MEDIA RELEASE
2013/02/25
Sea Shepherd vessels sabotage Nisshin Maru refueling again provoking collisions

On February 25 around 1200JST until about 1500JST during refueling operations, theAntarctic whale research (JARPAII) mother ship Nisshin Maru (NM) and her supply
tanker were again subject to sabotage by the Sea Shepherd (SS) ships Steve Irwin (SI),Bob Barker (BB) and Sam Simon (SmS). The SI and BB are sailing under the flag of
the Netherlands while the SmS has Australian registry.
1. As the NM was about to come alongside her supply tanker for refueling, the SSvessels SI, BB and SmS repeatedly forced their way between the NM and her supplytanker. During their obstruction to refueling operations the SS vessels rammed into,at the least: BB three times; SmS two times, with the NM and the supply tanker.
2. There were no injuries to the NM and supply tanker crews. Damage suffered byboth the NM and the supply tanker is being checked.
3. During the attack, the NM used her water pump as a preventive measure to make SSvessels refrain from further approaching and repeatedly broadcasted a warning
message to stop them. However, in order to secure safety, the NM decided tointerrupt her refueling procedure due to the extremely dangerous and foolhardy
behavior of SS vessels. The SS vessels perpetrated a similar obstructive attack last
20 February.
z

On 17 December 2012 the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals issued an Injunction
Order enjoining Sea Shepherd, Paul Watson and anyone acting in concert with themfrom physically attacking the Japanese research vessels or any person on them andfrom navigating in a manner that is likely to endanger the safe navigation at sea ofany such vessel. The Injunction Order also prohibits them from approaching anyvessel engaged by the Institute of Cetacean Research (ICR) or Kyodo Senpaku(KS) any closer than 500 yards (about 457 meters) when the research vessels arenavigating on the open sea.

zThe ICR and KS filed a Motion for Contempt against Sea Shepherd forapproaching the research vessels last January in violation of the U.S. Ninth Circuit
Court of Appeals Injunction Order. In addition to obstruction actions by SS onFebruary 15 and 20, the ICR and KS will provide the Court with additionalevidence concerning today’s obstruction actions by Sea Shepherd.

zJapan’s research whaling in the Antarctic (JARPAII) is a perfectly legal activity
carried out under the International Whaling Convention for the Regulation ofWhaling (ICRW). This time, SS is sabotaging refueling operation, which isessential for the safe navigation of ships, and the sabotage is not only malicious but
inconceivably obstructive actions. Thus it threatens safety of our research ships andlives of crews on them and is therefore completely unacceptable. Over and overagain, we call on all related countries including the Netherlands, Australia and New
Zealand which are flag states and/or port State of SS vessels, and the United Statesin which headquarter of SS is based to take every measure available to restrain
them and deal with their criminal actions in a strict and objective manner.

zSS’s allegations that there was oil spillage during the research vessels refueling
operations are unfounded. Refueling from the supply tanker to the research vessels
is safely conducted through a hermetically sealed fuel transfer system, making
leakage impossible. SS’s allegations and rumors about the supply tanker hitting
icebergs and oil spilling are equally unfounded.

zAn International Treaty establishes specific standards regarding the type of fuel oils
that can be used or carried in the Antarctic Ocean. The fuel being carried by theAntarctic research vessels’ supply tanker fulfils those specific standards and there
no breach of any international treaty regulations.

NOTE: Images to be attributed to THE INSTITUTE OF CETACEAN RESEARCH,
TOKYO, JAPAN (http://www.icrwhale.org/gpandsea.html)
END