Les militants de l'ONG écologiste Sea Shepherd ont ont accusé mercredi un baleinier japonais d'avoir tamponné deux de leurs bateaux, endommageant l'un d'eux, alors qu'ils tentaient de l'empêcher de se ravitailler. En réaction, les baleiniers japonais ont publié une nouvelle vidéo qui prouve selon eux que c'est au contraire le navire de l'ONG qui les a heurtés. Cela fait plusieurs mois qu'un bras de fer est engagé entre les marins japonais et Sea Shepherd, dont le but est de perturber aux maximum la campagne de chasse.
Japanese whalers released new video and photographs on Monday (February 25) which they said show anti-whaling group Sea Shepherd's vessel ramming their harpoon ship in order to hamper fuelling in the Southern Ocean.
"Le Nisshin Maru a percuté le Steve Irwin et le Bob Barker, mais les deux bateaux ont conservé leur position", a déclaré dans un communiqué le militant écologiste Paul Watson, fondateur de l'organisation Sea Shepherd, à qui appartiennent les deux navires.
Japanese whalers released new video and photographs on Monday (February 25) which they said show anti-whaling group Sea Shepherd's vessel ramming their harpoon ship in order to hamper fuelling in the Southern Ocean.
The Institute of Cetacean Research (ICR), a Japanese group that runs the whaling programme, said in a release that Sea Shepherd's "Bob Baker" vessel collided with its "Nisshin Maru" and fuel tanker ship at least five times starting from noon on Monday.
The activists had been attempting to prevent refuelling between the tanker and the Japanese whaling fleet's 8,000-tonne factory when the collision occurred.
No Japanese crew members were injured, ICR said, and the damage to the ships was yet unknown, the release said.
Japan introduced scientific whaling to skirt a commercial whaling ban under a 1986 moratorium. It argues it has a right to monitor the whales' impact on its fishing industry.
Images : Reuters - mercredi 20 février 2013
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