Bob Barker Confiscates Gill Net, Engages Whalers In the Southern Ocean today, at approximately 1200 (AEST), the Sea Shepherd vessel M/ Y Bob Barker encountered the Yushin Maru 3 , an illegal Japanese whale killing ship. The Yushin Maru 3 is the same vessel that intentionally rammed into the Bob Barker 19 days ago as the Sea Shepherd ship found the Japanese fleet for the second time and reinitiated the blockade of the Nisshan Maru —which functions as Japan’s illegal water-borne whale slaughterhouse. For nearly three weeks now, Sea Shepherd has halted the Japanese whale slaughter, which Japanese politicians and publicists claim is for research purposes despite the fact that the data collected is of no value to any independent scientific body. Bob Barker picking up netting This is the first time in many days that Sea Shepherd activists have seen any ship in the illegal fleet other than the Nisshin Maru —and they were quick to take action. As the Bob Barker gave chase, they deployed a small inflatable boat which caught up with the Yushin Maru 3 and despite the whale killers’ use of water cannons and maneuvers through ice flows to try to discourage the five brave activists in the small boat, many stink bombs (made with rotten butter) successfully landed on the decks of the Yushin Maru 3.
Bob Barker Rammed by Illegal Whaler At 1209 PM Fremantle, Australia time, the Yushin Maru 3 intentionally rammed the Sea Shepherd ship Bob Barker , penetrating it’s hull and endangering the lives of it¹s crew. The collision occurred at 65 degrees 21 South, 67 degrees 58 East, about 180 miles off Cape Darnley in the Australian Antarctic Territory
Sea Shepherd Turns the Tables on the Whalers The Pursued are Now Once Again - the Pursuers The Japanese are again in pursuit of the Steve Irwin but this time they are far behind the Sea Shepherd crew and unable to relay our position to the main body of whale poachers with the Japanese whaling fleet. The Japanese whaling fleet security ship does not know where the Steve Irwin is, but thanks to a group of dedicated whale defenders from Tasmania calling themselves the “Taz Patrol,” we know where the Japanese ship is.
