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The high-tech stealth boat Ady Gil was cut in half and sunk by a Japanese security vessel in Antarctic waters today, dramatically upping the stakes in the annual struggle between whalers and protesters.
Sea Shepherd group leader Paul Watson told Fairfax Media the $1.5 million Ady Gil was sinking, but its six-man crew had been rescued and was uninjured.
Earlier today, the fleet was contacted for the first time by the Ady Gil and Sea Shepherd's "secret" third vessel, the Bob Barker.
Where the collision occurred, according to Sea Shepherd.
Captain Watson, aboard the Steve Irwin, said he was still 500 nautical miles from the scene.
"This seriously escalates the whole situation," Captain Watson said of the collision.
The ICR said the Ady Gil came "within collision distance" directly in front of the Nisshin Maru bow and repeatedly deployed a rope from its stern "to entangle the Japanese vessel's rudder and propeller".
The statement accused the activists of shining a laser device at the Nisshin Maru crew and launching acid-filled projectiles, one of which landed on the vessel's deck.
After broadcasting a warning message, the Nisshin Maru sprayed the Ady Gil with water cannons to prevent it from coming closer, the ICR said.
Captain Watson told Fairfax in November the Ady Gil would be used to intercept the whaling fleet's chaser boats.
"What I think we can do is latch onto at least one of the three harpoon vessels and keep them out of the picture," he said.
Looking more like Batman's spacecraft than a boat, the biodiesel-powered trimaran Ady Gil arrived at the Southern Ocean stand-off between Japanese whalers and activists yesterday.
It was reported this morning to be about 50 nautical miles away from the whaling fleet.
Japan's Fisheries Minister Hirotaka Akamatsu had earlier warned two security ships would be used to protect the whaling fleet, intervening when Sea Shepherd tried to block the transfer of harpooned whales to the factory ship Nisshin Maru.
http://www.theage.com.au/environment...0106-ltp4.html
Video of ramming:
Sea Shepherd group leader Paul Watson told Fairfax Media the $1.5 million Ady Gil was sinking, but its six-man crew had been rescued and was uninjured.
Earlier today, the fleet was contacted for the first time by the Ady Gil and Sea Shepherd's "secret" third vessel, the Bob Barker.
Where the collision occurred, according to Sea Shepherd.
Captain Watson, aboard the Steve Irwin, said he was still 500 nautical miles from the scene.
"This seriously escalates the whole situation," Captain Watson said of the collision.
The ICR said the Ady Gil came "within collision distance" directly in front of the Nisshin Maru bow and repeatedly deployed a rope from its stern "to entangle the Japanese vessel's rudder and propeller".
The statement accused the activists of shining a laser device at the Nisshin Maru crew and launching acid-filled projectiles, one of which landed on the vessel's deck.
After broadcasting a warning message, the Nisshin Maru sprayed the Ady Gil with water cannons to prevent it from coming closer, the ICR said.
Captain Watson told Fairfax in November the Ady Gil would be used to intercept the whaling fleet's chaser boats.
"What I think we can do is latch onto at least one of the three harpoon vessels and keep them out of the picture," he said.
Looking more like Batman's spacecraft than a boat, the biodiesel-powered trimaran Ady Gil arrived at the Southern Ocean stand-off between Japanese whalers and activists yesterday.
It was reported this morning to be about 50 nautical miles away from the whaling fleet.
Japan's Fisheries Minister Hirotaka Akamatsu had earlier warned two security ships would be used to protect the whaling fleet, intervening when Sea Shepherd tried to block the transfer of harpooned whales to the factory ship Nisshin Maru.
http://www.theage.com.au/environment...0106-ltp4.html
Video of ramming:
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