Open day on Sea Shepherd’s Ocean Warrior ahead of anti-whaling battle with Japanese in Southern Ocean

MARINE conservation group Sea Shepherd has pledged to resume its fight against Japanese whaling in the Southern Ocean with renewed vigour.

The Sea Shepherd anti-whaling vessel Ocean Warrior is due to dock in Hobart late this afternoon.

MARINE conservation group Sea Shepherd has pledged to resume its fight against Japanese whaling in the Southern Ocean with renewed vigour.

After a two-year hiatus prompted by an International Court of Justice ruling which caused Japan to halt its “scientific” whaling program for a season, Sea Shepherd has returned with a ship that it claims can outrun and outgun Japanese whaling vessels.

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Mounted on the deck of Sea Shepherd’s Ocean Warrior — which is scheduled to arrive in Hobart this evening — is a 20,000-litre-per-minute water cannon, similar to the ones used by Japanese whalers against Sea Shepherd crews in previous clashes.

Sea Shepherd’s newest anti-whaling vessel, the Ocean Warrior, blasts its water cannon.

The state-of-the-art vessel is also fast, able to carry a helicopter, and is purpose built for anti-whaling campaigns. It was built with donations from lotteries in the Netherlands, UK and Sweden.

Sea Shepherd Australia chairman Peter Hammarstedt said the Japanese whaling fleet returned to the Antarctic last season, despite the rejection of their revised research program by the International Whaling Commission, and killed 333 minke whales.

“The international community has had two years to ensure Japan’s compliance with the International Court of Justice ruling,” he said.

Captained by Adam Meyerson, the Ocean Warrior is expected in Hobart about 6.30pm today.

It will be open to the public on Saturday from 10am to 4pm.

Ocean Warrior captain Adam Meyerson on the bridge. Pictures supplied by Sea Shepherd.