Japanese whaling ships returning to hunting grounds: Paul Watson

Posted on March 4, 2013 by Ida Torres in Features, National with 9 Comments
Japanese whaling ships returning to hunting grounds: Paul Watson

Anti-whaling group Sea Shepherd revealed that a Japanese whaling vessel is apparently returning to its hunting grounds in the Southern Ocean as shown by a tracking device placed on the ship. Earlier it had seemed that the Japanese fleet had closed its whaling season and was heading home but Sea Shepherd founder Paul Watson says a tracker on the fuel tanker Sun Laurel shows that it has changed course and appears to be returning south.

Watson says that he believes that the Nisshin Maru, the mother ship of the fleet, can’t be far behind. The Sea Shepherd vessel Bob Barker is in pursuit and returning to the Southern Ocean in light of the recent movement of the Japanese fleet. Watson said this movement is baffling and it doesn’t make “economic sense” because they won’t be able to take many whales (not that Sea Shepherd wants them to take any, just to be clear).

Sea Shepherd ships have been keeping close tabs on Japan’s whaling fleet this season. The already combustible situation intensified when Sea Shepherd boats collided with Japanese vessels during a re-fuelling operation. Japan claimed that its whaling ship and the fuel tanker had to abandon the process after allegedly being rammed multiple times by the Sea Shepherd vessels. Sea Shepherd denies they rammed the vessels, but instead say they collided while trying to stay between the whaling ship and fuel tanker. Watson revealed yesterday that the Japanese fleet was probably on its way home taking with it the lowest number of whales in its history of hunting Antarctic waters. Sea Shepherd claims the fleet killed no more than 75 whales.

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[ via ABC News ]
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  • Truth

    You know, there really is more to Japan than comfort women and whales.

  • BNB

    As Peter said, this is merely Japan going back to try and get a few token whales. And Sea Shepherd will be there, too. This will bite Japan, as this new turn of events is just creating a great reason to create a couple more Whale Wars episodes.

    • Think

      The Japanese whalers are obviously upset at not getting residual commission on the re-sale and re-runs of ‘Whale Wars’ editions.

      They should get themselves a Hollywood agent … they’ll make more money from appearing in the TV series than they do selling whale meat.

      • Hayashi

        You know what’s funny about that, and this is just a rumor, but I heard the Japanese were approached by discovery channel to give their side of the story, but they refused on the grounds they don’t work with criminal organizations . Now had they said yes, I’m sure they’d get a cut. I for one would have went for it, this policy of reactionary PR doesn’t seem to be working too well.

  • JP

    as if anyone in Japan could care less

  • Funky1

    No, Japanese vessels RAMMED Sea Shepherd vessels.

  • Scott Day

    I would love to know when the blatant racism in the general media will end. Norway, Russia, Philippines, to name a few countries that hunt whale. It’s always Japan abusing the “global moratorium” on whaling. Bull*** in Northern Norway you can get nice whale in any number of restaurants, but oh no, it’s those evil Japanese..

    • Hayashi

      The corruption in The Japanese whaling industry is what paints such a big target on them. I agree I don’t like the negative PR demonizing Japanese, as I’ve said so many times before, there many Japanese who do not support whaling. But Of all the whaling countries in the world , Japan is easily the biggest target, the sheer amount of money allocated by the worlds former 2nd largest economy, it’s no small thing.

  • Critic

    From one critic to another, it is hard to say who is right and wrong in such a situation. The japanese whaling industry may well be misusing their given research privileges to kill a certain number of whales each year, but that doesn’t give the sea shepherds the right to assault the japanese whaling fleet in such a way. No wonder why the U.S. court named them as pirates. Though their intentions may be different, their tactics are no different from the somalian pirates.