Yūshin Maru No. 2

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Career Japanese Flag
Name: Yūshin Maru
Port of registry: Japan
Laid down: March 6, 2002
Launched: September 14, 2002
Status: in active service, as of 2024
General characteristics
Type: Whaler
Tonnage: 747 gross register tons (GRT)
Length: 69.61 m (228 ft 5 in) o/a
Beam: 10.8 m (35 ft 5 in) (moulded)
Draft: 5.3 m
Propulsion: 3900 kW
Speed: 18.8 knots

The Yūshin Maru № 2 (第2勇新丸 Daini Yūshin Maru?)) is a Japanese registered whaling harpoon ship that undertakes whaling operations in the Southern Ocean.

Sea Shepherd confrontations

On January 15, 2008, two members (Ben Potts and Giles Lane) of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, traveling on the MV Steve Irwin, boarded the Yushin Maru № 2 without permission. They were accordingly detained onboard the ship for two days before being transferred to the Australian customs vessel MV Oceanic Viking. Sea Shepherd later claimed the two had hidden a homing beacon on the Yushin Maru 2.[citation needed] During their detainment, they were offered whale meat for dinner.[1]

On February 6, 2009, the MV Steve Irwin collided with the Yushin Maru № 2 as the activist vessel attempted to obstruct the transfer of a whale up the slipway of the factory ship Nisshin Maru. Both sides claimed the other responsible.[2] Pete Thomas of the LA Times speculated as to "whether [Mr. Watson's] actions are truly on behalf of the whales, or merely to obtain dramatic footage for the Animal Planet series, 'Whale Wars'".[3]

References

  1. The Daily Mail - British anti-whaling protester held hostage on Japanese ship offered whale meat for dinner (16 January 2008)
  2. Perry, Michael (5 February 2009). "Anti-whaling protest ship collides with Japanese whaler". Reuters. http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUST12984. 
  3. Thomas, Pete (6 February 2009). "Whale war between Japan and Sea Shepherd becomes increasingly confrontational". Los Angeles Times. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/outposts/2009/02/ive-been-all-is.html. Retrieved 7 June 2009. 

See also

fr:Yushin Maru 2 nl:Yushin Maru No. 2