Sea Shepherd & Japanese Whalers Involved in 4-Vessel Collision

Activist group Sea Shepherd has alleged that a ship from Japan’s whaling fleet has deliberately collided with two of its vessels today in Antarctic waters. On the other side, Japan's Fisheries Agency claimed that the anti-whalers were responsible for the collisions.

Sea Shepherd founder, Paul Watson, detailed that as he was aboard the SSS Steve Irwin when the Nisshin Maru rammed into it, along with the SSS Bob Barker and a refueling tanker. The Japanese whaler was apparently trying to move the other vessels aside to reach the refueling tanker – which they accidently hit as well.

The involvement of the tanker in this incident could have made it more dangerous.

The San Francisco Chronicle reported that Japan's Fisheries Agency blamed the Sea Shepherd ships, saying they had taken the offensive and had hit the Nisshin Maru at least four times during refueling despite verbal warnings. The Nisshin Maru's bow was dented and a handrail was damaged.

Sea Shepherd crewmembers stated that the Bob Barker sustained the most damage in their fleet from the clash. Initially, a distress call was dispatched to Australian maritime authorities after the ship lost power and began taking on water, but the crew eventually got the situation under control.

Luckily, there were no injuries reported from either side.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority said they were aware of the reports, but weren't involved in any active search-and-rescue operations. The Australian Environment Ministry is seeking additional details about the incident.