# Crippled whaling ship



## rushie (Jul 5, 2005)

From the London Free Press - 

_A Japanese whaling ship crippled by fire drifted off the world's largest penguin breeding grounds today, and New Zealand alerted other countries it may need help if the vessel leaked oil into the pristine Antarctic waters. 

One crew member was missing from the 8,000-ton Nisshin Maru, which was starting to list from water pumped aboard to fight the fire. The fire, though contained below decks, continued to burn, said New Zealand Conservation Minister Chris Carter. 

No oil had spilled and there was no immediate danger of the ship sinking, officials said. 

Carter contacted counterparts in Japan, Australia, the U.S. and Britain -- other signatories to the Antarctic Treaty responsible for protecting its environment -- in case "an international environmental response is needed," an aide said. 

Antarctica New Zealand chief executive Lou Sanson said he had asked the U.S. Antarctic program to redirect a scheduled flight today to check on the ship. 

It was only 180 kilometres from Antarctica's Cape Adare, one of the world's largest penguin breeding rookeries with about 250,000 breeding pairs, Sanson said. 

"It's a long way off the coast, but the currents do go that way," Sanson said 

The ship was carrying 500,000 litres of heavy oil and 800,000 litres of furnace oil. 

Steve Corbett, of Maritime New Zealand, said his agency had been in constant contact with the captain and was on standby to send ships to help. 

Search teams were waiting for smoke to clear before trying to assess the ship's condition and search for missing crewman Kazutaka Makita, 27, a Japan Fishery Agency official said. 

Some of the 148 crew, most of whom were evacuated to other whalers in the area, planned to reboard the ship to try to restart its engine, he added. _


Rushie


----------



## fred henderson (Jun 13, 2005)

*No immediate danger of the ship sinking?*

The ship has been abandoned, is still on fire and is listing from water pumped on board in an attempt to extinguish the flames. How can an official say that she is not in danger of sinking? Perhaps "immediate" means during his watch!

Fred(Cloud)


----------



## rushie (Jul 5, 2005)

They've also refused a tow out of the area by a Greenpeace vessel.

Rushie.


----------



## rushie (Jul 5, 2005)

*Update from the BBC -*

_New Zealand is urging Japan to allow a Greenpeace vessel to tow its stricken whaling ship out of Antarctic waters. 

New Zealand's Conservation Minister Chris Carter said it is imperative the Nisshin Maru is moved to prevent any pollution of the pristine area. 

Japan has refused the offer, saying the ship - which has been disabled by a fire - is no threat to the environment. 

The Japanese whalers have had a number of confrontations at sea with anti-whaling activists in recent days. 

One crew member is still missing after the fire broke out on board the Nisshin Maru - an 8,000-tonne processing ship - just before daybreak on Thursday. 

There's no threat of oil leakage at all and no worries over environmental pollution from the Nisshin Maru 

Kenji Masuda
Japan's Fisheries Agency 

The blaze is now under control after some of the crew remained on board to try to contain the flames. 

There are fears, however, that the ship could start leaking fuel oil into the Ross Sea and damage the immediate environment. 

Time-limit 

New Zealand's Conservation Minister Chris Carter said he had spoken to the Japanese authorities about the need for urgent action, calling the ship "dead in the water". 

He pointed out that the ship is just 60 miles (100 km) from the world's biggest Adelie penguin colony at Cape Adare. 



"It is imperative the Nisshin Maru is towed further away from the pristine Antarctic coast, the neighbouring penguin colony and the perilous ice floes," he told reporters. 

Mr Carter said the most immediate solution was to use the Greenpeace ship Esperanza, a converted Soviet tug, or a US icebreaker. 

Greenpeace urged Japan to accept its offer. "This is not a time to play politics from behind a desk in Tokyo," said Karli Thomas, from on board the Esperanza. 

But Japanese officials said there was no immediate cause for concern. 

"There's no threat of oil leakage at all, and no worries over environmental pollution from the Nisshin Maru," said Kenji Masuda, of the Fisheries Agency. 

"We are awaiting natural fire extinction as we closed all hatches in the vessel." 

A spokesman for the Tokyo-based Institute of Cetacean Research (ICR), which is carrying out the whaling, said other ships in the fleet could tow it from the area if required. 

"The main priority is to locate the missing sailor, clear the smoke then decide whether to move the Nisshin Maru or repair it on the spot," Glenn Inwood told the Associated Press. 

The whaling fleet left for the Antarctic in December, and planned to hunt 850 minke whales and 10 fin whales until mid-March. 

It has been involved in several clashes with the protest group the Sea Shepherd, in recent days, leading Japanese officials to accuse the activists of behaving like pirates. 

The Sea Shepherd's vessels were heading back to port for refuelling, when the fire on the Nisshin Maru broke out. 

The ICR admits the whaling mission is now up in the air while it waits to see if the Nisshin Maru - the only ship in the fleet able to process whale carcasses - is able to continue._


----------



## Geoff Garrett (May 2, 2006)

I reckon it's all a media beat-up on an issue so beloved of the press down here in New Zealand.


----------



## Harry Nicholson (Oct 11, 2005)

I hope they tow it back to Japan and it sinks in their bl00dy oyster beds.


----------



## muldonaich (Nov 19, 2005)

Harry Nicholson said:


> I hope they tow it back to Japan and it sinks in their bl00dy oyster beds.time we put the clock back and did the same thing again kev.


----------



## Frank P (Mar 13, 2005)

Harry Nicholson said:


> I hope they tow it back to Japan and it sinks in their bl00dy oyster beds.


I agree with you Harry(Thumb)


----------



## 6639 (Apr 20, 2006)

is that to 10/08/1945 ?


----------



## muldonaich (Nov 19, 2005)

nhp651 said:


> is that to 10/08/1945 ?


it stopped them then it could do the same again in this day and age there is no need to kill whales or a lot of other wild animals what excuse are they using ? they are doing it for the good of mankind if we had the technology to send men to the moon about 30years ago why after all the whales that have been killed we still have to kill them .


----------



## Coastie (Aug 24, 2005)

Nice one, Kev.


----------



## Santos (Mar 16, 2005)

Fully agree with everything said, no need to kill whales anymore. Serves them right its gone on fire, dont want anyone hurt, but if its abandoned why dont Greenpeace board it and tow it some place where it can sink and stay there forever. One less whaling ship in the world.

Chris.


----------



## Coastie (Aug 24, 2005)

I agree, Chris.


----------



## muldonaich (Nov 19, 2005)

Coastie said:


> Nice one, Kev.


we pay a fortune in taxes for nuclear subs send them out to sink all these whalers i know im going totaly over the score here but sorry thats the way i feel about it i think we are stupid to let any country away with this for no reason ive seen these animals up close in the north pacific a whole school of them we were lying dead in the water while the koreans did engine checks they were hitting them selves of the quarter a sight ill remember for the rest of my life kev


----------



## 6639 (Apr 20, 2006)

hey, no. lads. let greenpeace board her, claim salvage rights and paint her up in greenpeace colours. that would rub salt into the wounds. we don't want all that oil going to the bottom of the ocean after all.


----------



## Bearsie (Nov 11, 2006)

nhp651 said:


> hey, no. lads. let greenpeace board her, claim salvage rights and paint her up in greenpeace colours. that would rub salt into the wounds. we don't want all that oil going to the bottom of the ocean after all.


Splendid Idea, a man after my heart ! (Thumb)


----------



## KIWI (Jul 27, 2005)

Coming down the NZ coast from New Plymouth to Wellington have been among several pods of whales.A marvellous experience & to see film of those Japanese chasers putting a harpoon into those magnificent beasts sickens me.The world has forgotten the deeds of the whalers fathers. Kiwi


----------

