Anti-whaling group honours Irwin

Terri Irwin with Captain Paul Watson in front of the newly named ship 'Steve Irwin', before its departure to confront the Japanese whaling fleet in the Southern Ocean.
December 5, 2007

Controversial anti-whaling group the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society has swapped the name of Greenpeace co-founder Robert Hunter for the Crocodile Hunter on its front-line campaign ship.

Sailing as the Robert Hunter, the Sea Shepherd ship made international headlines in February when it collided with Japanese whaling ship Kaiko Maru in sub-Antarctic waters south-west of Australia.

The ship has since been repaired and at midday today was re-named the Steve Irwin in the presence of his widow, Terri, who is in Melbourne to launch the anti-whaling campaign Operation Migaloo for the Sea Shepherd society. The ship is berthed on the North Wharf side of Victoria Harbour, at the Docklands.

"Whales have always been in Steve's heart and in 2006 he actually investigated the possibility of joining Sea Shepherd on part of its journey to defend these beautiful animals," Mrs Irwin said.

Sea Shepherd spokeswoman Katie Maynes said Operation Migaloo was the name the society had given to its plans to confront Japanese whale hunters in the Southern Ocean this summer.

"The objective of Operation Migaloo is to intervene against illegal whaling actions by the Japanese whaling fleet," she said.

"The Japanese whalers are targeting endangered humpbacks and fin whales along with 935 piked whales in the Southern Oceans Whale Sanctuary in violation of a global moratorium on commercial whaling and they will be killing many of these whales the in Australian Antarctic Territory.

The ship's master, Captain Paul Watson, said Steve Irwin's life demonstrated how one person could make a significant difference in the world.

"Steve wanted to come to Antarctica with us to defend the whales and now he will be joining us in spirit with his name emblazoned on the fastest and most powerful whale protection ship in the world," Captain Watson said.

The naming of the Steve Irwin follows launch over the winter of 2007 of a whale-watching excursion boat, called Steve's Whale One, at Australia Zoo in Beerwah, north of Brisbane, Queensland.

The Steve Irwin will depart Melbourne, bound for the Southern Ocean, at 3pm.

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