Sunday 27 November 2016

The Japanese whale killers have set sail for the Southern Ocean once more


The Japan Times, 18 November 2016:

KITAKYUSHU – Japanese vessels left Friday to conduct what Tokyo calls “research whaling” in the Antarctic Ocean through March.

Japan is planning to hunt 333 Antarctic minke whales in its second whaling expedition in the Antarctic Ocean since an international court ruled against the practice in 2014, the Fisheries Agency said.

Responding to the International Court of Justice ruling, Japan submitted to the International Whaling Commission a new whaling plan to cut catches of minke whales by two-thirds to 333.

In fiscal 2014 through March 2015, the country only conducted visual surveys but resumed whaling based on the new plan the following year.

Nonprofit organization Sea Shepherd Australia has expressed its intention to block Japan’s whaling, and the agency is planning to monitor the group’s activities from one of its patrol ships.

Two whaling vessels — the 724-ton Yushin Maru and 747-ton Yushin Maru No. 2 — left the port in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, on Friday morning. They will soon join two other whaling ships and the 8,145-ton mother ship Nisshin Maru to form a fleet with 185 crew members in total.

YUSHIN MARU NO.2
MO: 9278040
MMSI: 432364000
Call Sign: JPPV
Flag: Japan [JP]
AIS Vessel Type: Fishing
Gross Tonnage: 747
Deadweight: 732 t
Length Overall x Breadth Extreme: 69.61m × 10.8m
Year Built: 2002
Status: Active

FACTORY SHIP NISSHIN MARU
MO: 8705292
MMSI: 431683000
Call Sign: JJCJ
Flag: Japan [JP]
AIS Vessel Type: Fishing
Gross Tonnage: 8145
Deadweight: 5555 t
Length Overall x Breadth Extreme: 129.58m × 19.4m
Year Built: 1987
Status: Active

YUSHIN MARU
IMO: 9197181
MMSI: 431439000
Call Sign: JLZS
Flag: Japan [JP]
AIS Vessel Type: Fishing
Gross Tonnage: 720
Deadweight: 642 t
Length Overall x Breadth Extreme: 69.61m × 10.4m
Year Built: 1998
Status: Active

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