SYDNEY — A clash Wednesday off Antarctica between a Japanese whaler and a boat from a protest group partly bankrolled by former game- show host Bob Barker left the anti-whaling vessel badly damaged and each side accusing the other of life-threatening behavior.
The bow of the Ady Gil — a sleek, wave-piercing powerboat that resembles a stealth bomber — was sheared off by the Shonan Maru.
It was the latest in a series of escalating confrontations between the U.S.-based Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and the Japanese whaling fleet.
Only minor injuries were reported aboard the Ady Gil.
New Zealand’s marine-safety authority said it was launching an investigation into the clash and that Australia’s equivalent body would be cooperating closely.
Japan kills about 1,200 whales a year during the December-February season. Sea Shepherd sends ships to try to stop the Japanese hunt, which Tokyo says is for scientific research but conservationists suspect is a cover for commercial whaling.
