Sea Shepherds Steve Irwin verlaat even strijdtoneel met Japanse walvisjagers - Schip paar dagen in Hobart (Tasmanië) om bij te tanken

Ady Gil's lone whale fight

25-12-2009 DAMIEN BROWN, The Mercury, Tasmania


THE tiny 24-metre trimaran the Ady Gil is now all alone in the massive Southern Ocean and up against the increasingly aggressive Japanese whaling vessels and a fleet of military security ships.

The Sea Shepherd anti-whaling vessel, the Steve Irwin, yesterday quit the battle to refuel in Hobart and will not return until early January

But trying to locate a shipping berth in Hobart proved to be just as tricky as tracking down the Japanese whaling fleet, Sea Shepherd captain Paul Watson said.

Speaking to the Mercury from the Steve Irwin last night, Capt Watson said that in a last-minute stroke of luck the crew was able to secure a berthing in Hobart next Tuesday to allow the ship to refuel. He said it had been difficult given the ship was returning to Hobart right in the middle of the Sydney-Hobart yacht race.

Their brief return to Hobart on December 29 will also coincide with the Taste festival.

"We were a bit worried there for a while, but we have been able to find something now, which is a big relief," Capt Watson said.

"We always love coming in to Hobart, we have a lot of supporters there and it's everything we need to boost our spirits and get back out there."

Hobart will mean more than just a routine refuelling for the Steve Irwin, Mr Watson has said, as the protest season shapes up as one of the most life-threatening ever. Already this year the Steve Irwin and the Ady Gil have encountered some of the most aggressive attacks from the Japanese whalers and military vessels that have, for the first time, accompanied them to keep the Sea Shepherd crews at bay.

Despite this, Mr Watson remains confident he will be able to locate a Japanese whaling fleet and keep their whale catch quotas down.

"It's a whole new ball game down here, we're now up against military units on security boats. These are not whalers we are battling any more, they are government security forces, which is illegal under the Antarctic treaty.

"And, of course, those forces are more aggressive.
"They have already tried to destroy our helicopters twice by coming in fast and firing on them with water cannons."

He said the Ady Gil had been invaluable after experiencing two delays in joining the Steve Irwin because of technical issues.
The speed of the trimaran means it can outrun harpoon boats and security boats.

"We've made sure they haven't got their full quotas for three years. They haven't made a profit for three years, they are $100 million in debt and I think that's the language they understand."

(Bron: http://www.themercury.com.au/)