| Career | |
|---|---|
| Name: | MV Shōnan Maru 2 |
| Owner: | Kyodo Senpaku Kaisha, LTD. |
| Operator: | Institute of Cetacean Research |
| Port of registry: | Tokyo, Japan. |
| Builder: | Hitachi Shipbuilding, Osaka |
| Launched: | 1972 |
| Identification: |
IMO Number: 7225166 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Whaler, Security Vessel for Japanese Whaling Fleet |
| Tonnage: | 628 DWT: |
| Length: | 70.55 m (231 ft) |
| Beam: | 10.2 m (33.5 ft) |
| Draft: | 4.763 m (15.6 ft) |
| Ice class: | none |
| Propulsion: | 1 x Diesel 4045kilowatts |
| Speed: | 18 kts |
| Crew: | [1][2] |
The Shōnan Maru 2 (第二昭南丸 Daini Shōnan Maru) is a Japanese whaling ship, operated by the Institute of Cetacean Research.
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The Shōnan Maru 2 has a sister ship, the Shōnan Maru.
In late 2009, the Shōnan Maru 2 intercepted and pursued the MY Steve Irwin, being shown with a water cannon mounted on the bow in place of a harpoon. The ship trailed the Steve Irwin from a distance before closing in and engaging the Sea Shepherd vessel with water cannons and an LRAD.
On January 6, 2010 the vessel was involved in a collision at sea with the MY Ady Gil which was participating in Sea Shepherd operations against Japanese whaling in the Southern Ocean. Out of the crew of six from the Ady Gil, one New Zealand cameraman sustained broken ribs.[3][4] The Ady Gil sank soon after.[5] The third vessel at location, Sea Shepherd's Bob Barker, and the Shōnan Maru 2, took footage of the incident.[6] Video of the incident has been released by both Institute of Cetacean Research and Sea Shepherd Conservation Society.
Both sides blamed each other, each stating that the other side miscalculated a maneuver. The Shōnan Maru 2 approached the vessel with its LRAD system and water canons turned on and remained on and aimed at the Ady Gil after the collision.[4] The New Zealand government expressed concern at the risk of human lives in the hostile environment, and also repeated its opposition to whaling in the Sanctuary. A spokesman for the Institute of Cetacean Research said that Japan would continue to protect their operations "in whatever way it can" and that further clashes would be likely unless Sea Shepherd stopped its operations.[4]
On January 9, 2010, Sea Shepherd lodged a piracy complaint against the captain and the crew of the Shōnan Maru 2 in the Dutch courts.[7]
An investigation into the collision by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) was inconclusive and unable to assign blame for the collision. AMSA was unable to verify claims made by Sea Shepherd, while the Japanese government declined to participate with the investigation saying any information it had might be needed for an inquiry by its own authorities.[8]
On February 15, 2010, Peter Bethune, then member of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and the skipper of the Ady Gil, boarded the Shōnan Maru 2 without permission. He used a jet ski to approach the ship then climbed onto its deck after cutting through an anti-boarding net that was draped around the hull. He presented the captain of the whaler with a claim for $3 million for damages that the Ady Gil had suffered. He was transported to Tokyo where the Japan Coast Guard charged him with vessel invasion.[9]
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