Overview
- The Bandero, which collided Tuesday with the Norway-flagged Antarctic Sea, left minor hull damage near the stern but no injuries among the nearly 60 crew.
- Aker QRILL alleges a deliberate strike near a diesel tank and released video showing the Bandero closing on the trawler’s stern, while the Captain Paul Watson Foundation calls it an accidental contact during non-violent disruption.
- Aker says it will pursue legal action, and any formal inquiry is expected at the Mongolia‑flagged Bandero’s next port, where rules that require an overtaking ship to keep clear could be tested.
- The Bandero sailed under the group’s Operation Krill Wars, which has included attempts to damage nets using heavy metal shredding devices to halt trawling.
- The confrontation sharpens debate over an industrial krill fishery managed by CCAMLR, after record catches last season and Aker’s status as the largest harvester raised fresh concerns about pressure on a key food source for whales, seals, and penguins.