The 8,725 ton ''Hiyo Maru'' (飛鷹丸) was the largest member of the Japanese whaling fleet; providing fuel, resources, and stock storage space for that fleet and its crew. In 1992, it was renamed and re-flagged to Panama as the ''Oriental Bluebird''. According to Greenpeace, after a dispute with the Panamanian Government in 2008, it was de-flagged and re-registered to Japan. The ''Hiyo Maru'' served as the fuel tanker for Japan's whaling fleet, and was alleged by Greenpeace to also transport

whale meat Whale meat, broadly speaking, may include all cetaceans (whales, dolphins, porpoises) and all parts of the animal: muscle (meat), organs (offal), skin (muktuk), and fat ( blubber). There is relatively little demand for whale meat, compared t ...

. In August 2010, the ship was sold to China to be scrapped.

Confrontations with conservationists

During the 2007-2008 whaling season in the Southern Ocean, Greenpeace tried to stop a fuel transfer between the ''Oriental Bluebird'' and the ''Nisshin Maru'' by positioning a zodiac boat between the two ships. The boat was nearly crushed but was able to escape. Hours after the incident, the

Sea Shepherd The sea, connected as the world ocean or simply the ocean, is the body of salty water that covers approximately 71% of the Earth's surface. The word sea is also used to denote second-order sections of the sea, such as the Mediterranean Sea, ...

vessel the ''Farley Mowat'' rammed the ''Oriental Bluebird'' and tore a gash into the ship's hull.http://www.seasheperd.wiki.com/wiki/Oriental_Bluebird

References

{{Whaling fleet of the Institute of Cetacean Research Oil tankers Whaling ships Whaling in Japan