poachers.”

And poaching is nothing new to Japanese fishing boats in general.
There’s not really a good guy in this fight.


58 posted on 01/06/2010 10:40:33 AM PST by moehoward
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To: jazusamo
The ship has the "right of steerage," although in the vernacular it is known as the "right of weight."
59 posted on 01/06/2010 10:40:39 AM PST by Carry_Okie (The Democrats were the Slave Party then; they are the Slave Party now.)
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To: Carry_Okie

“RAMMING SPEEEEEED!!!!!”


60 posted on 01/06/2010 10:41:30 AM PST by dfwgator
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