Sea Shepherd Protesters Ram Japanese Whalers in Intense Clash

Sea Shepherd Protesters Ram Japanese Whalers in Intense Clash

www.news.com.au

A PROTEST ship in the Southern Ocean has rammed a Japanese whaling vessel in what protesters say is the most intense clash the two groups have ever had.

...Mr Watson has accused Japan of using a Long Range Acoustical Device (LRAD) weapon, which fires loud bursts of sound, at his crew and a helicopter.

"They used the LRAD twice on a helicopter. That is an extremely irresponsible thing to do because they could bring down the aircraft," Mr Watson said.

(visit the link for the full news article)

Sea Shepherd's ship The Steve Irwin has been accused of violently ramming the Japanese whaling vessel Yushin Maru No. 2

Paul Watson, Captain of the Steve Irwin has claimed that rather than his crew being the agressors, the Yushin Maru No. 2 came between his craft and the Yushin Maru No. 1 leaving him with no option but to collide with it.

The Steve Irwin was in close vicinity to Yushin Maru No. 1 and attempting to halt it from hauling a whale up its slipway.

"I couldn't move to starboard without hitting the vessel and I couldn't move to port without hitting them.

"I tried to back off, but it was too sudden and we ran right into their stern ... they threw themselves right in front of us. There wasn't anything we could do".

Another interesting aspect of these latest clashes is the supposed use of Long Range Acoustical Device (LRAD).

Apparently these devices have been used to target Sea Shepherd crew as well as a helicopter.



www.news.com.au
(visit the link for the full news article)

[edit on 5/2/2009 by Beelzebubba]

GO SEA SHEPHERD!!! I believe them when they say the Japanese deliberately manoeuvred their boat to collide with them. But even if Sea Shepherd rammed them - BLOODY GOOD SHOW!!!!!

Kevin Rudd should never have called off the navy last year. They were coordinating with Sea Shepherd and they had the ability and the evidence to arrest the bloody lot of these Japanese slaughterers.

Those rotten bloody Japanese whalers have used every excuse under the sun to keep whaling in our Southern oceans. They use the premise of 'scientific research' so they can slaughter hundreds of adult and baby whales to EAT THEM. They do not care that the species they are hunting have almost been hunted to extinction, as long as they get some nice whalemeat on their plates they are happy.

Quite frankly the Japanese whaling ships should be sunk (and before anyone says "you'd be killing the whalers whaa whaa whaa" - they should be transferred to a prison ship before scuttling the ships').

[edit on 5/2/2009 by Kryties]

The protesters have been pushing too far. As long as the whales aren't in danger of going extinct these whalers should be able to make a living.

reply to post by Leto


Do you have any clue as to the species they hunt?

Humpback Whale

Fin Whale

BOTH of these species are on the endangered species list. How on earth can you say such things Leto? Where do you get your information?

The Australian people want then Japanese GONE from Southern waters and the very fact that the Japanese government blatantly LIE about why they are hunting these whales - coupled with the fact that they HARPOON the poor creatures is a disgrace - an utter and absolute disgrace.

How would YOU like to be harpooned Leto? Wouldn't feel to nice eh?

Unbelievable. I am flabbergasted.




Enjoy your harpooned Mum and Baby whalemeat dinner Leto.

[edit on 5/2/2009 by Kryties]

hmm i have a few points. first of all i couldn't care less about the whales. 2nd if you try to ram my boat and maybe kill 50 crew members isn't that attempted murder? 3rd if it was my boat and crew you attempted to kill you better have the us navy backing you because you will receive a world of hurt and all i would have to say is sorry but you asked for it. don't bring a knife to a gun fight *snip*

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[edit on 2/6/2009 by Badge01]

reply to post by Leto


Hmmm... does this mean you support the rights of seal-clubbers to go about their inhumane business?

Let's have a look at these "scientific" reasons for Japanese whaling:

In 2007-8, Japan will be carrying out their Antarctic "scientific whaling" program which they call JARPA II (i.e., Japan Whale Research Program under Special Permit in the Antarctic). For the 2007-8 period, they will be targeting 50 fin and 50 humpback whales - both are protected under the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora (CITES). They also plan to kill 935 piked (Minke) whales.

Japan's whaling program detailed above was presented for vote to the International Whaling Commission (IWC) meeting in South Korea, June 2005, and was rejected. Despite losing the vote, Japan is proceeding with its JARPA II program.

Japan is exploiting a loophole in the International Regulation of Whaling Convention which was never intended to allow a commercial slaughter.

Japan and Norway have slaughtered more than 25,000 whales under the "scientific whaling" loophole in the last 25 years.

Japan heavily promotes the consumption of whale meat - they have introduced whale meat to their school lunch programs and sell whale meat in markets and sushi restaurants. Although Japan claims their whaling activities are a "cultural tradition" the facts dispute this. To learn more, read Captain Watson's article, The Truth About ‘Traditional' Japanese Whaling.

May 2006, Reuters reports that in an effort to whet an appetite for whale meat among younger consumers, a new Japanese company is being formed to expand sales of whale meat to include school lunch programs and family-oriented restaurant chains. The new company (name not revealed) will start business in late June and hopes to sell 1,000 tons of whale meat over the next year. They will be highlighting the meat's high protein and low calories, and they intend to sell it on the Internet. The head of the Institute of Cetacean Research, which conducts Japan's whaling program, says, "We have to preserve this sort of traditional food culture among children," and he said that school lunch programs would be charged lower prices for whale meat to help make this happen.

In September of 2005, the Associated Press reported that a public junior high school in the northern port town of Kushiro is serving "whale curry." The meat is fom minke whales that the local whalers caught off the coast of Japan's northernmost island of Hokkaido. The elementary school will soon be serving whale meat as well, and future dishes for these schools include "whale meat croquettes." These local whalers plan on killing 60 whales as a part of their "research program."

A Japanese hamburger chain sells whale-meat burgers. Lucky Pierrot, which operates fast-food restaurants mainly on the northernmost island of Hokkaido, said whale meat had emerged as one of the two most popular fillings in a customer survey, according to the newspaper Mainichi Shimbun.

The Prime Minister of Japan regularly meets with leaders of other nations to garner and/or retain support for whaling, some examples include:
May 15, 2007: The country of Laos commits to joining the IWC at Japan's urging
August 3, 2005: Mr. Ludwig Scotty, the President of the Republic of Nauru
July 11, 2005: Mr. Halldor Asgrimsson, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Iceland
July 11, 2005: Mr. Allan Kemakeza, the Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands
June 17, 2004: Mr. Enrique Bolanos Geyer, the President of the Republic of Nicaragua

By continuing to ignore the rulings of the IWC Scientific Committee, Japan is setting a precedent which other nations could follow.

Link


[edit on 5/2/2009 by Beelzebubba]

The Japanese public know nothing of the opinions of the entire world about whaling. Ask any Japanese person you see and they are totally unaware.

They say it is for scientific purposes. That is a bunch of crap. That lie alone should be enough for some real response to their outdated and cruel practice of "scientific research".

wZn

we have more pressing issues in this world than worrying about the whales. life will go on without them. maybe we should worry more about humans killing humans than some marine animal? and peta needs to be wiped out like our congressmen do

Do not evade the automatic censors.

[edit on 7/2/2009 by watch_the_rocks]

reply to post by bigfoot1212


Why don't you focus on the issues in your own damned country and leave the important stuff to us eh?

By the way, just to add a little REAL information into your otherwise deluded perception of life:

Whales are huge consumers of a broad range of oceanic organisms from plankton, to fish, all the way up to birds and other marine mammals. They are an indicator species (animals whose health individually and/or as a population is an indicator of the general health of the ecosystem in which they live). In the same way that the number of bald eagles can alert us to measure the health of a salmon run or the amounts of pollution in local waters, the health of whale populations can alert us to other more obscure man-made problems in the oceans.

oceanalliance.org...

...and that's just the first thing that popped up on Google. To say that the extinction of the largest mammal in our oceans will not effect humans at all? What planet do you come from?

Tell you what, go out and get yourself harpooned by a Japanese whaler and see how it feels.

reply to post by bigfoot1212


Here, Hear, finally some sense coming out of this hippy thread. Sure whales are nice and wonderous and so on, but they are somehow being put ahead of human lives in terms of value, mainly by retarded activists who do not know anything other than their cause!

Would you like me to come smash your house windows in? Assault your wife or kids? Hurl abuse at them? (or any other family member), steal from you? Damage your property? NO? Well why do you think it is acceptable for activists to do the same things to those they do not like (such as the whalers). End of the day, your fellow human deservs more respect than some sea mamal.

Anyone putting the animals rights and lives ahead of a fellow humans, should do us all a favour and go get married to one of these animals, go live with them and maybe one day get hunted just like one lol.

reply to post by bigfoot1212


Typical human superiority complex. Since WE are the biggest threat to the earth with all of our polluting and plundering of its resources and life forms, I think I WILL care about other creatures who establish an equilibrium with their environment and try to live in peace. Thanks.

LOL @ the smugness and arrogance of man.



[edit on 5-2-2009 by DimensionalDetective]

Originally posted by Saf85
reply to post by bigfoot1212

 

Would you like me to come smash your house windows in? Assault your wife or kids? Hurl abuse at them? (or any other family member), steal from you? Damage your property? NO?

How about some people come along to your place, harpoon you and your family and drag you along while you slowly die beside your children - all because those humans were hungry Good plan eh?

Unbelievable the ignorance, smugness and arrogance of man. (Sorry DD it was a good line so I pinched it )

[edit on 5/2/2009 by Kryties]

There is a point I think some people need to be make clear on. The Australian Federal Government has declared that commercial whaling in Australian Antarctic Waters is illegal.

So what do the Japanese whalers do? They find a loophole in the law that allows for 'scientific research' to be carried out....then they go and slaughter 1000 endangered whales. And if that wasn't bad enough, the Japanese do not recognise Australian Antarctic Waters as being ours, even though they are agreed to under International Treaty! They are blatantly ignoring us!

news.bbc.co.uk...

Tuesday, 15 January 2008: An Australian court has ruled that the activities of the Japanese whaling fleet are illegal and ordered it to halt its operations.

The Federal Court said Japan had broken domestic law by killing whales in Australian waters off Antarctica.

It is not clear what effect the ruling will have, as Japan does not recognise Australia's Antarctic claim.

But it is likely to raise tensions between the two nations, which are far apart on the issue of whaling.

The Japanese fleet plans to kill about 900 minke whales and 50 fin whales by mid-April as part of what it describes as a scientific research programme.

But Australia and other nations say the research goals could be achieved using non-lethal methods and call the programme a front for commercial whaling.

The case, initially brought in 2004 by the Humane Society against ship operator Kyodo Senpaku Kaisha, was delayed for several years because of fears it could cause a diplomatic row.

Whale sanctuary

At the court in Sydney, Justice James Allsop ruled that the fleet had broken Australia's Environment Protection Act and issued an injunction ordering it to stop whaling.

"The court orders that the respondent be restrained from killing, injuring, taking or interfering with any Antarctic minke whale, fin whale or humpback whale in the Australian whale sanctuary," he said in his ruling.

The judgement, however, is unlikely to end the whaling. Japan does not recognise Australia's Antarctic claim or its declaration of a whale sanctuary in the area.

Tokyo has said in the past that it will ignore any injunction resulting from the case.

The court also has no jurisdiction outside Australia and Justice Allsop said it was unlikely that his ruling could be enforced.

Australia's Environment Minister Peter Garrett said that he was still considering the decision, but emphasised that surveillance operations were in place.

An Australian patrol ship and an aircraft have already been sent south to assemble photographic and video material of the fleet for a possible legal challenge in international courts.

Ships from environmental group Greenpeace and the more radical Sea Shepherd are also trailing the fleet in a bid to disrupt the hunt.

How many whalers have been killed so far?

Who exactly is being the agressor in the Southern Ocean?

Who has fired weapons (yes, real bullets) at who?

Why do Sea Shepherd crew wear bullet-proof vests?

How many activists do you know that have gone into the homes of the whalers and stolen from, smashed their windows, and assaulted them and their families?

*uncivil comment snipped*

====
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[edit on 2/6/2009 by Badge01]

Originally posted by Kryties

Originally posted by Saf85
reply to post by bigfoot1212

 

Would you like me to come smash your house windows in? Assault your wife or kids? Hurl abuse at them? (or any other family member), steal from you? Damage your property? NO?

How about some people come along to your place, harpoon you and your family and drag you along while you slowly die beside your children - all because those humans were hungry

Good plan eh?

Unbelievable the ignorance, smugness and arrogance of man. (Sorry DD it was a good line so I pinched it

)

[edit on 5/2/2009 by Kryties]

I think you're not understanding him. He's saying whales aren't as important as humans, yet you continue to anthropomorphize these whales. It's like if you're saying these whales are just as important as us.

What these protestors are doing is akin to burning down a meat factory because you believe eating meat is wrong. That's violent and irrational behavior.

Originally posted by Kryties

Originally posted by Saf85
reply to post by bigfoot1212

 

Would you like me to come smash your house windows in? Assault your wife or kids? Hurl abuse at them? (or any other family member), steal from you? Damage your property? NO?

How about some people come along to your place, harpoon you and your family and drag you along while you slowly die beside your children - all because those humans were hungry

Good plan eh?

Unbelievable the ignorance, smugness and arrogance of man. (Sorry DD it was a good line so I pinched it

)

[edit on 5/2/2009 by Kryties]

You just proved my point, your compareing a whales life to that of a humans. Whales are a source of food (among other things), the last time I checked cannibalism was forbidden. So your comparison is flawed there.

It is called a food chain, if your so worried about these poor lil whales, maybe you can find a way to bump them above humans in the chain? Mutated whales anyone? For all your Darwinists out there, it is survival of the fittest, if your a creationist like me, then it is the way God intended, either way the whales do not come out ontop, never have, never will.

reply to post by Leto


And WHY AREN'T THEY? What makes humans any more of an important life form? Because YOU (and other posters on this thread) say so? What a crock of crap. These creatures bother NO ONE, unlike humans, who are the most DESTRUCTIVE force on earth. Justifying their slaughter is DISGUSTING.

reply to post by Leto


Quite frankly it is obvious you know NOTHING about this issue and how it not only affects the whale populations, the fact that they use cruel methods to capture the whales but also the blatant disregard by the Japanese Government to abide by Australian Law and get the hell out of our territory! ALL Australians agree with this. It is OUR territory and we do not want them slaughtering OUR whales.

Get it? Or does the ignorance not stop there?

Originally posted by DimensionalDetective
reply to post by Leto

 

And WHY AREN'T THEY? What makes humans any more of an important life form? Because YOU (and other posters on this thread) say so? What a crock of crap. These creatures bother NO ONE, unlike humans, who are the most DESTRUCTIVE force on earth. Justifying their slaughter is DISGUSTING.

We are sentient, whales aren't.