By Melissa Jenkins | January 19, 2008
ANTI-whaling activists admit to throwing about 12 stink bombs onto a Japanese whaling ship after two of its crew were released, and are planning more attacks.
Two members of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, who were being detained on the whaling boat Yushin Maru No. 2, were yesterday handed to an Australian customs' vessel then returned to their ship, the Steve Irwin.
The Japanese Whaling Association (JWA) has accused the activists of throwing acid onto the sister vessel of the Yushin Maru No. 2 – the Yushin Maru No. 3 – overnight.
Captain of the Steve Irwin Paul Watson denied any attack on the Yushin Maru No. 3, saying he had not even seen such a boat.
But he confirmed the group launched a “retaliatory strike” of butyric acid “stink bombs” at the Yushin Maru No. 2, about one hour after activists Benjamin Potts and Giles Lane were transferred to the Australian customs boat, the Oceanic Viking.
Butyric acid is a non-corrosive substance and smells like rancid butter.
“We sprayed them with butyric acid, which is a noxious stink bomb, and the smell stays there for a few days. While it is on the deck it is pretty hard to do any work, like kill a whale,” Mr Watson said.
“We are down here to stop whaling. We are not hanging banners and hanging pictures and everything like that."
Mr Watson said his crew had lost the Japanese whalers because the Steve Irwin had to travel 50 miles to meet the Oceanic Viking for the transfer of their two crewmen.
The pair were detained aboard the Japanese whaler on Tuesday after slipping over the side of the harpoon ship to deliver a letter of protest.
Mr Watson said the Steve Irwin was again trying to find the Japanese whaling fleet in order to launch more attacks.
“Greenpeace knows where they are but Greenpeace won't tell us where they are, which I am a little annoyed with because if they start killing whales tomorrow I am going to hold Greenpeace responsible for that because Greenpeace knows that we could stop them.
“We just have to show up and they're not going to kill any whales.”
A spokesman for Foreign Minister Stephen Smith would not comment except to urge all parties to exercise restraint on the high seas.