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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
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| Activist ship and whalers collide | Activist ship and whalers collide |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| The Sea Shepherd activists' anti-whaling ship, the Steve Irwin, has collided with Japan's Yushin Maru 2 harpoon vessel in Antarctic waters. | The Sea Shepherd activists' anti-whaling ship, the Steve Irwin, has collided with Japan's Yushin Maru 2 harpoon vessel in Antarctic waters. |
| Japan condemned the collision as an "unforgiveable act of violence". The activists said it had been unavoidable. | Japan condemned the collision as an "unforgiveable act of violence". The activists said it had been unavoidable. |
| Damage occurred to the ship's railing but no injuries have been reported. | Damage occurred to the ship's railing but no injuries have been reported. |
| The radical anti-whaling group has been pursuing the Japanese whalers since December and confrontations have increased in recent days. | The radical anti-whaling group has been pursuing the Japanese whalers since December and confrontations have increased in recent days. |
| Japan is allowed by the International Whaling Commission to harvest 935 minke whales and 50 fin whales this season for research purposes. | Japan is allowed by the International Whaling Commission to harvest 935 minke whales and 50 fin whales this season for research purposes. |
| Activists say Japan kills the whales for commerce, not science. | Activists say Japan kills the whales for commerce, not science. |
| Collision | Collision |
| Paul Watson, captain of the Steve Irwin, said his crew was trying to block the transfer of a dead whale from the harpoon vessel to the whalers' factory ship, the Nisshin Maru. | Paul Watson, captain of the Steve Irwin, said his crew was trying to block the transfer of a dead whale from the harpoon vessel to the whalers' factory ship, the Nisshin Maru. |
| It is an act of violence and it is unforgiveable Shigeki TakayaJapanese fisheries ministry "We were in the process of blocking the transfer from the Yushin Maru 2 when the Yushin Maru 1 moved directly in front of the bow to block us," Mr Watson said in a statement. | It is an act of violence and it is unforgiveable Shigeki TakayaJapanese fisheries ministry "We were in the process of blocking the transfer from the Yushin Maru 2 when the Yushin Maru 1 moved directly in front of the bow to block us," Mr Watson said in a statement. |
| "I could not turn to starboard without hitting the Yushin Maru 1. I tried to back down but the movement of the Yushin Maru 2 made the collision unavoidable," he said. | "I could not turn to starboard without hitting the Yushin Maru 1. I tried to back down but the movement of the Yushin Maru 2 made the collision unavoidable," he said. |
| "It is an act of violence and it is unforgiveable," said Shigeki Takaya, an assistant director of the Far Seas Fisheries Division at Japan's fisheries ministry. | "It is an act of violence and it is unforgiveable," said Shigeki Takaya, an assistant director of the Far Seas Fisheries Division at Japan's fisheries ministry. |
| "We will ask concerning countries, including Australia, to immediately stop them from carrying out such horrendous acts," he said. | "We will ask concerning countries, including Australia, to immediately stop them from carrying out such horrendous acts," he said. |
| Chiharu Tsuruoka, a Japanese foreign ministry official, noted that the Steve Irwin is a Dutch-registered ship. | Chiharu Tsuruoka, a Japanese foreign ministry official, noted that the Steve Irwin is a Dutch-registered ship. |
| "We have repeatedly asked the Dutch government to stop them from harassing us, but so far it's been so unsuccessful," Mr Tsuruoka said. | "We have repeatedly asked the Dutch government to stop them from harassing us, but so far it's been so unsuccessful," Mr Tsuruoka said. |
| Chaos and friction | Chaos and friction |
| The incident caps several days of increasing friction between the activists and the whalers. | The incident caps several days of increasing friction between the activists and the whalers. |
| On 6 February, two protesters said they had been injured in the Antarctic after they clashed with Japanese whalers, but a whaling official said the ship's crew only used water cannon in self-defence. | On 6 February, two protesters said they had been injured in the Antarctic after they clashed with Japanese whalers, but a whaling official said the ship's crew only used water cannon in self-defence. |
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| Japanese whalers fire water cannon at conservationists | Japanese whalers fire water cannon at conservationists |
| Japanese officials said the Sea Shepherd group had been throwing bottles of butyric acid, a product of rancid butter, at the Japanese ships. | Japanese officials said the Sea Shepherd group had been throwing bottles of butyric acid, a product of rancid butter, at the Japanese ships. |
| Mr Watson said the Japanese had responded by blasting his crew with a water cannon, hunks of metal and a "military grade" noise weapon that can cause deafness and vomiting. | Mr Watson said the Japanese had responded by blasting his crew with a water cannon, hunks of metal and a "military grade" noise weapon that can cause deafness and vomiting. |
| He said several of his crew have experienced headaches from the noise device. | He said several of his crew have experienced headaches from the noise device. |
| "The situation down here is getting very, very chaotic and very aggressive," Mr Watson told the Associated Press news agency, speaking by satellite phone from the boat. | "The situation down here is getting very, very chaotic and very aggressive," Mr Watson told the Associated Press news agency, speaking by satellite phone from the boat. |
| The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society has been blamed for collisions with the Japanese Antarctic whaling fleet in recent years, as well as high-seas boardings and stink bomb attacks. | The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society has been blamed for collisions with the Japanese Antarctic whaling fleet in recent years, as well as high-seas boardings and stink bomb attacks. |
| Japan says it kills whales for research, but critics say the goal is consumption | Japan says it kills whales for research, but critics say the goal is consumption |
| Both the Australian and New Zealand governments oppose the Japanese whale hunt, but have called on whalers and anti-whalers to remain peaceful in the dangerous Southern Ocean. | Both the Australian and New Zealand governments oppose the Japanese whale hunt, but have called on whalers and anti-whalers to remain peaceful in the dangerous Southern Ocean. |
| Although Japan officially stopped whaling under a 1986 global moratorium, it continues to take hundreds of whales under a loophole allowing whaling for research purposes. | Although Japan officially stopped whaling under a 1986 global moratorium, it continues to take hundreds of whales under a loophole allowing whaling for research purposes. |
| Much of the meat ends up on supermarket shelves and dinner tables. | Much of the meat ends up on supermarket shelves and dinner tables. |
| Protesters set off from Australia in early December, chasing the whaling fleet for about 3,200 km (2,000 miles) before stopping two weeks ago in Tasmania to refuel. | Protesters set off from Australia in early December, chasing the whaling fleet for about 3,200 km (2,000 miles) before stopping two weeks ago in Tasmania to refuel. |
| The group found the whalers again on Sunday and resumed their pursuit. | The group found the whalers again on Sunday and resumed their pursuit. |