The Nisshin Maru will be taking kerosene, charcoal, instant noodles, rice, and other supplies to the northern coastal communities hit hardest by the tsunami. Bringing aid and comfort to the victims of this disaster is a far more positive role for the Nisshin Maru than slaughtering whales in the Southern Ocean, which is where the fleet still would have been if not for Sea Shepherd shutting down their unlawful activities in mid-February.