MY Bob Barker

The MY Bob Barker is a ship owned and operated by the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, named after American television game show host and animal rights activist Bob Barker, whose donation of $5 million to the society facilitated the purchase of the ship.[7] She began operating for the group in late 2009 / early 2010 in its campaign against whaling by Japanese fisheries. In October 2010, Sea Shepherd stated that Bob Barker had completed a major refit in Hobart, Tasmania.[8] Hobart is now the ship's honorary home port.[9]

Bob Barker in port
History
Norway
Name:	Pol XIV
Owner:	Hvalfangerselskap Polaris A/S
Port of registry:	Larvik, Norway
Builder:	Fredrikstad MV, Fredrikstad, Norway
Yard number:	333[1]
In service:	1950–66
Notes:	Operated as a whaler until 1962[2]
Norway
Name:	Volstad Jr.
Owner:	Einar Volstad PR
Port of registry:	Ålesund, Norway
In service:	1966–97
Norway
Name:	Verdi
Owner:	Lafjord Rederi A/S
Port of registry:	Bergen, Norway
In service:	1997–98
Norway
Name:	Volstad Jr.
Owner:	Lafjord Rederi A/S
Port of registry:	Bergen, Norway
In service:	1998–2004[3]
Cook Islands
Name:	Polaris
Owner:	Seven Sea Sg Inc
Port of registry:	Rarotonga, Cook Islands
In service:	2005–09
Togo
Name:	M/Y Bob Barker
Owner:	Sea Shepherd Conservation Society
Port of registry:	Togo registry withdrawn as of February 2010
Laid down:	1950[2]
In service:	2009–10
Identification:	Call sign: 5VBR5 IMO number: 5280540 MMSI number: 51811500[4]
Status:	Re-Flagged to the Netherlands
Netherlands
Name:	M/Y Bob Barker
Owner:	Sea Shepherd Conservation Society
Port of registry:	Rotterdam, Netherlands
In service:	2010–present
Identification:	IMO number: 5280540 MMSI number: 246847000[4]
Status:	in active service
General characteristics
Displacement:	801 tonnes (788 long tons)[5]
Length:	52.2 m (171 ft)[2]
Beam:	9 m (30 ft)[1]
Draft:	5.95 m (19.52 ft)
Propulsion:	1 x 3000 hp diesel
Speed:	18 kn (33.3 km/h)[6]
Capacity:	540 m³ of fuel
Complement:	20–40

History

Overview

Bob Barker is described as a "long range fast ice" vessel of 801 tonnes (788 long tons) (or 1,200 t (1,200 long tons) according to some other references).[5][10] It was built in Norway in 1950 as the whale catcher Pol XIV, but was deleted from the Norwegian ship registry in 2004, and sold to a Cook Islands registry concern.[3][5] It was eventually purchased by the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and refitted in Africa.

On 19 February 2010, Japanese officials said that Bob Barker's Togo registry had been withdrawn.[11] On 24 May 2010, the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society stated that Bob Barker was now registered under the Dutch flag.[12]

Sea Shepherd operations

After her African refit, Bob Barker departed Mauritius on 18 December 2009 to join up with the MY Steve Irwin and MY Ady Gil, the two other Sea Shepherd vessels.[13] One of its first actions was to take video footage of the collision between Ady Gil and a Japanese security vessel, after which she took aboard the crew from the stricken Sea Shepherd craft.[14]

On 6 February 2010, while obstructing the slip-way of Nisshin Maru factory ship, Bob Barker collided with Yūshin Maru No. 3, resulting in a 3-foot-4-inch (1.02 m) gash in Bob Barker's hull above the waterline. The Institute of Cetacean Research reported minor damage to a handrail and to the hull of its ship.[15][16] Both Sea Shepherd and the ICR accused the other of intentionally causing the crash.[15][17]

On 25 February 2010, Sea Shepherd reported that Bob Barker, which had been following the whaling fleet after Steve Irwin broke off pursuit to return to port, was suffering from a fuel valve problem and would be returning to port, ending the organization's operations for the 2009–2010 whaling season.[18]

On 9 February 2011, Sea Shepherd reported that Bob Barker, which had been searching for the whaling fleet alongside the Sea Shepherd vessel Gojira (Now MV Brigitte Bardot) began blocking Nisshin Maru's slipway.[19] On 18 February 2011, after being aggressively tailed by Bob Barker for over 3,000 nmi (5,556 km), Nisshin Maru changed course and headed towards Japan, cutting short the 2010–11 whaling season.[20]

On 5 March 2012, Sea Shepherd reported that after a lengthy search Bob Barker found the whaling fleet's factory ship, Nisshin Maru. Three days later, on 8 March 2012, the whalers left the Southern Ocean for the 2011–12 season.[21][22]

MY Bob Barker at Circular Quay in Sydney on 9 June 2012, in dazzle camouflage.

On 20 February 2013, the Japanese whaling ship Nisshin Maru rammed Bob Barker, MY Sam Simon, Steve Irwin and Sun Laurel multiple times in a confrontation in the Southern Ocean, north of Australia's Casey Research Station in Antarctica. Bob Barker was hit on the stern, with Nisshin Maru's bow knocking down several of Bob Barker's antennas. Bob Barker issued a mayday after losing power.[23]

The MY Bob Barker currently operates in West Africa and in partnership with several African countries. These operations are meant to bring an end to illegal fishing in West African waters.

References

1. "Single Ship Report for "5280540"". Miramar Ship Index. Retrieved 5 June 2010.
2. "Our Fleet – M/Y Bob Barker". Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. 5 June 2010. Archived from the original on 15 January 2010. Retrieved 8 January 2010.
3. "Sea Shepherd kom med norsk flagg" (in Norwegian). Norsk rikskringkasting AS. 8 January 2010. Retrieved 5 June 2010.
4. "Bob Barker". MarineTraffic.com. Archived from the original on 6 February 2012. Retrieved 19 July 2012.
5. "ID 5280540". Miramar Ship Index. Retrieved 5 June 2010.
6. "Investigation report Ady Gil and Shonan Maru No. 2" (PDF). MaritimeNZ.govt.nz. p. 8. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 November 2010. Retrieved 18 November 2010.
7. Itzkoff, Dave (6 January 2010). "Bob Barker, Whale Pal". New York Times. The New York Times Company. Retrieved 6 January 2010.
8. "Bob Barker Completes Successful Refit". seashepherd.org. Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. 15 October 2010. Archived from the original on 17 October 2010. Retrieved 14 October 2015.
9. "Sea Shepherd's Bob Barker gets honorary home port status in Hobart". 12 March 2014.
10. Cohen, Sandy (5 January 2010). "Bob Barker Helps Stop Whaling With Namesake Ship". ABC News. Retrieved 5 June 2010.
11. "Detained antiwhaling activist in good health: Okada". Kyodo News International. 19 February 2010. Retrieved 22 February 2010.
12. "The Bob Barker Goes Dutch" (Press release). Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. 24 May 2010. Archived from the original on 28 May 2010. Retrieved 5 June 2010.
13. "The Time is Right for Bob Barker to Rescue the Whales" (Press release). Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. 5 January 2010. Archived from the original on 21 July 2010. Retrieved 5 June 2010.
14. "Japanese Whalers Ram Sea Shepherd Ship Ady Gil" (Press release). Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. 5 January 2010. Archived from the original on 14 January 2010. Retrieved 6 January 2010.
15. "Violence Escalates in Southern Ocean Whaling Battle". Environment News Service. 6 February 2010. Retrieved 12 February 2010.
16. "Anti-whaling vessel hit again". The New Zealand Herald. 7 February 2010. Retrieved 13 February 2010.
17. "Watson to whalers: We will never surrender". The Japan Times. 9 February 2010. Retrieved 12 February 2010.
18. "Sea Shepherd Ships Complete Operations in Southern Ocean for 2010" (Press release). Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. 25 February 2010. Archived from the original on 28 February 2010. Retrieved 25 February 2010.
19. "Sea Shepherd Interrupts Illegal Whale Slaughter" (Press release). Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. 9 February 2011. Retrieved 20 February 2011.
20. "VSO Day" (Press release). Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. 18 February 2011. Retrieved 20 February 2011.
21. User, Super. "Sea Shepherd Conservation Society - Eureka! The Whaling Fleet Has Been Found and Shut Down! - News Archive - News - News And Commentary".
22. User, Super. "Sea Shepherd Conservation Society - The Whalers Head Home! - News Archive - News - News And Commentary".
23. Choe, Kim (21 February 2013). "Sea Shepherd claims victory over whalers". 3 News NZ. Archived from the original on 26 September 2013. Retrieved 20 February 2013.