 MYSteve Irwin moored in theWest India Docks, London, 2011 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 Scotland | |
| Name | 1975–2006: FPVWestra |
| Owner | 1975–1999:Secretary of State for Scotland |
| Operator | 1975–2003:Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency |
| Ordered | 1974 |
| Builder | Hall, Russell & Company,Aberdeen,Scotland |
| Yard number | 962 |
| Christened | FPVWestra |
| In service | 1975–2003 |
| Out of service | 2003–2006 (laid up for disposal) |
| Homeport | Leith, Scotland |
 Netherlands | |
| Name |
|
| Namesake | Steve Irwin |
| Owner | 2006–2019:Sea Shepherd Conservation Society |
| Operator | 2006–2019: Sea Shepherd Conservation Society |
| Port of registry | Rotterdam,Netherlands |
| In service | 2006 |
| Out of service | 2019 |
| Homeport | Hobart,Tasmania |
| Identification | |
| Status | Retired, to be preserved |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Island class patrol vessel |
| Tonnage | 885 gt |
| Length | 59.43 m (195 ft) |
| Beam | 10.97 m (36 ft) |
| Draught | 4.26 m (14 ft) |
| Ice class | None |
| Propulsion | 2 xBritish Polar Engines 12-cylinder 2,100 bhp (1,600 kW), driving avariable-pitch propeller |
| Speed | 12.5–16.5 knots (23–31 km/h) |
| Capacity | 200 tons fuel |
| Crew | 43 |
| Aircraft carried | 1MD Helicopters MD 500 can be embarked |
| Notes | [2] |
TheMYSteve Irwin is a 59-metre (194 ft) motor vessel that previously was the flagship of theSea Shepherd Conservation Society, and was used in theirdirect action campaigns againstwhaling and against illegal fisheries activities. The vessel was built in 1975 and formerly served as aScottish Fisheries Protection Agencyconservation enforcement patrol boat, the FPVWestra, for 28 years.
Sea Shepherd had originally christened the vessel theMVRobert Hunter after CanadianRobert Hunter,[3] co-founder ofGreenpeace, but it was renamed in honor ofThe Crocodile Hunter starSteve Irwin, whohad died just over a year earlier, on September 4, 2006.[4] Irwin had considered joining the vessel on a voyage toAntarctica shortly before his death, and the renaming was endorsed by his widowTerri.[5]
The ship and her crew, and their efforts for conservation, were the subject of theAnimal Planet showWhale Wars.
The MV Steve Irwin is now in the ownership of thenot for profit Ship4Good. In late 2024, Ship4Good announced a new long-term partnership with marine debris prevention charity -Tangaroa Blue Foundation. In 2025, the MV Steve Irwin will come out of retirement for a new mission to remove and prevent marine debris across Australia and regions.
In January 2007, the ship was struck from the BritishShip Register after aJapanese request.[6] The ship has been registered in theNetherlands as of October 8, 2007.[7]
The FPVWestra[2] was laid up ready for disposal in 2003 when Sea Shepherd purchased her in November 2006 and renamed herRobert Hunter.
In February 2007,Robert Hunter joinedFarley Mowat in order to prevent the Japanese whaling vesselNisshin Maru from hunting in an action Sea Shepherd called Operation Leviathan. Sea Shepherd members threw bottles of foul-smellingbutyric acid onto the decks of theNisshin Maru. The Japanese say three members of the whaler were injured in the attack.Robert Hunter andFarley Mowat obstructed the path of the whaling ship,[8] andRobert Hunter andKaiko Maru collided with each other. One Japanese official accused the Sea Shepherd organisation of behaving "like pirates".Robert Hunter sustained a 3-foot gash in the hull above the waterline at the stern of the ship.[9]
Steve Irwin has also participated in "Operation Migaloo" (named afterMigaloo, thealbinohumpback whale) that started in November 2007,[10] and after repairs were completed inLaunceston and a brief stop over inMelbourne, she was scheduled to depart for theAntarctic on December 1, 2007.
On January 15, 2008, after throwing packages of butyric acid onto the decks and attempting to entangle a hunting ship's propeller,[11] two Sea Shepherd members boarded the Japanese whaling vesselYūshin Maru No. 2.Paul Watson stated that it was his intention to create an international incident through the boarding and expected detainment.[12] They later stated that their intent had been to present a protest note to its captain.[13] Benjamin Potts, a 28-year-old cook fromSydney, Australia, and Giles Lane, a 35-year-old engineer fromLeeds,United Kingdom, were detained by crew ofYūshin Maru No. 2.
Sea Shepherd claimed that the two had been kidnapped and tied to the radar mast for several hours with ropes andzip ties.[14] Potts and Lane, however, later stated that they were tied for only fifteen minutes to the side of the ship and a couple of minutes to the radio mast before being taken below deck.[15]Glenn Inwood, a spokesperson for the whalers from theInstitute of Cetacean Research (ICR), said that the activists were being held in an unlocked office, but were being guarded.[16] In another statement, they stated that the action of boarding their vehicle was illegal and that the men were being held pending decisions on their future.[17]
On January 16 the ICR issued a statement claiming that the protesters had thrown canisters of acid on board the ship and attempted to damage property. They also denied claims that the men had been assaulted and tied to the ship's mast.Hideki Moronuki further stated that "The ICR (Institute of Cetacean Research) is ready to release the two Conservationists provided that full security can be secured for our research vessel. Sea Shepherd is a very violent organisation." In a letter faxed toSteve Irwin, the ICR stated that part of the handover conditions include that Sea Shepherd "must not take any violent action or video/photo shooting activities against us."[18] The acid in question was, according to Sea Shepherd, butyric acid, which was used not to damage the ship itself but to render the work-deck unusable due to its foul and long-lasting smell.[19]
On January 17, the Australian customs shipMV Oceanic Viking started preparation to transfer the two men held on the whaling vessel.[20] On the morning of January 18, the two men were safely transferred to theMV Oceanic Viking.[21] After an investigation by theAustralian Federal Police, no criminal action was taken against the conservationists.[22]
Both sides accused the other of terrorism during the incident. The ICR called the butyric acid attack onYūshin Maru No. 2 an "inhumane terrorist attack" and called on the Australian Government to seize theSteve Irwin.[23] Conversely,Steve Irwin 1st Officer Peter Brown stated that "the Institute of Cetacean Research is acting like a terrorist organisation [...] Here they are taking hostages and making demands. Our policy is that we don't respond to terrorist demands."[24][25]
Following the March 3 clashes between Sea Shepherd members aboardSteve Irwin and Japanese whalers, the Dutch government announced that it was investigating the incident as the vessel sails under the Dutch flag.[26]
On February 6,Steve Irwin collided with the vesselYūshin Maru No. 2 (Japanese:第2勇新丸) and later with the vesselYūshin Maru No. 3 (Japanese:第3勇新丸) while they were whaling in the Southern Ocean.[27] The Japanese-basedInstitute of Cetacean Research claimed that MYSteve Irwin deliberately turned into the stern side of the vesselYūshin Maru No. 3 to ram her. Video footage of the incident was later released by the institute showing the incident.[28]Steve Irwin's operator Paul Watson denied the ramming, saying "They weren't rammed, two vessels collided—theYushin Maru 3 and theSteve Irwin when they shot in front of us to transfer whale."[29]
For the next year, the ship was drydocked in Brisbane while repairs to the hull and other alterations could be made. Included in these renovations was the installation ofSteve Irwin's own water cannon for use in campaigns.[30] After three days, a suspected Japanese-chartered aircraft located theSteve Irwin en route to the Southern Ocean and instructed theMV Shōnan Maru 2 to observe the movements of the vessel. Heavy swells barred the Delta from reaching the vessel, and, upon arrival, a JapaneseLRAD was used against the helicopter which forced it to stand down.[31] For the next two weeks,Shōnan Maru 2 continued to observeSteve Irwin, despite continued attempts by the ship to lose the tail. Ultimately,Steve Irwin returned to Australia, whereShōnan Maru was unable to track her due to a heavy storm, in addition to legal complications.
In January 2010, the ship continued to hunt for the Japanese fleet. After the loss ofMY Ady Gil in a collision withShonan Maru No.2,Steve Irwin met up withMY Bob Barker, with which she exchanged fuel, supplies, and crew.[32] The ship then returned toFremantle to restock, departing on January 30.[33] In the meantime,Bob Barker had located the factory ship,Nisshin Maru, and was tailing the ship. On February 8,Steve Irwin joinedBob Barker in pursuit ofNisshin Maru. Once the two Sea Shepherd vessels had linked up,Steve Irwin took up position behindNisshin Maru to obstruct the factory ships slipway and engaged her with water cannon. On February 15,Pete Bethune departed fromSteve Irwin on ajet ski, boardingShōnan Maru 2. He was subsequently detained and later arrested by theJapan Coast Guard for trespassing.[34][35][36] The two ships remained behind the whaler untilSteve Irwin was forced to return to Australia on February 18, arriving in Hobart on March 6.[citation needed]
In late February 2011, during Operation No Compromise,Steve Irwin was contacted by theRoyal New Zealand Navy to take part in the search forBerserk, a polar exploration vessel owned by renowned explorerJarle Andhøy, which had activated her emergency transponder nearMcMurdo Sound during a storm. The search was eventually called off afterSteve Irwin found an empty life raft, which was later confirmed to have been fromBerserk. The three people on board are presumed dead.[37]
Steve Irwin began patrolling the territorial waters ofLibya in June 2011 in an effort to spot unauthorised bluefin tuna fishing boats and cut their fishing nets. She was met with attempts by some fishermen to incapacitate it, to which it responded with water hoses and stink bombs.[38][39] On July 15, 2011 the ship was held by the British Government due to a pending lawsuit by a Maltese fishing company.[40] The ship was released on August 2, 2011 after a bond of£520,000 was posted.[41] As of September 2011[update], the ship was docked in the South Quay of West India Dock, London.[42]
In December,Steve Irwin joinedBob Barker andBrigitte Bardot in locating and pursuing the Japanese whaling fleet, which had passed by off the western Australian coast, on the way to the Southern Ocean for whaling operations. A drone surveillance aircraft launched fromSteve Irwin located the whaling fleet some 500 miles off the southwest coast of Australia on December 24.[43][44] After chasing the fleet for four days,Steve Irwin had to break off and escortBrigitte Bardot back to Fremantle, afterBrigitte Bardot was damaged by arogue wave.[45]
On January 5Steve Irwin arrived inFremantle Harbour escorting the severely damagedBrigitte Bardot from the Southern Ocean, monitored by the Japanese whaling shipShōnan Maru 2.[46] While in port,Steve Irwin defied an order by the Fremantleharbourmaster to lower herJolly Roger-styled flag after docking in Fremantle.[47] After departing the port, a team from environmentalist group "Forest Rescue Australia" approached and illegally[48] boarded the security shipShōnan Maru 2, climbing over spikes andrazor wire ininternational waters[49] off the coast ofBunbury, Western Australia with the assistance of small boat crews from theSteve Irwin.[50] While Japan agreed to release the activists, the Australian Prime MinisterJulia Gillard slammed the action as "unacceptable" and warned that others who carry out similar protests would be "charged and convicted".[51]
On February 20,Sea Shepherd Conservation Society founder Paul Watson claimed the Japanese whaling shipNisshin Maru rammedSteve Irwin,MY Sam Simon andBob Barker multiple times in a confrontation in the Southern Ocean, north of Australia's Casey Research Station in Antarctica.[52]
On December 2, 2018 Sea Shepherd announced that the ship will be retired, stripped and recycled in China, and theMY Ocean Warrior will be taking its spot as the flagship vessel of the fleet.[53][54]
Following news of the ship's possible scrapping, the ship was saved by Kerrie Goodall, founder of the Ship4Good Philanthropic Organization, successfully leading the "Save the Steve" campaign. TheSteve Irwin was moored inWilliamstown, Victoria, with possible uses and future location of the ship being discussed. The 'Steve' is recognised as a historic ship by the Australian Maritime Museum. Currently there is a basic Sea Shepherd Museum, bar, cafe, ship tours, weekend and monthly events[55]
The vessel is temporarily inNewcastle Harbour for repairs and plans to eventually head north to Brisbane.[56]
The main engines of the Steve Irwin were restarted for the first time in 5 years. And a team began working on the vessel to get her back to sea, to work in another activist role towards ocean and wildlife conservation.[57]
He hoped to find boats whose names were not on the ICCAT list at all, making them clearly illegal. Those he would confront, sending in divers to cut the nets and free the tuna.
The fishermen also attempted to lay a rope in front of the activists' boat, the Steve Irwin—owned by the U.S.-based Sea Shepherd Conservation Society—hoping to disable it. Environmentalists responded with fire hoses and stink bombs.[permanent dead link]
The three Australian men, who the Japanese whalers claim illegally boarded the whaling security vesselShonan Maru 2 in darkness off the coast of Western Australia state on Sunday, were subject to Japanese laws because they had been detained on the high seas; however, the men were never charged because while in violation of International maritime law, Australian conservation law protected the men. Australia's Attorney-GeneralNicola Roxon said on Monday.
 Royal Navy | |
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 Bangladesh Navy |
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 Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard |
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