Outrage over Japan's plan to slaughter humpback whales

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12/24/2005



Sea Shepherd Intercepts Japanese Whaling Fleet

Sea Shepherd has given the whales a Christmas gift.
No whale will be killed on Christmas Day.

The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society flagship Farley Mowat intercepted the Japanese whaling fleet at 0400 Hours on Christmas day. [Australian EST (Eastern Summer Time)] ....

..... The Nisshin sped up as the Farley Mowat came alongside. A few moments later the factory ship turned and came towards the Farley Mowat despite the fact that the Farley Mowat on the starboard side of the Nisshin Maru had the right of way.

Both ships were on a collision course and the Nisshin Maru's bow was plunging high out of the water as she came at full speed towards the Farley Mowat.

Captain Watson ordered a mooring line deployed behind the Farley Mowat. As soon as the Nisshin Maru saw the line they turned and backed off to avoid their prop being fouled.

At 0600 Hours the Nisshin Maru was heading west into heavy seas with the Farley Mowat on her tail. ..... <cont>

complete Sea Shepherd press release:
http://www.seashepherd.org/news/media_051224_1.html

And the latest from Greenpeace:

Update, December 25: Despite a force 11 gale and winds of 40 knots, the Esperanza has managed to keep the whalers on the run. "It's a great Christmas present for the minke and fin whales," says Shane Rattenbury, our expedition leader in the Southern Ocean. "Our new ship the Esperanza has been able to keep up with the whaling mother ship, the Nisshin Maru, and has not observed any more whales killed since the 5 wesaw yesterday. We expect when the weather clears they will resume whaling, but we will continue to defend the whales."


http://oceans.greenpeace.org/en/the-expedition/news/whalers-found

& the response from the Japanese. Incredible.:

...... The Institute of Cetacean Research (ICR) said protest action by conservationists had not stopped it from conducting minke whale research in the Southern Ocean.

"The issue of sound management and sustainability of whale stocks are far too important to be side-tracked by a 'D-grade PR campaign'," the ICR's Hiroshi Hatanaka said.

"The non-lethal population surveys, abundance estimates and biopsy sampling [of whales] conducted by the Keiko Maru make up an important aspect of our research.

"We look forward to the return of the vessel to conduct this science."

Dr Hatanaka said the sick crew member was in a stable condition in hospital and would return to Japan as soon as he was able to be transported.

He said that the Japanese skippers were documenting the behaviour of Greenpeace and their vessels and would file a full report to the Japanese Government.

"Already, there are serious violations that provide reasons for concern in terms of safety and international maritime law," he said.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/protest-ships-close-shave-with-whalers/2005/12/25/1135445477114.html

"The non-lethal population surveys, abundance estimates and biopsy sampling [of whales] conducted by the Keiko Maru make up an important aspect of our research."

That's breathtaking!

No new developments reported today. Nothing new from Greenpeace, Sea Shepherd or the mainstream Oz media. I hope things are as quiet in the southern ocean as in the media.

Thats a great trick, deploy a long piece of rope to any boat that appears to be intercepting you. Itll get sucked into their props and really screw up the shaft box packing.
Takes cojones though, you have to be able to cutr the line so it doesnt cause damage to your boat.
We were given this advice to help avoid pirates in the Gulf of Maine and Fundy.

But in this case the "trick" was used by the pirates....

People who value animal life more than human disgust me.

Dear MsOlga,

Aren't you a good friend of HelenofTroy's. Am I remembering right??

I'm glad you've been following this. I haven't had a chance to read the whole thread yet, but it looks like you have given it some great coverage.

I'm glad to have the websites for these different organizations. I will be going tothem as soon as I fininsh this post to give them some healthy donations. I didn't realize the Japanese were at it again. When I think if the trouble we go to in California to save a humpback, it makes me sad that they are bing slaughtered. Here is an article that will give you joy!

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/12/14/MNGNKG7Q0V1.DTL&hw=humpback+whale&sn=001&sc=1000

Anon

Guess I'm a whale lover - and it just seems wrong to be killing whales

Hello, Anon!

So you're still talking to me after yesterday? :wink: (Don't worry folks, just a misunderstanding (completely my fault!) on another A2K thread. All cleared up now! )

No, sorry, but I'm not a friend of HelenofTroy. (from Abuzz?) Nothing wrong with your memory, I'm sure.

And you're a good person! Those good folk on the waves of the southern ocean need all the support they can get. I'll thank you on their behalf!

This is so dispiriting & distressing to watch through the media, isn't it?

Yes, that article (in Anon's link above) gave me a feeling of great joy!


When the whale realized it was free, it began swimming around in circles, according to the rescuers. Moskito said it swam to each diver, nuzzled him and then swam to the next one.

"It seemed kind of affectionate, like a dog that's happy to see you,'' Moskito said. "I never felt threatened. It was an amazing, unbelievable experience."

Humpback whales are known for their complex vocalizations that sound like singing and for their acrobatic breaching, an apparently playful activity in which they lift almost their entire bodies out of the water and splash down.

Nothing new to report again, today. I wonder what's happening?

Ms Olga,

Then we have those that are so ready to kill them. It seems pretty barbarious to me. It's too bad the Austrailians don't go after the Japanese whaling ships.

I have visited the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and Greenpeace International and given them healthy donations. I hope it helps them! I'm thinking about making an annual pledge.

As to your question about what the latest happenings are, I have the following link.

http://oceans.greenpeace.org/en/the-expedition/news/whalers-found

Day by Day Ms. Olga, we just hope to continue to get in their way and make it tougher and tougher for them to continue the slaughter!!

Anon

Yes, well I think your instincts are right, husker. Killing endangered species purely for profit in the name of "research" is hardly commendable. Add to that that there's no way to kill these huge creatures quickly & humanely ... well, I don't know how anyone could support that. I could post details of the barbarity of the killings but I'd rather not. I guess if anyone wants to know more about those things they can find more information on the Greenpeace & Sea Shepherd sites.

Thanks, Anon. I think that Greenpeace update (26th) was the same as the (25th) one I posted here. We're a day ahead of you here in Oz.

Yes, the Australian government did have sufficient grounds to protest to the Japanese government (see earlier posts on this thread) but chose not to, much to the distress of many & censure from the federal opposition (Labor) party & the Greens. "Diplomacy" is the course they chose. As if anyone's listening! What a wimp out!

Perhaps the Esperanza, the Arctic Sunrise, and Farley Mowat need to start carrying torpedos!!

Anon

Now there's a thought! :wink:

Talk about the kettle calling the saucepan black!
Looks like Greenpeace & Sea Shepherd might be having some impact, judging from this:

Whalers hit out at Greenpeace 'pirates'
December 27, 2005 - 3:03PM/the AGE

Japanese whalers have called on Greenpeace to stop pursuing its fleet in the Southern Ocean, accusing the environmental organisation of engaging in piracy.

In an open letter to Greenpeace, Institute of Cetacean Research director-general Hiroshi Hatanaka said the environmentalists were behaving dangerously in pursuing whaling ships.

"Greenpeace's intention to highlight environmental degradation of the seas with the aim of protecting the marine environment is in itself laudable," Dr Hatanaka said in the letter.

"However, your organisation's actual behaviour is nothing but an opinionated display of self-righteousness.

"I strongly request Greenpeace stops pursuing our research vessels immediately and refrains from coming any closer in future."

Two Greenpeace vessels, the Esperanza and the Arctic Sunrise, have spent the past week deep in the Southern Ocean engaged in a cat and mouse game with a fleet of six whaling ships.

Japan plans to slaughter 935 minke whales and 10 fin whales in Antarctic waters this summer as part of its whale research program. ... <cont>

http://www.theage.com.au/news/world/whalers-hit-out-at-greenpeace-pirates/2005/12/27/1135445561856.html

The Institute of Cetacean Research, indeed! What a joke!


So, if Greenpeace are "pirates", what might one call the whalers & the business interests they represnt? I can think of lots of appropriate names!

And here's a video from the same source (the AGE newspaper in Melbourne, Oz. I'm sorry about the cell phone ad at the beginning - can't do anything about it!

Activists confront Japanese whalers
22 December 2005

Greenpeace campaigners have confronted a Japanese whaling fleet in the Southern Ocean, sparking Japanese accusations the activists are engaging in piracy in trying to block the annual hunt.:

http://media.theage.com.au/?site=age&rid=17743&source=theage.com.au%252Fnews%252Fworld%252Fwhalers-hit-out-at-greenpeace-pirates%252F2005%252F12%252F27%252F1135445561856.html&sy=age&t=2PJ2KN&player=wm7&rate=33&flash=1&ie=1