Outrage over Japan's plan to slaughter humpback whales

Anti-whaling 'pirates' get more muscle for Antarctic skirmish
Andrew Darby, Hobart
January 10, 2007/the AGE


Greenpeace ship Esperanza en route to the Southern Ocean.

ANTI-WHALING forces closing on the Antarctic are gearing up for their most determined attempt yet made to halt the Japanese whaling fleet.

The activists of Sea Shepherd said their two ships, which aim to disable the whaling vessels, will reach Antarctic waters in about a week and begin to hunt the fleet.

Today they will unveil their new 1000-tonne ship Robert Hunter, which Sea Shepherd president Paul Watson said would be quick enough to match the factory ship Nisshin Maru.

Whale activists missing
Andrew Darby
February 9, 2007 - 11:40AM/the AGE


president Paul Watson: "The Nisshin Maru was fleeing the Robert Hunter and came directly towards the Farley Mowat."
Photo: Sea Shepherd


Two Sea Shepherd activists and their Zodiac inflatable are reported missing in the Antarctic, forcing the anti-whaling organisation to drop its pursuit of the Japanese whaling fleet and call for help.

The inflatable carrying an Australian and American was last seen operating alongside the factory ship Nisshin Maru when a sudden fog and drizzle descended on the sea near the Balleny Islands, south west of Tasmania, according to a Sea Shepherd statement.

Sea Shepherd activists had attacked the Nisshin Maru from inflatables after they found it early today, attempting to seal up its drain pipes, and lobbing foul-smelling butylic acid onto its deck.

Both missing crew members were wearing wetsuits under survival suits and were equipped with a GPS and a VHF radio. "We have not received any transmissions," the statement said.

The two Sea Shepherd vessels Farley Mowat and Robert Hunter have set up a search grid and the organisation has issued a distress signal.

The US based-organisation has asked the six ship Japanese fleet for assistance, and is reporting the situation to New Zealand, Australian and US authorities.

Surprise encounter

After weeks of unsuccessfully searching the Ross Sea for the whalers, the two Sea Shepherd vessels Robert Hunter and Farley Mowat appear to have taken the fleet by surprise.

Sea Shepherd's president, Paul Watson, told theage.com.au his ships evaded satellite surveillance in order to pounce on the fleet near the Balleny Islands, far south-west of Tasmania.

"I ran the ships through the ice fields south of the Balleny Islands and came up on them from the other side," Captain Watson said.

"We took a pounding in the ice, but the satellite cannot track a ship and wake through ice nor would they be looking there.

"The Nisshin Maru was fleeing the Robert Hunter and came directly towards the Farley Mowat. At two miles, they turned and fled in the other direction."

Whalers attacked

In their first attack, Captain Watson said his crew cleared the whale-flensing deck of the Nisshin Maru, when they threw a non-toxic "butter acid" on it from inflatable boats.

Activists in inflatables armed with nail guns were also fixing steel plates over drain outlets in the side of the fleeing factory ship, preventing the escape of whale blood from the flensing deck.

He said the fleet had scattered and the Robert Hunter was still in contact with Nisshin Maru, which was steaming away at high speed and attempting to use its water cannon on the activists. "They are easily avoided," he said.

The attack came almost five weeks after Sea Shepherd began searching for the fleet in the Ross Sea, and with their vessels beginning to run low on fuel.

The group has begun negotiations to enter Australia or New Zealand ports, a decision complicated by their status as "pirate" vessels. The Farley Mowat has been stripped of its Belizean registration, and Britain is to de-register the Robert Hunter in 10 days' time.

Talks are under way with both the Australian and New Zealand Governments in a bid to avoid arrest.

Greenpeace's ship Esperanza, which had hoped to be first to reach the whalers, was about a day's sailing away from the position where Sea Shepherd found them, and approaching from the west, a Greenpeace spokesman said.

The Japanese Government's Institute for Cetacean Research, which owns the fleet, is harpooning up to 935 minke whales and 10 fin whales under its program of "scientific research". A spokesman for the ICR was unable to comment immediately.

http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/whale-activists-lost-at-sea/2007/02/09/1170524263403.html

Wow, the Japanese actually assisted in rescuing those retards, who then continued to pursue the whalers.

Why not just shoot these "sea shepherds" and gut them along with the whales?

"In their first attack, Captain Watson said his crew cleared the whale-flensing deck of the Nisshin Maru, when they threw a non-toxic "butter acid" on it from inflatable boats. "

I can't believe you not only quoted that, but highlighted it msolga. Nails and acid - non toxic.....

I hope someday to see the Youtube video of these "shepherds" walking the plank into shark infested waters. Now that would be entertaining.

The soulless retardation of the enviro-freak human hating anti-hunters has fully manifested itself here. Too bad humans aren't like tigers and eat their pacifist young.

Hey msolga, I hear New Zealand has some awesome hunting opportunities, especially for non-native species brought in by europeans long ago. I hope to get down there someday and blast something. I'll post pics when I do.

msolga, thanks for posting article!

Gotta love the pirates determination and courage!!

cj. Is English a second language for you?

Sea Shepherd in plan to ram whalers.
February 12, 2007 - 1:24PM/the AGE

Hardline anti-whaling activists are threatening to sacrifice their ship in Antarctic waters by ramming a Japanese whaler.

Captain Paul Watson, head of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, said today his vessel, the Farley Mowat, was almost out of fuel and he was considering giving the Japanese whaler, the Nisshin Maru, a "steel enema" by ramming its slipway .

Watson said his boat, currently north of the Balleny Islands, west of the Ross Sea, was now seen as a pirate vessel, and he would rather lose it in defence of whales than to bureaucrats.

"I have spent 30 years of my life trying to protect whales. I am getting sick and tired of politicians doing nothing," he said.

He intends to take drastic action, probably in the next 24 hours, to slam his vessel into the Nisshin Maru's slipway, preventing it from hunting more whales.

"We would probably be stuck into them. They would have to go back to Tokyo with us sticking out of their rear end," he said.

"Perhaps it's time to give these cruel whalers a steel enema they will never forget."

Watson said the move could be avoided only by a pledge from the New Zealand or the Australian government to stop the "criminal operations" by the Japanese.

"Perhaps it is time for a dramatic showdown after 20 years of illegal whaling activity in the Antarctic Whale Sanctuary," a statement from Sea Shepherd said.

The Farley Mowat was rated a pirate vessel after leaving Melbourne on December 29, while the other Sea Shepherd ship, the Robert Hunter, will lose its British registration on February 19.

Meanwhile, Greenpeace anti-whaling protesters have still to find the whaling vessels.

Sara Holden, aboard their vessel the Esperanza, said they were en route to try to locate the Japanese fleet.

AAP


http://www.theage.com.au/news/world/sea-shepherd-in-plan-to-ram-whalers/2007/02/12/1171128863154.html

Hi Olga

I've been following with interest
What an amazing story in the making

Hey there, Endy.

(let's hope I can actually post this time! :wink: )

This is rather startling stuff, isn't it?

I have quite mixed & confused feelings. I'm furious with the Japanese for going about their so-called "scientific research" despite the international laws protecting whales. How dare they carry out these activities in a whale sanctuary, for heaven's sake! I admire the folk of Sea Shepherd, some of whom have spent something like 20 years "policing" laws that nations like my own should have been policing. However, Japan is an important trading partner of Australia, etc, etc, etc ..... So we do nothing & allow it to happen. Sigh.
So Greenpeace & Sea Shepherd spend an extremely frustrating time this southern summer, trying to hunt down the Japanese whalers without much success .... In the meantime Sea Shepherd is unable to use Australian & New Zealand ports & time is running out ...
So now it's come to this. My confusion about Sea Shepherd's stance is that I admire (enormously!) the work that they have done to defend whales for so long ... but I'm a strong believer in non-violence. (Though who knows what's really going on there in the Antarctic?) The perception that Sea Shepherd is using violent means to achieve its ends could turn a lot of people off the cause. And whales need all the support they can get for their survival.
Australia has responsibility for the Southern Whale Sanctuary and does nothing to avert the totally unnecessary annual slaughter .... The Japanese glibly carry on about "research" ....

You see what I mean? It goes around & around & around ....

The only thing that I'm 100% certain of is that I want the slaughter to stop! But what is the way to achieve this? What can be done?

Anyway, here's the latest report:

'Japanese whalers rammed us twice'
February 13, 2007 - 10:39AM/the AGE


Anti-whaling ship Robert Hunter colllides with Japanese whaling vessel Kaiko Maru.
Photo: Sea Shepherd

The leader of a protest ship has blamed the crew of a Japanese whaling vessel for a collision in Antarctic waters.

Protest leader of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society Paul Watson said the incident happened after one of its ships, the Robert Hunter, saw the whaling vessel Kaiko Maru pursue some whales. ... <cont>

http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/japanese-whalers-rammed-us-twice/2007/02/13/1171128941016.html

If you're interested, here's how AGE readers (Melbourne, Australia) responded to the question:

Protest leader of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society Paul Watson said the incident happened after one of its ships, the Robert Hunter, saw the whaling vessel Kaiko Maru pursue some whales.

Do you support the actions of the Sea Shepard?:

http://blogs.theage.com.au/yoursay/archives/2007/02/whaling_protest.html

Anyone who's ever piloted a boat of any kind can see who's ramming who. Note the little terrorist scumbag with the bucket of good intent in the foreground.

F-man seems to have trouble with truth more than with reading comprehension.

"Bottom line for the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society is that whaling in the Southern Oceans continues to be illegal and we will continue to oppose it and that means we have the legal right in accordance with the U.N. World Charter for Nature to once again intercept the pirate Japanese whalers in the Southern Oceans."


Realities of international law not on whales' side

Fact is, many international laws work by consensus. A consensus Iceland's government is making it perfectly clear it is willing to ignore. Japan's government apparently feels much the same way - allowing whaling in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary.

The reality is that these whales do not belong to any nation. They range far wide outside of Iceland's territorial waters. Yet, the pro-whaling Icelandic government feels it can make unilateral decisions about hunting them.


ILLEGAL

They have no "right" to threaten other humans to save a whale, any more than those whales are going to show up in court.

Give it up.

I imagine that frustrations and tempers could easily get out of hand in a situation like this. Any confrontation as impassioned as this - where law and order is being flouted, is a dangerous one.
This is the second time recently that I've been sadly disappointed in Mr Howard's stance. If people die out there, I'd be inclined to lay the blame for that at his doorstep.

I have a great sympathy for the activists. I know how it feels to have to stand by and watch national laws being broken and no 'authority' stepping in to stop it.
Although I like to believe that in their position, I wouldn't want put a man's life in danger by my actions, that is me, my thinking. I have not been fighting this thing all my adult life, like some. I haven't had to hear and see the whales being slaughtered. I haven't had to stand by and be made to feel contempt for my own species because of the callous actions of a few.

People say that it's wrong for a man to stand up and fight another man to protect a different kind of mammal - even if it's one that cannot defend itself. But this is to justify their own participation in the slaughter of animals (mammals) - a shameless industrial slaughter. (And I'm not a veggie, btw)

I think that each man has to decide for himself when it's right to intervene in barbaric cruelty - and when it's best to partake.
Personally, I think it's time for 'Man' to realise he is just another part of this complex environment - and that the planet isn't just a table for him to feed off.

Those people are fighting for what they sincerely and passionately believe in - just how many of us have the guts to really do that?

I believe in the right to hunt and gather and provide sustenance. There is no commercial hunting, at least in the U.S., where we manage our wildlife quite successfully. Usually too successfully.

Here's a proposal, though I dislike participating in threads with over emotional eco-terrorists.

Privatize whale hunting. Issue tags. Make it really expensive. Manage the whales instead of acting like a bunch of flaming idiots.

The Southern Ocean has been, due to the 20+ year old whaling moratorium, been established as a "haven of refuge for whales"--The criminals are the Japanese, Icelanders and Norwegians who disregard the IWC's moratorium

There is no decent inventory of the number of pecies in the SOuthern Oceans, so the "reserach" that the JApanese are doing is a blatant violation of the moratoriums terms.

Being a fan of hunting is no reason to adopt such a position as cj has taken. Selling a license to "market hunt" would merely hike the market price of whalemeat and it would become a really high end meat and there would be noone refusing to eat whale sushi just to save the species. Look at caviar, the various species of sturgeon are almost extinct and they are still being hunted by poaching

Calling this whaling what it truly is -"Poaching"-puts the spotlight on the Japanese fleet. and its very similar to the game protectors in Atosha who put their lives on the line to protect elephants from slaughter.

CJ-why not stick your head up noodges BEW-TOCKS and enjoy the limited view that your position requires. Come back and let us know how many minke and humpback whales exist in the Southern refuge, noone with any real credentials seems to know. Yet you want to sell licenses. That deserves a big DUHHHH.

Humans can show up in court - and have. Injunctions for killing whales were established. The voiceless are animals, cj. The ones you so endearingly slaughter for no other reason than because you can.

So i'm not 'giving up' a damned thing, and will continue fighting for the rights of animals to inhabit the planet without being hunted to extinction - with other issues also blocking humans from the cruel and unnecessary exploitation of animals.

Animal advocates arn't going away. Deal with it...

Stradee, in your honor, I plan to eat at least two different kinds of meat for dinner. Maybe some fois gras. And oh yeah, I just found out that in some of the lower 48 I can buy a wolf tag for cheap, because the state wildlife agencies are sick of dealing with the feds and the likes of your favorite charity on the issue, while the wolves are destroying their livestock and prized trophy hunts. I think I might purchase one. Deal with it.

What if two were sold each year at a cost of, say, $20M each, all of which went to conservation of the species (and maybe counting them - they count frogs here in Michigan by listening for ribbets - hire them).

Then what would you say?

Does Michigan sell hunting licenses to kill species of which they dont have an accurate estimate of the population? Im probably correct if i say NO THEY DONT.

The IWC has its annual meeting in April in A;aska this year. Why not propose the "poaching license" concept and see what everyone cept Japan, Iceland and Norway say.

(Theres an erzats whaling meeting going on in Tokyo now to try to get a consesnus from a bunch of countries that Japan has bribed to vote in an affirmative direction). Right now, its poaching that the Japanese propose, and the Shepherds are risking their lives to stop a criminal act. If you cant see the simple logic of that, then your speaking out of a different orifice than your mouth.