Japan suspends whale hunt after 'harassment' by activists!

reply to post by pazcat


Sea shepherd FOR THE WIN!
Sea shepherd FOR THE WIN!
Sea shepherd FOR THE WIN!
Sea shepherd FOR THE WIN!
Sea shepherd FOR THE WIN!
Sea shepherd FOR THE WIN!
Sea shepherd FOR THE WIN!
Sea shepherd FOR THE WIN!

I was sick of the Nisshin Maru killing the whales like that.

Sea shepherd FOR THE WIN!
Sea shepherd FOR THE WIN!
Sea shepherd FOR THE WIN!
Sea shepherd FOR THE WIN!
Sea shepherd FOR THE WIN!
Sea shepherd FOR THE WIN!
Sea shepherd FOR THE WIN!
Sea shepherd FOR THE WIN!

reply to post by stirling


I don't think that would happen, it's unlikely the Japanese would send the navy down there that would open a whole new can of worms and violate so many international laws it's not funny.
And even if they did I doubt it would bother the Sea Shepards too much, they all sign a form that says they are willing to die for the whales.
I'd say bring it on Japan, it will only bring more shame on your nation.

Really great news!

Don't know what else to add. Lately I've been hearing only good news! I'm a little baffled by that.

reply to post by pazcat


The Sea Shepherd crew rocks. Talk about people who walk the talk. Good for them. It is a major victory (though I don't believe the Japanese for a second).

reply to post by pajoly


I don't really buy what the Japanese are saying either.
I guess time will tell on what will happen next.

When I first saw the show Whale Wars....I cried my eyes out! What a crime! The Whaling council or federation whatever it is, is so bogus and corrupt. Scientific Research...my a**!

I'm happy to hear that they have stopped them...if only temporary. DO NOT KILL THE WHALES! Or the Dolphins! Who is paying you Japan?! Stop the senseless killing!

Paul Watson has posted an update on the Sea Shepard site.
To read his full comments click the link below.

www.seashepherd.org...

The Whalers Have Been Shut Down!
Commentary by Captain Paul Watson

The Japanese factory ship the Nisshin Maru is now 2,000 miles east of the whaling area. They are being tailed by Captain Alex Cornelissen and his crew on the Bob Barker. It appears that they are heading into the Drake Passage, past Cape Horn below Chile and Argentina and into the South Atlantic Ocean. If they do that, they are most likely going to continue eastward around the continent of Antarctica to the Western boundary of their whaling area some 2,500 miles eastward below South Africa.

The Yushin Maru #3 is having mechanical difficulties and left the Nisshin Maru two days ago to return to the West. The Yushin Maru #1 and Yushin Maru #2 are most likely still in the Ross Sea. The three harpoons vessels are useless without the factory ship the Nisshin Maru.

The 88 crew from 23 different nations on the three Sea Shepherd ships have succeeded in bringing the Japanese whaling fleet to its knees. We need to keep them there.

Every day that we prevent them from killing a whale is a victory.

reply to post by pazcat


Haha awesome! I've been watching since season 2 and I always thought that there was no way they could stop these guys but they finally did it! props to them for their endurance! And good job Paul Watson.

Unfortunately now thousands of these Japanese sailors are gonna have to look work somewhere else...oh well...

Stupid activists.

Bless Japan.

meanwhile the real mothership is collecting its quota 300 miles away, while the sea shepherd is basking in its glory thinking that it has actually achieved something. Without getting into the whole thing of whether or not whaling should be allowed, I have no problem with conservationist, as I am one myself, and have a deep love of the open ocean. But the sea shepherd is a group of inexperienced dummys operating in one of the most dangerous stretches of water on the planet, who will one day end up killing some or all of their crew members due to lack of planning and experience. Why the Japanese have not protected themselves in a more "convincing" way is a mystery to me,as they would be well within their rights to do so according to maritime law. No I am not a fan of whaling, or any commercial fishing for that matter. anyway, back to topic- the real mothership is hundreds of miles away operating risk free.

Why are people so against whaling ?

What's the difference between killing whales for food or scientific research, and doing the same to other mammals ?

reply to post by pazcat


WTF is "scientific whaling" may I ask?

reply to post by Sherlock Holmes

What's the difference between killing whales for food or scientific research, and doing the same to other mammals ?

Oh, ok...so "scientific whaling" is when we catch whales simply to do research on them? If I'm not mistaken only a few whales would be required for study...and also, one would think that monitoring their underwater activity would be more fruitful? How many whales can they dissect before they learn all they want to learn? Or do they keep them in tanks or something? Why not release them when done? What's the actual problem here?

Someone's got to do something, seems our Government tell the people one thing and Japan something else.

According to a Wikileak cable released in early January:

THE FEDERAL Opposition has accused the government of deceiving Australians about a secret deal allowing Japan to continue its whale hunt in the Southern Ocean.

Full story here: www.heraldsun.com.au...

omg .. way the go sea sheppard

you finally won the war

Apparently they only got 10% of their quota this year, total economic disaster...and they were already losing money in good years, and had to be subsidized by the Japanese government. They get a lot of money!

Anyway, S&F, great news

Originally posted by inbound
the real mothership is hundreds of miles away operating risk free.

Really? Care to back that up with some kind of evidence?
What ships are they using? What is the registration of these ships?
How would it be that they have remained invisible to all the radars that monitor the antarctic? Where will all the meat turn up?
Sorry but that kind of operation has no way of slipping under the radar.
If so(and that's a huge if) by covertly operating a hunt would be a massive violation of international law and one that would definitely have real world concequences.

I know what Paul is thinking right now.. "Yeah, sure they are"... They issue this statement, and get our guys to go back to Hobart, and they go back out, without a tail...

Not going to happen. Sit on their positions until the season is over! Make them pay for Ady Gil!!

I hope to god there isn't a second factory ship, and the one they think they have on the run is a decoy. I thought about that last season.. was like "If I were them, I'd have two factory ships... but I wonder what the cost would be, and would they make enough profit to cover petrol/supplies for the second ship, and still make money"...


BTW, I think the Whalers DID respond. With deadly force. They hit and sunk the vessel Ady Gil, and sideswiped a second ship! Used LRAD's on helicopters IN FLIGHT (that is extremely dangerous to the pilot!).. And flash bangs..

Originally posted by WhizPhiz
Oh, ok...so "scientific whaling" is when we catch whales simply to do research on them? If I'm not mistaken only a few whales would be required for study...and also, one would think that monitoring their underwater activity would be more fruitful? How many whales can they dissect before they learn all they want to learn? Or do they keep them in tanks or something? Why not release them when done? What's the actual problem here?

As far as I see it, they are catching the whales under the pretext of scientific research, but later selling them on as meat.

While this is taking advantage of a loophole in the current agreements, it appears to me that lots of people who are anti-whaling are not concerned about the whaling on these grounds, but are actually against the killing and eating whales altogether.

I'm trying to understand why, as different countries and cultures eat different kinds of meat, and the Japanese eating whales is no different to other cultures eating other kinds of mammals.

Originally posted by Sherlock Holmes

While this is taking advantage of a loophole in the current agreements, it appears to me that lots of people who are anti-whaling are not concerned about the whaling on these grounds, but are actually against the killing and eating whales altogether.

I'm trying to understand why, as different countries and cultures eat different kinds of meat, and the Japanese eating whales is no different to other cultures eating other kinds of mammals.

See I'm not overly concerned by certain cultures like the Innuit for example who need the meat to simply live. That's all they have and have done for centuries.
But with Japan any cultural signifigance went out the window the second they started using the term "Scientific research" and stretching their reach to international waters. Which as it is plain to see is complete bunk to begin with, but putting that aside whale meat in Japan is not very popular at all. It is only a tradition in a small coastal region held on to by an older generation. They can't even clear the backlogs of meat they have in cold storage even when as a government initiative that requires schools to serve it as a dinner.

The absolute barefaced cheek and the lies of the Japanese whaling industry is what is so offensive to me.