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Whaling Ship on Fire Near Antarctica



Feb 2007 - An explosion and fire 
broke out on the Japanese factory whaling ship Nisshin Maru in 
Antarctic waters during the early hours this morning. One crew 
member has gone missing. 
“It is our priority at this stage to locate the missing 
sailor. We are unsure whether he is still on board the Nisshin 
Maru or whether something happened during the evacuation of 
the vessel," said Dr. Hiroshi Hatanaka, the director general 
of the Institute of Cetacean Research, which owns and operates 
the whaling fleet. 
The Japanese factory whaler Nisshin Maru 
Most of crew and scientists on board - 126 people - were 
evacuated onto other vessels accompanying the Nisshin Maru, 
while around 30 people remained on board to extinguish the 
fire, which broke out on the floor of the whale processing 
factory. 
One crew member - identified by the Institute of Cetacean 
Research as 27 year old Kazutaka Makita, of Kagoshima in 
southern Japan - has been missing since the explosion. 
At this stage, the cause of the fire is unknown, said Dr. 
Hatanaka. Damage assessments are being carried out, he said. 
Maritime New Zealand spokesman Steve Corbett said the smoke 
was so heavy that the skeleton crew left aboard sealed the 
affected area of the ship until morning. 
The stricken vessel is about 260 nautical miles north of New 
Zealand's Scott Base in Antarctica, an area Environment 
Minister Chris Carter today said is "an extremely pristine 
environment with high biodiversity values." 
"We think there is up to 1,000 tonnes of heavy fuel oil on 
board the vessel as well as many other chemicals of course," 
Carter said. "From an environmental point of view we are very 
concerned should there be any leakage of this material into 
the Ross Sea." 
Dead whale on the flensing deck of the Nisshin Maru 
The Japanese vessels were in the Antarctic Whale Sanctuary 
carrying out a "scientific research" expedition. Their 
self-assigned quota for Antarctic waters this year is 850 
minke minke whales, plus or minus 10 percent, in addition to 
10 endangered fin whales. 
No whaling protest vessels were in the area at the time of the 
explosion and fire. 
The Greenpeace vessel Esperanza, about 700 nautical miles from 
the location of the Nisshin Maru, contacted the New Zealand 
Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre offering assistance, but 
were informed two hours later that their help was not needed. 
The two Sea Shepherd vessels that had chased the Japanese 
whalers and Monday encountered them in a ramming incident are 
out of the area and heading for Melbourne, Australia. Each 
side claims its ship was rammed by the other, and each offers 
video to back its claim. 
The Sea Shepherd ships Farley Mowat and Robert Hunter are 
1,100 miles to the northwest, said Sea Shepherd Founder and 
President Captain Paul Watson aboard the Farley Mowat. 
Blue line on the globe points to the Ross Sea, the approximate 
location of the Nisshin Maru. (Image courtesy JCOMMOPS)
The Robert Hunter is required to be in Melbourne by February 
19, the day the British have ordered the removal of the ship's 
registration at the request of the Japanese government, Watson 
said. The Farley Mowat, which is operating without a flag, has 
only enough fuel left to reach Melbourne. 
"Of course we are concerned for the welfare of the crew on the 
Nisshin Maru," said Watson. "However we are down here because 
of our concern for the welfare and fate of defenseless whales. 
These highly intelligent, socially-complex sentient beings are 
now safe for the rest of this season from the merciless 
harpoons of the Japanese outlaw whalers and that is a good 
thing – a very good thing – and we are pleased for that." 
Dr. Hatanaka said, "a decision on continuing with the research 
program will be made once the assessment has been completed." 
This is the second major fire aboard the Nisshin Maru in nine 
years. On November 23, 1998, when the Nisshin Maru was on the 
way down to Antarctica it caught fire and sustained damage. It 
was towed to New Caledonia for repairs. 

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