Disaster Feared in Ship Fire off Antarctica

[MonkeyFunk]

WELLINGTON, New Zealand - Officials warned of a potential environmental disaster in Antarctica after fire erupted Thursday on a Japanese whaling ship, as the search continued for a missing crewmen from the crippled ship.

New Zealand Conservation Minister Chris Carter, whose country is leading efforts to help the stricken ship, said it was carrying 132,000 gallons of heavy oil and 211,000 gallons of furnace oil and was starting to list from water pumped aboard to fight the fire.

"It is a serious situation ... a ship badly damaged and full of toxic oil," Carter told National Radio.


more at:


http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17166275/

[Tin Man]

1. Law of "unintended consequences" in action?

I still gotta wonder if Sea Shepherd had a hand in this. If not, it's a pretty remarkable coincidence.

edit: pitiful spelling

[acmejack]

2. Their ships were several days away.

They have already been vindicated by the authorities. Are you so eager to cast a negative light upon their activities that you resort to innuendo?

[MonkeyFunk]

4. do you have a link

to this vindication?

I was unaware any authorities had arrived on the scene and done an investigation.

[Barrett808]

6. Yes, SSCS ships are currently 1100 miles away

Sea Shepherd: Japanese Whalers Shut Down By Their Own Folly
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=2731289&mesg_id=2732395

[Tin Man]

7. But that report is from Sea Shepherd themselves - not an especially impartial source

...considering they're part of the story, I wouldn't consider Sea Shepherd an impartial source for news.

[Barrett808]

11. Okay: "Carter said there was no suggestion of foul play involved in the fire."

NZ braces for a whaling ship disaster
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x2732377#2732467

As Captain Watson said: The Nisshin Maru is not a very safe ship.

[greyl]

3. Man, that would suck.

However, they aren't usually in the Antarctic, are they?

[hatrack]

5. Well, that's where the whales are nt

.

[greyl]

8. I'm not very familiar with Sea Shepherd and where they go.

Thanks to your reply, I'm still not. ;)

[Barrett808]

12. Quick summary of Operation Leviathan here:

Sea Shepherd Begins Return from Antarctica
http://www.seashepherd.org/news/media_070214_1.html

[jayfish]

20. Awesome!

I might print that out and read it to my kids at bedtime. Very inspiring.

Jay

[Coventina]

9. Well, I fully expect Japan will take responsibility for any environmental damage

caused by their state-run whaling operation.

[phusion]

13. haha... n/t

[Ian David]

17. Yes, and hopefully the whalers will do the honorable thing..

[saigon68]

18. BWAA HAA HAA HAA

[Barrett808]

10. NZ braces for a whaling ship disaster

NZ braces for a whaling ship disaster
By COLIN ESPINER and IAN STEWARD - The Press | Friday, 16 February 2007

Conservation Minister Chris Carter is warning of an environmental disaster if a Japanese whaling ship foundering off the Antarctic coast spills oil into the Ross Sea.

The 6000-tonne Nisshin Maru, the mother ship of the Japanese whaling fleet, remains disabled after a fire 100 nautical miles off the coast of Antarctica with about 1000 tonnes of heavy fuel oil on board.

Japanese fishing industry spokesman Glenn Inwood said last night that the fire appeared to have been contained, but the extent of the vessel's damage was still being assessed.

"The fire was some way from where the fuel and oil was stored. Any claims of an environmental disaster are wrong," he said.

...

One crew member, Kazutaka Makita, 28, is missing. ... The missing crewman was not believed to have gone overboard.

Despite Inwood's assurances, the Government is becoming increasingly nervous about the potential for an environmental catastrophe as the Nisshin Maru drifts close to sea ice off the coast and a large penguin colony.

Antarctica New Zealand chief executive Lou Sanson said the ship was near the world's largest penguin breeding rookery.

...

The Ross Sea is one of the richest and least-polluted marine environments in the world, and the impact of the oil leaking could be severe for sea life and the Antarctic ice shelf. Carter said the ship contained heavy fuel oil as well as other toxic chemicals used in processing whale meat.

Carter met Japanese Ambassador Masaki Saito yesterday and assured him New Zealand was doing all it could to help.

He also spoke to the British, United States and Australian governments and received assurances of an international rescue effort if necessary.

Carter said any clean-up would involve special nets to capture heavy fuel oil that would clump in the freezing seas. "We're talking about an incredibly pristine environment," he said.

"The very last thing we want is this sort of volume of chemicals going into it."

(more)

http://www.stuff.co.nz/3963477a10.html

[leftchick]

15. omg

This is just horrible. Japan should be treated as a rogue nation for this!


:cry:

[proud patriot]

21. is there a way to move it further away from the Penguins?

:( This is just awful :(

[Syncronaut Seven]

14. They need to start burning that oil fast!

Full fire on all furnaces with an immediate transfer and mix of heavy oil in to the furnace oil tanks. Burn it all, burn it fast.

An oil spill in the Antarctica will persist for generations. Goodbye penguins. :cry:

[Ian David]

16. Oops? n/t

[Eugene]

19. AP: Whaling Ship Fire in Antarctic Quelled (under control)

Whaling Ship Fire in Antarctic Quelled

By CARL FREIRE, Associated Press Writer

Thursday, February 15, 2007

(02-15) 11:38 PST TOKYO, Japan (AP) --

Officials warned of a potential environmental disaster in Antarctica after fire erupted
Thursday on a Japanese whaling ship, as the search continued for a missing crewman
from the crippled ship. Japanese officials said the blaze that broke out in the below-
decks area of the 8,000-ton Nisshin Maru where whale carcasses are processed had
been brought under control.

Most of the vessel's 148-member crew were evacuated Thursday to three other ships
in the are that also belong to the Japanese whaling fleet, said Hideki Moronuki, an
official with the Japan Fisheries Agency.

-snip-

Crew members also planned to reboard the ship to check its engine at that time and
restart it if possible, he added.

-snip-

No oil had spilled from the ship and it was in no immediate danger of sinking, officials
said.

-snip-

Full article: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2007/02/15/international/i113826S35.DTL

[proud patriot]

22. whew

[DainBramaged]

23. The fact that "civilized" men still hunt whales makes me want to puke

:puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: