Save the whales

[Kevster]

:)

'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)]'

http://www.seashepherd.org/news/media_051224_1.html

[catmogg]

:) :) :) :)

[Kevster]

'The Opening Shots of a 17-Year War to Save the Whales

Commentary by Paul Watson
Sea Shepherd Conservation Society

From the coast of Antarctica: This season, when the first Japanese harpoon was fired and the first whale screamed and died as its hot blood poured steaming into the frigid waters of the Southern Ocean, a new war was launched against the whales.

This war presents us with incredible challenges and demands an incredible commitment.

The Farley Mowat is on the trail of the Nisshin Maru in open ocean off the coast of Antarctica. For three days, the winds have been blowing, the barometer has been dropping and the sea has been churning.

The Whalers killed five whales on Christmas Eve and none on Christmas day. We have no reports from today. This kind of weather does not stop them from hunting, but it does make it more difficult.' [...]

http://www.seashepherd.org/editorials/editorial_051226_1.html

[Cherry]

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

:)

I wish it were possible to give them a year's worth of protection at a time though.

[Kevster]

'Japanese whaling will only be stopped by enforcement of the rule of law against their illegal activities.

What this means is that we must continue to oppose the killers every year and to do so we need the equipment to do the job.

We need a long range, fast ship capable of carrying a helicopter, Jet Skis, and small fast boats.

We need to be down here enforcing the law and not just protesting against the Japanese violation of the law. We need to protect and defend the great whales from the murderous corporate greed of the Japanese whaling industry.

To do this, Sea Shepherd must do something we have resisted for years. We need to get big. We need to expand. We need to build a warchest to allow us to obtain the resources to be effective against those who are illegally destroying life in the sea.'

http://www.seashepherd.org/editorials/editorial_051226_1.html

[Kevster]

'Confessions of a Modern Southern Oceans Pirate

“Yes I am a pirate,
200 years too late,
The cannons don’t’ thunder, there’s nothing to plunder
I’m an over forty victim of fate.”
– Jimmy Buffet

By Captain Paul Watson

“Shiver me timbers boys and girls, we is awash in a sea of pirates down here.”

The Southern Oceans, specifically in the area formally known as the Australian Antarctic Territory, now rivals the 17th Century Caribbean for the reported acts of piracy during the last two weeks.

The Japanese whalers are accusing Sea Shepherd and Greenpeace crewmembers of being pirates. Sea Shepherd and Greenpeace are accusing the whalers of being pirates. Australian and New Zealand politicians are throwing the word piracy about as freely as the Governor of Jamaica once did a few hundred years ago.

Forget about going to Disneyland to see Pirates of the Caribbean. We now have the new, improved Pirates of the Southern Oceans.

No one has actually sunk any ships, looted any cargos, kidnapped any damsels or forced anyone to walk the plank yet, but to listening to the rhetoric, the public can be forgiven from thinking these activities are about to happen.

My ship the Farley Mowat does fly a modern version of the “pretty red” or “jolie rouge,” the original name of the banner that evolved years ago into the black and white skull and crossbones which came to be known as the Jolly Roger.

We decided years ago that if people were going to be silly and call us pirates we would adopt our own Jolly Roger. Thus we designed the crossed Neptune Trident and Shepherd’s staff with the skull. Set in the skull are a whale and dolphin in a yin yang design.

As soon as we hoisted that black flag, kids from around the world began to write us in support. Our Jolly Roger hats and shirts have become our most popular merchandise.

Why? Because there is a romance of piracy that is separate from the reality of piracy. Some pirates were great heroes and some were dastardly villains.

Back in the 17th Century it was not the British Navy that shut down piracy in the Caribbean. They and the British politicians were not interested. Captain Horatio Nelson was actually sued by British merchants for attempting to shut down piracy. There was simply too much money in the form of bribery and collusion to motivate more than an appearance of addressing the problem.

Piracy was finally shut down on the Spanish Main by the pirate Henry Morgan. It took a pirate to end piracy. His reward was that he was appointed Governor of Jamaica where he was able to pilfer more booty through politics than he ever did from the deck of a ship.

There are pirates of profit like the Japanese, pirates of opportunity like the politicians, and pirates of compassion like Sea Shepherd.

It is a little difficult to cast Sea Shepherd unpaid volunteers selflessly and legally trying to save the lives of whales as ruthless pirates. On the other hand, the Japanese whalers are illegally stealing and killing whales from a Sanctuary for whales and from the territory that is supposed to under the authority of Australia.

Which brings us to the motivation of those pirates in Canberra? What is in it for them that they consistently refuse to protect Australian territory from illegal foreign exploitation?

The answer is the same for Australian politicians today as it was for British politicians in 1650 – there’s money to be made, under the table and through the back door, trade agreements to consider and after all, some pirates especially the Japanese, have good public relations firms and powerful financial backing.

So, we have Australia backing the bad pirates and condemning the good pirates.

But piracy has a long list of renowned and admirable practitioners. It was the pirate John Paul Jones who founded both the navies of the United States and Russia. It was the pirate Jean LaFitte who stood with General Andrew Jackson in defense of New Orleans. It was the pirate Francis Drake who was knighted by Queen Elizabeth I.

So, I stand in honorable company as a modern day pirate. I’ve not shot anyone, burned any ships, looted any cargos, kidnapped anyone, nor do I drink rum and carry a parrot on my shoulder for that matter.

What I do is defend the whales from the illegal slaughter by ruthless and merciless killers of whales. If people want to call me a pirate for that than blow me down buckos, I’m proud to be a damn pirate.

Yo ho!'

http://www.seashepherd.org/news/media_051228_1.html

[Biome]

ah, to be a pirate

[Kevster]

'Please send the below letter to the Prime Minister of Japan to ask him to stop the killing of whales'

http://www.seashepherd.org/whales/whales_take_action_letter_01.html

[Kevster]

'Sea Shepherd News
News Releases

12/29/2005

Japanese Warship Enroute to Defend Whalers?

Sea Shepherd Conservation Society has received a tip from a reliable source in Japan, that Japan has dispatched a warship to the Southern Ocean for the purpose of protecting their whaling fleet from interference by whale conservation activists. This may explain why the Japanese fleet has not been whaling since December 24. The fleet seems to be running in circles, stopping and going in different directions.'

http://www.seashepherd.org/news/media_051229_1.html

[Kevster]

The Independent picked up on the whale issue and has a lead story:

http://news.independent.co.uk/environment/article336084.ece

No mention of Sea Shepherd though, just Greenpeace.

[Kevster]

The Guardian on the other hand came up with this article:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/conservation/story/0,,1676507,00.html

Of which Sea Shepherd is disputing certain aspects:

http://www.seashepherd.org/news/media_060102_1.html

[Kevster]

More Whale killing going on, correction for Greenpeace, there is NO Whale quota.

http://weblog.greenpeace.org/oceandefenders/

[Kevster]

Sea Shepherd back on the scene:

"There are sushi bars in Tokyo in desperate need of these 'research materials'," said Captain Watson. "It appears they can't wait for the whaling fleet to return in March."

http://www.seashepherd.org/news/media_060107_2.html

[Kevster]

'Sea Shepherd Sideswipes Japanese Whaling Supply Ship

[Farley Mowat sideswiping Oriental Bluebird] At 0030 Hours GMT - 09 Jan 2006 (1930 EST Hours - 08 Jan 2006): The flagship of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, the Farley Mowat, continues to chase the outlaw Japanese whaling fleet out of the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary after sideswiping the Japanese whaling supply ship Oriental Bluebird.'

http://www.seashepherd.org/news/media_060108_1.html

[Jacqui]

In the news today,
http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=68716

[Roxy]

"They have killed far fewer whales then they would have without us being around,"

GO GREANPEACE!

[StmpyElephant]

I cannot STAND the Australian government doing nothing about this.

fuck international relations and foreign policy.

[Jacqui]

I know how you feel StmpyElephant.:(

There is a poll on ninemsn today.
Should Australia be doing more to stop whaling in the Southern Ocean?
If you would like to vote, its here. http://ninemsn.com.au/

[Jacqui]

More news today. http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,17835728-2,00.html
At least they are getting a lot of media coverage, even if some reports are of wimpy politicians.

[Jacqui]

Sea Shephard leaving Southern Ocean.
http://www.seashepherd.org/news/media_060116_1.html

[Roxy]

Thanks for keeping us updated Jacqui.

[Kevster]

'17 Nations Denounce Japanese Whaling Activities in the Southern Oceans

Last week, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society challenged New Zealand and Australia to take action against Japan. This week, New Zealand joined an initiative led by Brazil to sign on 16 other countries in an official diplomatic protest against illegal Japanese whaling in the Southern Oceans.

The 17 nations sent representatives on January 16 and 17 to meet with Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs to present a demarche or a joint diplomatic presentation to request that Japan cease illegal whaling activities and to recall the whaling fleet.

The delegation referenced the fact that the Japanese whaling vessels operating in the Southern Ocean have been harassed by Greenpeace and Sea Shepherd ships in recent weeks, and there have been aggressive confrontations.

The delegation stated that , “There is no scientific justification to use lethal methods to provide information on whale populations.”

The 17 nations supporting the demarches are Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Mexico, New Zealand, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.

The issue of so-called “scientific whaling” will be a major item on the agenda at the 2006 annual meeting of the International Whaling Commission scheduled this summer in the Caribbean Islands of St. Kitts and Nevis.'

http://www.seashepherd.org/news/media_060119_1.html

[Jacqui]

Thanks Kevster, some good news.:)



There is a poll on ninemsn today.
Should Australia be doing more to stop whaling in the Southern Ocean?

The poll results. 54 138 (91%) yes 5 474 (9%) no :)

[Kevster]

Don't tell the Japanese but there's a whale swimming up the River Thames.

Amuse yourself while the bbc tries to find it swimming up the river with live camera shots:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/4631396.stm

[Kevster]

An article by Paul Watson to be found in The Guardian on-line..........

http://society.guardian.co.uk/societyguardian/story/0,,1698831,00.html