The crew on board the Sea Shepherd ship Bob Barker have recovered illegal unmarked longlines and buoys in the southern ocean set to target an endangered species, the Patagonian toothfish, also known and marketed as Chilean sea bass. A vessel was seen in the distance, but when hailed by radio fled from the Bob Barker.
Captain Peter Bethune has boarded the Shonan Maru No 2 to make a citizen's arrest of the captain of the vessel. Peter Bethune's ship, the New Zealand registered high speed trimaran the Ady Gil owned by the Sea Shepherd Conservation Foundation, was sunk by the Japanese whaling ship the Shonan Maru 2 on January 6 after it was purposefully rammed endangering the lives of the six crew.
Related: Sea Shepherd vows to continue campaign after destruction of Ady Gil by whalers | Whaling conflict tensions continue with Conservation ship rammed
The Japanese whaling harpoon vessel the Yushin Maru 3 has rammed the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society ship Bob Barker about 180 miles off Cape Darnley in the Australian Antarctic Territory. The ramming penetrated the Bob Barker's hull creating a 3-foot long 4-inch deep gash in the mid starboard side of the Sea Shepherd vessel above the waterline. The Yushin Maru suffered minor damage to its hand rail and hull. No crew from either ship were injured.
Related: Sea Shepherd finds Whalers as Greens pressure Government on whaling spy flights
