nisshin maru on fire in antarctica, sea shepherd fleet returns to melbourne.
The alarm was sounded on board the Nisshin Maru, the mothership of the japanese whaling fleet, just before daybreak. About 120 members of its crew were evacuated to three other ships in the whaling fleet, while 40 sailors stayed on board to fight the fire in the ship’s engine room. One crew member is reported missing, but it is not clear whether he was caught up in the flames or went overboard into the icy waters of the Ross Sea. But the Japanese have rejected assistance from Greenpeace and other anti-whaling activists in the area, who were prepared to help.
The Sea Shepherd ships Farley Mowat and Robert Hunter were forced to call off their pursuit of the Japanese whaling fleet today. Both ships are returning to Melbourne, Australia.
The Farley Mowat has 8.5 days of fuel left and is eight days from Melbourne.
The Robert Hunter must return to Melbourne by February 19, to comply with an order by the British Registrar of Shipping. The ship will lose its British flag after Japan demanded that the U.K. strip the flag from the vessel. The order to terminate the registration was received three weeks before the Robert Hunter arrived off the coast of Antarctica.
sea shepherd press releases:
Japanese Whalers Shut Down By Their Own Folly
Sea Shepherd Begins Return from Antarctica