Bob Barker ship bashed

The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society’s ship named Bob Barker suffered extreme damage during an allegedly intentional ramming by an illegal whaling ship in the Australian Antarctic Territory.

Japanese harpoon vessel Yushin Maru 3 rammed the Bob Barker and created a gash more than three-feet long in the mid-starboard side of the vessel. The attack occurred on Feb. 6 as the Sea Shepherd vessel blocked the slipway of the Nisshin Maru, the whaling fleet’s factory ship.

Sea Shepherd Capt. Paul Watson was aboard the conservation group’s other ship, the Steve Irwin, when the clash occurred. Watson sounded off in a statement about the incident as he directed his ship to the scene: “What we really need is for the governments of Australia and New Zealand to step up and start enforcing maritime law in these waters, or who knows what the whalers will do next?”

No crew members were injured during the attack, and the gash was made above the vessel’s waterline. Sea Shepherd officials say the Bob Barker will continue to block the slipway of the Nisshin Maru to prevent the transfer of slaughtered whales.