The Ady Gil vessel appears to have been rammed and sunk.

[flvegan]

Anti-whaling group Sea Shepherd's stealth boat Ady Gil has been cut in half by a Japanese security vessel in the Antarctic today, the group's leader Paul Watson said.

The $1.5 million high-tech vessel's remains were sinking, but its six-man crew had been rescued and was uninjured, Captain Watson told The Age online.

Captain Watson said the Ady Gil was idling in waters near Commonwealth Bay when it was suddenly approached and rammed by the Japanese ship Shonan Maru, which has been detailed to provide security to the fleet.

http://www.smh.com.au/environment/whale-watch/japanese-ship-sinks-whale-protest-boat--ady-gill-20100106-ltp4.html

http://www.seashepherd.org/news-and-media/news-100105-4.html

[Dead_Parrot]

1. What is it with the pro whalers on DU?

I can understand anti-PETA posts (their publicity is OTT but they do some good work), global-warming-denialist posts (denial ain't just a river, they don't want to know. They may have to change) and even creationists ("but it says right here...")

But whalers!? It's either for research (name one piece of research that's come from the ICR) or because it's traditional ('cause in the 12^th century Japanese fishermen used to row a factory coracle to the Southern Ocean to gather 1,000 minke whales. or something.)

And Sea Shepherd may be breaking the law as well, so it's OK.

Grr.. Arg..

Fuck, how retarded do these people have to be?

[Ignis]

3. Wow, I just saw what you're talking about here, DP.

It's pretty reprehensible for progressives to be pro-whaling, in my book. :thumbsdown:

[Violet_Crumble]

6. It's sickening to see people claiming to be left-wing supporting that sort of slaughter...

Here in Australia there's universal opposition to whaling amongst all the major political parties, be they conservative or left-wing. That's why I was so shocked when I started reading the first thread on the ramming of the Sea Shepherd boat and to find that there's Americans who claim to be liberal voicing their support of such a barbaric practice...

[Ignis]

2. Sounds like a violent international incident.

Hopefully, the guilty captain and crew will be punished...but I'm not holding my breath.

:(

[onestepforward]

4. heartbreaking news.

I wonder if the Ady Gil was having mechanical problems and couldn't get out of the way in time? It looked like most of the 6-man crew were out on top of the boat, perhaps trying to fix a problem? That ship was a prized possession and critical for their mission. I really don't think they just left it there to be hit or steered it into the other ship. So glad no one was injured and I hope that they get plenty of donations to help make up for the loss of this beautiful ship.

[Chan790]

5. Yes.

No need to repeat all of it, just "yes".

I do have to say that in the long-term, even if SSCS replaces the Ady Gil, I do think the Barker will be the bigger acquisition. It's a workhorse of a ship and it has the ice-breaking capacity to clear the way for the Irwin which is huge. Edit: Also, there is no way they're ramming it with anything smaller than the Nissin Maru or Oriental Bluebird and not sinking themselves in the process.

[flvegan]

7. The Ady Gil has sunk.

http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/sea-shepherd-lose-ady-gil-after-collision-with-whaler/story-e6frfku0-1225817238562

[onestepforward]

8. Blow back against the whalers has begun.

http://www.santiagotimes.cl/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=18001:chiles-anti-whaling-coalition-calls-on-government-to-act-says-silence-on-japanese-whaling-implies-complicity-&catid=44:environmental&Itemid=40

"Chile’s Anti-Whaling Coalition Calls On Government To Act Says silence on Japanese whaling implies complicity

Days following the sinking of an anti-whaling ship near Antarctica, Chilean anti-whaling demonstrators are calling on the government to denounce Japan’s “scientific whaling” and to take action to prevent further killing of the species. Saturday, a group assembled outside the Japanese embassy in Santiago to protest that country’s continued whaling activities and to voice anger over the Chilean government’s lack of action on the issue.

It was an act in solidarity with the Ady Gil; a ship belonging to the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society which was rammed by a Japanese harpoon vessel and subsequently sank late last week in the Southern Ocean. Activists have since called for a criminal investigation into the incident, during which crew memberer aboard the Ady Gil was injured."
snip-


In the meantime, Paul Watson threatened "citizen's arrests" and said the incident had been a fund-raising boon.
http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Global-News/2010/0111/Whale-Wars-Sea-Shepherd-Watson-threatens-citizen-arrests-says-donations-pouring-in