Outrage over Japan's plan to slaughter humpback whales

Iceland killing that first minke whale again after 14 years truly sucks. Why?

In fifty years time, when we've figured out how to communicate with the cetaceans, they are going to ask "How did you let this happen?"

My daughter tells me Iceland has more green arable land than greenland which has more ice and snow than iceland.

What do you make of that?

I think they should swap names!

I bet they speak accordion.

Slick propaganda. The Norge (Norwegians) who colonized Iceland were fleeing the unification of Norway under a king, and didn't want a bunch of yahoos coming along to queer the pitch--so they put the word out that their little island was ice-bound and inhospitable.

However, Eric Raudi (Eric "the Red") was attempting to colonize Greeland, so it was a good PR move to give it an attractive name. The climate of the northern hemisphere was warmer a millenium ago, anyway, and the coast of southern Greenland, if one did not know about the huge glaciation in the interior, probably didn't look all that bad in summer to someone from Norway.

That's a stunning photograph, Amigo.

Fantastic, isn't it?

This is sort of apropos of nothing, but I have often wondered if the barnacles which attach themselves to the whales cause pain or discomfort.

Anyone got any ideas?

The heartbreak of psoriasis.

I have heard that whales breach to remove barnacles.

Breaching is propelling themselves out of the water at full speed and crashing back down into the water again.

Did a bit of Googling and it seems the barnacles do no harm to the whales, but barnacle lice are parasites which eat the whale's skin and can cause infections. It is more likely the whale is trying to get rid of them when it breaches.

It would be hard to have a good scratch if you were a whale, wouldn't it?

Um, no.

Here we go again: The Japanese whaling ships have already set of for the Antarctic & this week in Melbourne,Oz, Sea Shepherd was preparing to go, too:

Japanese Pirate Whalers Preparing for Departure for Antarctica

The Japanese Pirate whaling fleet is set to depart from Japan this week (11/07/2006) on a mission to defy international law and international public opinion.



The 2006/2007 whaling season in the Antarctic Whale Sanctuary is poised to be the most confrontational and volatile anti-whaling campaign to date.

Sea Shepherd Conservation Society has been planning and preparing this campaign since our last return from Antarctica in early 2006. Our objective is not to document or protest Japanese activities. Our objective is to directly intervene against their illegal activities.

Japanese whaling activity in Antarctica is blatantly illegal. It is a violation of the International Whaling Commission global moratorium on whaling. It is illegal to target endangered fin and humpback whales. It is illegal to kill whales in the Australian Antarctic Territory.

Sea Shepherd volunteers are prepared to enforce the law against the criminal whaling activities of the Japanese whaling fleet.

"Our objective is to place ourselves in harm's way to protect these gentle, intelligent, and socially complex sentient beings," said Founder and President of Sea Shepherd Captain Paul Watson. "I have a courageous crew willing to sacrifice their holidays away from their families and willing to risk their lives in one of the most hostile regions on this planet against one of the most ruthless adversaries on this planet."

The Sea Shepherd crew will include volunteers from Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the USA, Great Britain, Bermuda, France, Hungary, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Brazil. The crew are men and women from all walks of life ranging in age from 18 to 60. .....

http://www.seashepherd.org/news/media_061107_1.html

Last week:

Update from Capt. Paul Watson
November 22nd, 2005:

Today, the Sea Shepherd flagship, Farley Mowat, is in the Tasman Sea with sunny skies and calm seas, headed towards Melbourne, Australia, where we will arrive early next week.



In light of new developments in our 2005-6 Antarctic Whale Defense
Campaign, we will be leaving Melbourne during the first week of December, much earlier than originally anticipated. After taking on provisions, equipment, crew, and media, we will head southward to intercept the Japanese fleet, which has already left its harbor headed to the Antarctic Whale Sanctuary. ...... <cont>

http://www.rewilding.org/wp/?p=13

Definition of piracy

Hi satt!

You're thinking that perhaps the Sea Shepherd language is a wee bit too "colourful"? :wink:

Last Update: Tuesday, January 9, 2007. 4:14pm (AEDT)

Esperanza arrives in NZ to combat whaling

The largest vessel in the Greenpeace fleet, the Esperanza, has arrived in Auckland as it prepares to disrupt the Japanese scientific whaling program in the Southern Ocean.

The 72-metre vessel was built in Gdansk, birthplace of Poland's Solidarity trade union, and began its working life as a Russian fire tender.

These days it carries a small armada of inflatable dinghys that enable Greenpeace campaigners to put themselves between the Japanese harpoons and the fin and minke whales hunted in the name of science.

Sarah Holden of Greenpeace says this year the Esperanza will be capable of broadcasting and webcasting live television of its efforts to frustrate the Japanese whaling fleet's antarctic operations.

"Its very important for us to be able to go to places like the Southern Ocean so we can bear witness," she said.

"We can show what is actually happening down there with the Japanese whaling fleets. "

The Esperanza sails in a fortnight.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200701/s1823962.htm

Two months without a response by **** !

Yes! :wink: