PERU SHIPS, PLANES ATTACK WHALERS, SEIZE 4 VESSELS

Document Type: 
Collection: 
Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 
CIA-RDP75-00149R000600090086-6
Release Decision: 
RIPPUB
Original Classification: 
K
Document Page Count: 
1
Document Creation Date: 
November 16, 2016
Document Release Date: 
March 17, 1999
Sequence Number: 
86
Case Number: 
Publication Date: 
November 17, 1954
Content Type: 
NSPR
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PDF icon CIA-RDP75-00149R000600090086-6.pdf92.42 KB
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17 )914 'eru Ships, Planes Attack Whalers, Seize 4 Vessels By Walter Hamshar Peruvian wars ipsanc p bombed and str fed' the ni teen-ship whaling fleet operated under the Panamanian flag by Aristotle Socrates Onassis, in- ternational ship operator, while the fleet was -hunting whales yesterday and Monday off the coast of South America, accord- ing to reports received at the Onassis offices, 655 Madison Ave. At least four vessels have been seized and the mother ship, the 200-mile territorial waters ..1-l, ara harri i to fnreien fish- -- T ^l limited range." The battle stems from a de- cree announced by Peru, Chile and Ecuador: barring foreign ships from whaling within 2001. miles of their coasts. The decree' was announced after the Onas- sis fleet had set out from Hamburg, Germany, to hunt, whales off the South American) coast until the season in the Antarctic opens in December. Orders to Flee Mr. Onassis said the fleet had been ordered to 'proceed and hunt outside the 200-mile zone, which contains the Humboldt Current. The incident is expected to result in an International Court The mother ship ra she came under attack by a Peruvian plane at 8 a. in. yes- terday New York time. The plane hovered above the vessel for several hours strafing the crew, the report said. A distress call was sent out by the whaling vessel because of the attack, but the Challenger is not in a sink- ing condition. The Olympic Conqueror and Olympic Fighter, two hunter Olympic Challenger, is being; ships, were boarded by Peruvian pursued by Peruvian naval craft. I Navy personnel 260 miles from She was last: reported 420 miles; the nation's coast, according to off the South' American coast the. radio report. Their crews heading noith. No, reports of, surrendered without a struggle ,and were taken on board de- casualties, have been received. stroyers while prize crews were The 'P'eruvian government put on board the whaling ships. confired the attack in an an- nou dement at Lima, according to he United Press, and Put On Monday the destroyers Aguiree and Rodriguez captured the whalers Olympic Victor and t number of seized vessels atl Olympic Lightning by surprise ive. . The government said. then only 180 miles off the coast, Peru action had been taken because said, which would put them the fleet was operating withinl:within the prohibited 200-mile . zone. Peruvian officials said the Navy and Air Force had been sent out "in defense of national sovereignty and of the country's marine wealth." of Justice action to determine if the three South American nations can legally extend their territorial waters out 200 miles. The extension was to protect the marine life and help the coastal whaling industry in the, three countries. Mr. Onassis pointed out that the territorial limits of 'virtu- ally all the nations of the world end from three .to. twelve miles off their coastline at sea. Chile in Accord SANTIAGO, Chile, Nov. 16 0P). -Chilean Foreign Minister Roberto AIdurlate said today that if it is true that the Ones- sis whaling fleet is operating outside the territorial waters ofl Chile, Peru and Ecuador "that means simply a punishable vio-, lation and in no way ignorance of the inalienable right of these three countries to proclaim their sovereignty over the adjacent seas.' The Foreign Minister added that representatives of the three l countries will meet in Lima next month to ratify the recent ac- cords on sovereignty and pen- alties, which include the seizure of the ships and fines. The Panamanian government was reported last night prepar- ing a stiff protest to Peru for the incident. Two Panamanian inspectors are with the whaling fleet, which is manned by 1,000 German crewmen. CPYRGHT rpprovea rvr Release--2DD0/D5/24 : _CrA-RDP75- Ships in Pursuit Peruvian ships were in pur- suit of the Challenger with or- ders to capture her'to determine how many whales had been ? caught in the prohibited zone. Reports that one of the whalers had returned gunfire were scoffed at by an Onassis official. The only armament on board the ships are the whal- CPYRGHT Approved For Release 2000/05/24: CIA-RDP75-00149R000600090086-6