From whaler to whales' saviour

Brisbane Times: From whaler to whales' saviour

A FORMER Norwegian whaling ship, docked in Melbourne this week, has been transformed into an anti-whaling specialist by the Sea Shepherd activists.

The 52-metre Bob Barker, coated in the activists' signature black paint and named after the former US game show host who helped Sea Shepherd buy the ship, will open to the public on Saturday as the activists prepare for their seventh battle against Japan's whaling fleet in the Southern Ocean.

Sea Shepherd's Australian co-ordinator Gillian Forbes said the ship was given a free berth by the City of Melbourne's Docklands Waterways Unit after the activists won support from state Labor MP Nathan Murphy and Lord Mayor Robert Doyle.

Advertisement: Story continues below A City of Melbourne spokesperson said Sea Shepherd ships had received free berths several times before.

Ship manager Andrea Gordon would not reveal the anti-whaling tactics Sea Shepherd is planning for the December to March whaling season. But she defended its past controversial use of butyric acid, which Japanese whalers said had injured their crews. ''It was essentially rotten butter; Sea Shepherd is very proud that we have not injured anyone and we always make sure we're a safe and non-violent organisation,'' she said.

''We expect we will have some additional tactics this year - you'll have to wait and find out.'' Ms Gordon was more forthcoming about the latest weapon; a high-speed, multi-hull vessel. ''The new interceptor … looks like something out of Batman. It will be able to go faster than the harpoon ships, so it will be very useful in finding the whaling fleet.''

Futuristic craft Ady Gil was spectacularly destroyed after clashing with whaling ship Shonan Maru No. 2, but its replacement is twice the size.

The Bob Barker will leave for Hobart in less than two weeks to join two other Sea Shepherd ships for the next anti-whaling campaign in Antarctica.