 Worst
fears realised as missing crewman's body is found
In a joint statement issued by Dr
Hiroshi Hatanaka the director general of the Institute of Cetacean
Research and Mr Kazuo Yamamura, president of Kyodo Senpaku, issued today
17th February it was announced that the body of the young crew member
missing since the fire began on the Japanese whaling vessel NISSHIN MARU
had been found.
Thick smoke had prevented earlier attempts at a search, and whilst not
specifying which area of the vessel the body was found, they said that
Kazutaka Makita's body had been located once they were able to search the
area of the vessel affected by the fire.
They described Mr Makita, aged 27 from the Kagoshima Prefecture, south of
Kyushu Island as having played 'an important role aboard the vessel.
 “This
is deeply saddening. The Institute of Cetacean Research and Kyodo Senpaku
express their heartfelt sympathy to Mr Makita’s family,” Dr Hatanaka and
Mr. Yamamura said.
Meanwhile in an earlier release the Institute provided photographs of the
current situation with regards to the vessel's state. In an effort to
counter media speculation that the vessel was still ablaze and/or had
developed a list, the photos show that the ship is in an upright position
and no smoke is visible.
Statements alongside the photos say the vessel is not listing, sinking or
leaking oil.
Despite appearing to be intact, her main engines have been reported to
have been knocked out and fears persist for environmental damage in a
particularly sensitive region.
A spokesman for the Institute, Glenn Inwood, has said that another vessel,
the ORIENTAL BLUEBIRD is available to take the NISSHIN MARU under tow if
required. The Institute had repeatedly refused Greenpeace's offer of
assistance from one of their vessels in the area, the ESPERANZA.
New Zealand rescue official Steve Corbett still remains anxious about the
fate of the vessel. Although overnight pumps had cleared her of water used
to douse the flames and she had righted, he was concerned that rough
weather could play havoc with the powerless vessel. Two vessel are
apparently alongside the stricken NISSHIN MARU but he says that if
conditions worsened they may not be able to control the drifting ship.
This is why the New Zealand government wanted the ship moved away from the
Antarctic coast.
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