The 8,725 ton Hiyo Maru 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

Greenpeace

Greenpeace is a non-governmental environmental organization with offices in over forty countries and with an international coordinating body in Amsterdam, The Netherlands...

, 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

Whale meat is the flesh of whales used for consumption by humans or other animals. It is prepared in various ways, and is historically part of the diet and cuisine of various communities that live near an ocean, including those of Japan, Norway, Iceland, and the Arctic...

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