Sea Shepherd accuses whalers of spilling oil & trying to crash into them

Posted on February 18, 2013 by Adam Westlake in Features, National with 87 Comments
Sea Shepherd accuses whalers of spilling oil & trying to crash into them

Environmental extremist and anti-whaling group Sea Shepherd has issued a statement that accuses Japan’s fleet of spilling oil in Australian waters. Using four vessels to try to obstruct Japan’s yearly whale hunt in the Southern Ocean, Sea Shepherd says it has collected samples from the oil slick it discovered on Sunday near the Sun Laurel, the whaling fleet’s re-supply ship. In addition, the group says one of Japan’s harpoon ships has tried to crash into them as they prevented the transfer of a dead whale to the Nisshin Maru mothership.

Bob Brown, the co-leader of Sea Shepherd’s campaign this year and former Australian politician, says the type of oil they have discovered is prohibited in Antarctic waters. The crew of the Sam Simon, one of the group’s ships, all say they can smell the oil and have seen the oil slick in the water, Brown claims, adding that the authorities responsible for protecting the Antarctic eco-system are nowhere to be seen. It’s not clear exactly what authorities Brown may be referring to, however, Jeff Hansen, another Sea Shepherd leader, says the confrontation of vessels took place “well and truly” inside Australian Antarctic waters, and called on the country’s government to “exert some kind of authority.”

As for the near crash itself, Sea Shepherd says its Bob Barker vessel had successfully blocked nine attempts by a Japanese harpoon ship to transfer its dead whale to the factory ship. The group claims another attempt was made, this time coming directly across in order to hit the Bob Barker if it didn’t move in time. As a result, Hansen says they made the transfer of the whale after their ship backed away.

Tony Burke, Australia’s Environment Minister, has repeatedly condemned Japan’s whaling activities, stating that regardless of where in the world it takes place, it isn’t necessary, is cruel, and has no scientific value. While Australia has long been opposed to the yearly Japanese whale hunts, even attempting legal action in December 2010, the country hasn’t really taken any direct action against the fleet this year, other than ordering one of Japan’s ships to leave it exclusive economic zone. With all the claims of the whaler’s actions, whether it be spilling oil, chasing the activist group, or attempting to crash, coming only from Sea Shepherd, it’s not only one-sided, but beginning to sound like nothing but tattling. If a country were to send its authorities, even Australia, to at least observe what is going on between the Japanese and anti-whalers, it would be helpful in getting an accurate picture of what is going on, not to mention serve as a safety assurance.

[via ABC News]
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  • Captain Paul Watson

    I agree and Sea Shepherd has consistently requested that Australia send a vessel to observe and to keep the peace. Bottom line is that the Japanese fleet is in contempt of an Australian Federal Court order prohibiting whaling operations in the Australian Antarctic Territory. Japan is also killing protected and endangered whales species inside the boundaries of an internationally established whale sanctuary and in violation of the global moratorium on commercial whaling. It is also a violation to transport heavy fuel south of sixty degrees and it is a serious violation to spill fuel in Antarctic waters below sixty degrees.

    • Sun Wu

      the Steve Irwin has a very limited supply of fuel for approxiamately 30 days at sea. It has been at sea since November 5th with refueling once in NZ. The Bob Barker has big amounts of fuel on board serving a purpose which can be compared to the Sun Laurel. The Bob Barker having big amounts of fuel on Board is being manoevered in ANTARCTICA in a way which can only be discribed insane. The Bob Barker permanently refueling Seashepherd vessels in Antarctica was according to Seashepherd once again almost involved in a collision, like many times before.

      The Steve Irwin can stay at sea max. 30 days without refueling. Anybody going to call me a liar now for saying Seashepherd is refueling themselves in Antarctica I refer to incidents regarding Ady Gil All posts by Seashepherd saying the Ady Gil was floating becau it had run out of fuel…or, when talking about the sinking, saying there was hardly any fuel on board.

      Question: the Ady Gil sank far below 60°S…how would it made its way north to refule in NZ or Australia???

      :)

      • http://twitter.com/RSPW_DEP David Powell

        Ginve the reckless manner in which they sail, including the incident where the Brigitte Bardot was damaged last year after being sailed into a field of ice chunks during na Antarctic storm I tend ot agree, and the way they store fuels of all types in drums on deck is an invitation to disaster. Not only diesel but gasoline for Zodiac boats and Helicopter fuel as well.

        • Sun Wu

          The Ady Gil as well as the Bardot were NOT disigned for Antarctic Waters.
          The damage of Bardot happened after the Sun Laurel led all three SS-ships in a storm.
          All SS-Ships are captained by unprofessionals, s. my comment on Lockhart MacLean at the botton, SS-ships are registered to be ‘YACHTS’, therefor nothing you do not need much more as a liscences for DADDY’s boat.
          And just any moment from now on STEVE IRWIN IS REFUELING somewhere in Southern Ocean. Taking over fuel from the Seashepherd Fuel-tanker Bob Barker being ‘captained’ by a 29 year old long time Watson-disicple from Sweden.

          • Think

            I don’t know, Davy Jones was younger when he took command of a far more difficult vessel to sail at a far more difficult time to sail doing a far more difficult things.

            29 is hardly “young”.

            Honestly, your arguments here look weak and desperate and no amount of capital letters will make them MORE IMPORTANT!

            Again, your comments about ‘Motor Yachts’ (M/Y) versus Motor Vessels (M/V)* show more about what you have no idea about rather than act as a useful criticism.

            * (There is no limit to size of a yacht, they can be 100s of feet long and the size of a cruise ship. “Vessels” is used for ships that carry cargo or passengers for commercial purposes).

          • Sun Wu

            Lets not make this too painful for all of us, ok? Just one last think: we all know size does not matter.
            Talking about international REGULATIONS it is a question of MERCHANT vessel vs. pleasure craft.
            And it is not about age…I myself have been with much younger captains.
            It is a question if you can go to the next beach to recruit your mates and captains, or being a merchant vessel have to meet certain STANDARDS of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping! We professionals call it STCW 95
            …therfor have to go to certain universities/schools to look for your mates wich does not mean that there is no good captains at the beach. By the way, training to be a mate is one of the most expensive trainings at university. We have to spent quite some time in simulators, although we have to learn about international regulations SOLAS ships are required to meet.
            All this is regulations Paul Watson can give a shit about, s. Lockart MacLean :)
            PS: how is your friends in real world? See you on the next Seashepherd article on Japan Daily

          • Sun Wu

            But I do believe when operating floating fuel-bombs in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary it would not do too much harm if the Crew is meeting certain standats! Since the 29 year old SKIPPER of the SS-Tanker Bob Barker seems to be with SS all his life I do have doubts…especially when watching videos on the web! The Bob Barker is a Tanker, keep this in mind the next time you watch Hammarstadt block the Nisshin Maru.

          • ddpalmer

            He does not have a captain’s license. being that their ships are M/Y and not M/V they don’t need one. Kind of scary.

          • stopthegreed

            This is why people shouldn’t make ignorant comments. I know several captains who crew for Sea Shepherd. One who’s Australian who’s full time job is delivery of container ships around the world. New ships. Another NZlnder skipper who has decades as a skipper of large ships. Best to do alittle research on your part I’m thinking. Don’t want to look stupid.

          • Sun Wu

            WHO OF CURRENT CREW HAPPENS TO BE A CAPTAIN?
            PS:
            from Neptune’s Navy, Watsons wild crusade to save the Ocean.
            ‘…Several years after ramming the Sierra, Watson gave himself the title of captain, though he does not have a captain’s license. “He loves to dress up in uniform, as ‘Captain Paul Watson,’ and suddenly there’s enough gold braid on his shoulders to skipper the Queen Mary,” David Sellers, an old friend and former Sea Shepherd crew member, told me. In the eighties, Sellers and Watson fought so bitterly over the seaworthiness of Watson’s ship that they did not speak for fifteen years. (Sellers, a licensed captain, had insisted that it was not safe for ocean travel.) Many of Watson’s colleagues from the seventies and eighties no longer work with him; they have grown tired either of the campaigns or of Watson’s style of leadership—“anarchy run by God,” a longtime volunteer called it. “He doesn’t like people who disagree with him.”…’

          • Think

            Thank you for a factual correction.

            I’d say your efforts are wasted on ddpalmer, they’re obviously nothing but a contrarian willing to copy and paste completely false and misleading statements and engaged in derailing any serious conversation

          • ddpalmer

            He was correcting Sun Wu, you git. Please show me where I made any comment about teh Sea Shepherd captains other than the fact that Peter Hammarstedt doesn’t have a captain’s license? Oh that’s right, it has become personal to you know and everything I post will be a lie. Even if I claim the sun is a giant fusion reaction, you will feel obligated to somehow try and prove I am wrong.

        • Sun Wu

          the Ady Gil (think the Bardot aswell) were not designed for NON-STOP world circumnavigation.
          Lets call it Island hopping which these boats werde designed for…they had enough fuel on board to reach the next fuel-station.

          • sidewinder

            Wow sun wu, your copying and pasteing of the same text over and over in multiple places is starting to look pretty desperate and repetitive….

      • http://profiles.google.com/evoldeth On Dre

        These little snips against the SSCS are simple distractions. All attempts from diverting eyes away from what the big picture. Like a car full of bank robbers trying to make a get away while decrying the police because they are breaking traffic laws in the pursuit.

        The Nission Maru was originally designed to plunder the American west coast fisheries. Once the whaling moratorium came along it was re-purposed for the whaling fleet. This entire endeavor is based on the illogical premise that the oceans are an infinite supply of food resource. It clearly is not and the inclusion of modern technology with this 18-century mindset will only speed the rate of unsustainable take. But hey, lets not talk science or sustainability. That stuff is hard.

        • ddpalmer

          Yeah lets ignore the science that says the Japanese take is well below the sustainable level. And if the premise is that the oceans are an infinite supply of food, why do they limit their take to below sustainable levels?

          • Think

            Science isn’t God and the only deciding factor in this issue.

            “Sustainable levels” are not some holy goal.

            What you are calling “sustainable levels”, which are widely questioned by marine biologists, are not a restoration of the original populations of whales and far, far lower than them.

            Just out of interest, are you actually a whale meat consumer or working for a whale meat producer?

            If not, what’s your real interest in this matter?

          • stopthegreed

            stYeah and let’s ignore the fact that a few years back the previous fisheries minister said he new one day the Whales would go extinct and when they did he expected Japan to move to other forms of sea life and they would be fine. Just like the Blue Fin Japan would hunt Whales to extinction if they could. Your delutional if you believe the rubbish you keep posting.

          • ddpalmer

            Japan isn’t hunting Blue Fin tuna to exticntion. that would be alot of European countries and Australia. Japan is researching tuna farming to try and prevent the extinction. Your delusional if you believe the rubbish you keep posting.

          • stopthegreed

            And let’s remember, when the rest of the World believed a BAN on Whaling was needed Japan gave everyone the finger and continued to kill Whales. That to me shows Japan cares nothing for the species.

          • ddpalmer

            It wasn’t the ‘rest of the world’ it was 25 countries. And it wasn’t a BAN, it was a temporary pause to assess populations and establish sustainable hunting limits.

          • sidewinder

            dd – are you forgetting they take Endangered and Vulnerable whales as well?

          • ddpalmer

            Nope not fogetting it at all. Still below sustainable levels. Or are forgetting that – sid?

      • Think

        It was never claimed the Ady Gil “had run out of fuel”. Please be accurate. As On Dre goes on to day, all such stuff is just minor details only armchair war gamers are interested in and there are more teams in the game than just SSCS.

        SSCS are right that marine conservation at all levels is one of the most critical issues humanity needs to address.

        SSCS are right that it is being overlooked and difficult to communicate, as it all happens underwater, 1,000s of miles out to sea and lacks a cute “fluffy” public appeal. This is even more true in Japan which lack the same recreation connection with its shores that Western societies have.

        And SSCS are also right to suggest Japan is a prime perpetrator in this war against the environment.

        Where SSCS’s adherents are doing a bad job is not in communication what they are about and why well enough; particularly to the Japanese people and in Japanese.

        Whales, dolphins, sharks and so on are just the emblematic tip of the iceberg of a huge problem we are all ignoring except those of us who stop exploiting it or eating the fruits of its exploitation.

        • Sun Wu

          hey Sweetie, I read somewhere Ady Gil run out of fuel, think it was when SS talked about the sinking and MINOR impacts on Southern Ocean.
          But I do not care. If you say now Ady Gil did not run out of fuel… :)
          Where did the sinking take place? Seashepherd is not refueling in Southern Ocean since this would be against the law, correct? :)
          Lots of fuel being dumped into Southern Ocean by SS, the Neptune’s Navy of pure professsionalism:

          • Think

            I would not start trading direct insults, especially not of a sexist nature, if English is not your first language. The reason is not because I care, but when you don’t fully understand their value, it only make you look stupid.

            “Sweetie” would suggest you are sexually attracted to me which, if it is true and you could see me, you would know why I am laughing at you. Which way do you swing, sailor?

            Bethune may have claimed the Ady Gil was running low on fuel, which I would accept (note the subtle difference in tense), however, he was also clearly looking for an excuse for his over-confident and negligent seamanship which put his vessel in a position to be destroyed.

            Again, it helps being a native speaker to pick up the subtleties and nuances of what was being said.

            I am still, however, pissing myself with laughter at the thought of a trimaran “ramming” an oncoming vessel by moving sideways.

            Have you ever tried to move a trimaran sideways? I would say it is almost against the laws of physics.

            Bethune was an asshole and got a tremendous asset to the environmental movement destroyed by being too cocky. He called the captain of the Shonan Maru’s bluff … and the captain turned into him and rammed the Ady Gil, destroying the vessel. He could very easily have avoiding doing so and could very easily have killed someone. It would seem he did so to take out a very serious threat to their operation.

            There is no doubt about that and the political ramifications are interesting. The captain of the Shonan Maru not only walked free, he is hailed as a hero and you can guess he will be especially rewarded after he retires. You can be sure they raised more than a few sake glasses in Tokyo to him.

        • Gray Viking

          If you watch the episode whit Ady Gil collision with Shonan Maru No. 2 it is revealed that just before they do attack the Nisshin Maru, it’s the last thing they can do before they runout of fuel. But do not believe me, watch the episode yourself. (S03E06)

      • stopthegreed

        The Ady was not out of fuel. I helped pump the remainder out of her tanks after she was struck. She was to go north to refuel

        • Sun Wu

          at some point Seashepherd has to make up its mind! :)
          So now you telling me you had enough time to pump out tons of fuel? But you did not have enough time to secure the vessel and keep it afloat? :)
          And you did not have time of the Ady Gil when acually sinking? I know, OILSPILLS look nasty.
          PS: did Watson send you? Since he seems to be afraid showing up to himself…you forgot to call me a paid PR-whore.
          Is it SS-strategy to work by means of comment-inflation by posting hundreds of posts yourself? I simply had to anwer on this post…too f…attractive, but consider it to be THE exemption. Of course if Paul Watson would take all his guts instead of sending one of his disciple… :)
          I know, his hormons…talking about hormons: have all you guys seen the 7s video posted by Norwegian navy where Watsons HORMONS seem to have taken over? Just google WHALESFOREVER ramming Norwegian…
          Hillarious…Watson turns the Whalesforever and hits this huge ship. The Whalesforever was scrap afterwards…I would call this a responsible use of donation-money! :)

    • Ryohei Uchida

      Violation of a court order you say, Paul? Know a little about the topic do we?

      As for spilling oil, this is reminiscent of the time a couple of years ago when Sea Shepherd rammed their trimaran into the Shonan Maru 2 and then dumped the wreckage and diesel oil into the Southern Ocean. Sea Shepherd is like a motorized Deepwater Horizon oil rig; dumping vast quantities of oil into the oceans all in the name of pulling in the big bucks.

      Perhaps Greenpeace should start a campaign against Sea Shepherd’s environmental vandalism. After all, Sea Shepherd’s primary business these days is to sail around the southern hemisphere burning up hydrocarbons and belching out carbon dioxide to make themselves rich.

      And they can’t even claim to be doing it in the name of stopping the whaling anymore because, let’s face it, they’re not.

      • Think

        That must be the first time in maritime history that a trimaran “rammed” anything by moving side ways, or in the case of the Ady Gil, by not moving at all while a large ship cut it in half.

        Thank you for giving me my first good laugh of the day, Ryohei.

        Although it is hard for me to call the likes of you people “pro-whalers”, it seems more that you are just anti-Paul Watson for whatever reason, there are a few memes which the whaling industry’s English speaking paid PR shills have devised, and by “paid PR shills” I mean the real ones, not the blogonauts who do it just for the anger management therapy.

        One is based on an appeal to Conservative NIMBY-ism, that the matter should be left to Japanese in Japan and hippie Liberals should not be allow to interfere with them … in which case nothing would happen for 1,000 as Japanese democracy is so undeveloped. The other is that Paul Watson is personally responsible for the prolonging of the Japanese whaling industry’s life.

        I’ve thought about the later and it appear entirely false. The Japanese government has never had intention of curtailing its tax sponsored whaling industry, as is evident by its wilful and devious breach of international agreements. Why?

        There are two strong arguments to support the position that it will continue whaling regardless of international opinion.

        Firstly, is that it sees modern commercial whaling as part of its food security policy and, as such, need to continue whaling in order to sustain the industry and its skill base in case, for the sake of some emergency, it is required to go back to full-scale commercial whaling in order to feed its nation. As a side issue, slaughtering whale also provide whale oil which although now can be replaced by synthetics, in extremis one could imagine that it still has a purpose in Japan’s greater security agenda. (Whale oil has been used as a lubricant in everything from submarines, to ICB missiles, to satellites).

        Secondly, it’s a simple matter of unimaginative internal politics. The Conservative LDP’s political fortune is tied to rural and coastal communities. It’s an equation that requires everyone to get a piece of the piece. The LDP gets votes and seats in the Diet rural and coastal areas get money dumped in their communities most of which is spent on needless, ugly and environment spoiling concrete construction projects … and some on a rather pointless whaling industry. Those in the mountains get bridges and tunnels, those at the coast get to refit obsolete factory ships … but everybody get an equal piece of the pie.

        Funnily enough, as with the restoration of industrial whaling after WWII, we can blame America for establishing the LDP and the unchallengeable Conservative status quo within Japan. I would even go as far as to argue the restoration of whaling in Japan was done for the sake of American interest. Whereas it got the valuable oil, Japan got the unwanted waste product. The meat.

        It’s obvious why the industry would want to target Paul Watson credibility and attempt to weaken his support. However, if you think matters through, ultimately their hyperbole is as unconvincing as claiming their intentions are “scientific”.

        But what I don’t understand is why Paul and closest supports would want to give the whaling industry shills so much material with which to attack them back?

        There seem to be three cultural excesses going on here.

        On one hand, the Japanese government can only get away with expecting the Japanese people to swallow their propaganda. Everyone else in the world can see through it and is led to think poorly of Japan as a whole by it as it re-inforced negative racial stereotypes of the Japanese being cruel, devious and so on.

        On the other hand, Paul’s and Sea Shepherd’s exploitation of populist PR strategies in order to financially exploit his adherents, by provoking strong emotions in order to afford the campaign, is also damaging not his own organization’s credibility but also that of the related animal rights, environmental and conservationist movements as a whole.

        Lastly, the ant-Sea Shepherd movement, how ever and for what ever reason it has arisen (and I call it anti-SSCS because their issue appears entirely unrelated to whales or conservation), appears to consider its interests are best served merely by making every discussion of the issue loud and ugly and ensuring that it is impossible to have a reason discussion in every forum of discussion the issue arises.

        Whereas I am forced to believe that the anti-SSCS movement is really only engaged in some futile Orwellian anger management therapy … their “Two Minutes Hate” every time they see Paul ‘Emmanuel Goldstein’ Watson … I am at a loss to understand why Paul and inner circle continue to do what they are doing. They seem not to see how the rest of the world sees them.

        Could Sea Shepherd please stop being so sloppy and ridiculous in some of the statements they make? Could it please stop publishing its more outright factual errors and lies? Could it please not become the monster it is fighting?

        I’d be quite happy if the Japanese whalers were deliberate sunk. I’d salute Sea Shepherd if one of their operators carried out such a direct action and most of the world would cheer if they did. I just don’t want to feel part of a movement that flirts with the kind of outright racism we saw in their Taiji campaign without apologizing for it and deliberately make such rashly inaccurate statements knowing that their followers will repeat them ad infinitum.

        • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001196054130 Jamie McCroskey

          Apparently someone didn’t bother to read the MNZ report or the report from the helmsmen of the Ady, it was not dead in the water but what would they know, right?

        • Hayashi

          finanally some intelligent conversation, whether people agree with you or not, you are no troll merely here to make people angry with inflammatory posts.

        • Harp Seal

          @Think – You should read some of the comments on the Cove Guardians facebook page. Proof that Cove Guardians are nothing more then a hate group.

      • Hayashi

        がんばて Unchida san, keep saying it, I think everyone is believing in you, and support for you is growing !

        But seriously, how many people here believe that the carbon fiber Ady Gil rammed a whaling ship? Just curious.

    • Sun Wu

      Since Steve Irwin refueld in NZ a while ago it should be just about time for her to do so once again. Coincidently the Steve Irwin has just caught up the Bob Barker.
      The Bob Barker is although not being a Double Hull tanker with bottom and wing tanks providing at least ONE meter between of space between sea and oil-tanks carrying hundreds of TONS of fuel and:
      1.) driven at high speed in icy conditions with danger of icy cutting up the thin hull.
      2.) manoevered in a highly dangerous way anything close to COLREG and (according to Seashpeherd :) ) permanently in danger of collisons with Japanese ships.
      If being a paid PR-whore I would advice Japanese security vessel to
      tail Steve Irwin and Bob Barker…some video-material later you could might put out a press-release SS confirmed of refueling in Southern Ocean… since almost all Crew members of Seashepherd are anything but trained and professional mostly not having been anywhere but on a small sailing yacht (e.g. Skipper Paul Watson, Skipper Lockhard McLean) an oil-spill is more than likely when these guys handle fuel…
      Don’t worry even small quantities spilled will be seen on the water, just take photos and publish them…by the way, this is the reason why there is hardly any photos of Ady Gill sinking. :)

      • http://twitter.com/RSPW_DEP David Powell

        They do try to tail the Barker and Irwin, and the Australians keep telling them to back off when they do. I think the Australian government sees Sea Shepherd as a very convenient proxy, not just on whaling, but on other maritime issues. Maybe the Japanese should declare the Shonan No. 2 a Coast Guard vessel. The Australian government already calls it a whaler even though it has no whaling gear anymore, and Sea Shepherd is being run by a guy very tight with the Australian government now, at least as a figurehead. I think the whole thing runs way deeper than whaling right now.

        • Sun Wu

          I would call this populism and, since Brown and Watson make it a question of enforcing Australian law, a strategy resulting in tons of RESSENTIMENTS in Japan and Australia, and therefor DANGEROUS!
          I am not into legal stuff…but I do know this Watson-game needs to be ended before there is any more harm being done!

          • Think

            If you are against “populism” does that mean we should all accept rule by the undemocratic elite?

            Or do you just not know what populism actually means?

            If English is not your nature level, or you’re still young and unsure of your vocabulary, I’d be careful with your choice of arguments.

            Perhaps you meant “demagoguery”?

            And, please, no more CAPITAL LETTERS, it make you look immature or UNSTABLE.

          • Think

            * “Nature level”? Weird … that should have been “native language”.

          • http://twitter.com/RSPW_DEP David Powell

            Not at all. I do however worry when a Non-State Actor is used as a proxy. If Australia’s government really believes all Antarctic waters are Australian, and that whaling should be illegal there due to Australian law, why aren’t they sending Australian Naval or Coast Guard vessels to enforce that? Sending a Non-State Actor may seem very convenient, in that it will use tactics and methods a country’s government won’t want to use themselves.
            However, when a State Government does this it runs the risk of the tail wagging the dog, that people will not know if it is that Democratically elected Government setting State policy, or the unelected Non-State group doing it by leading the Government’s decisions and policies. Also, by not enforcing the US Court order, the Australians have basically put it on someone else to do so. If the US or Japan sent law enforcement assets to do so I think Australia might like that even less than they like the whaling.
            I would point out that the US, having issued the order, now has the duty to enforce it. Also the Japanese now have every right under international law to take action to protect their own ships.

        • Sun Wu

          It is called Populism and considered to be dangerous.
          I am not into legal stuff, but since Brown and Japan make it a question of Australian security I do know the Watson-game needs to be ended before there is to many Ressentiments created in Australia and in Japan.
          Are you guys aware Watson offered China to patro Senkaku Island in the name of China?
          An Alliance of SS and China (known for its sustainable shark-fining, correct?) just to make Japan look like pathetic loosers and ask all these little school-children and Watson-academics (life is hard on us) to donate.
          What this guy is doing is insane!

          • http://twitter.com/RSPW_DEP David Powell

            I heard about the Senkaku offer, and agree that I was boggled when as you say the cause of Shark preservation is also talked up by Sea Shepherd, and that and other issues would seemingly dictate against such an alliance. However, in the business of getting attention and keeping an opponent off balance I can see why Watson and the Sea Shepherds would do it.

            As for the issues between Australia and Japan right now I think it is getting rather gray, especially with with a former Australian Government Official now designated Sea Shepherd commander at sea, as to where Sea Shepherd policy and statecraft end and where Australian Government statecraft and policy begin. When Governments get into that kind of relationship with non-state actors it can be a tricky business.

            As another poster on here mentioned, some of that could be populism on the part of certain Australian politicians, in the vein of some American politicians in the 1980s and 1970s who complained about Japan when the US Auto Industry was in trouble, but there may be other things in play, such as Australian and Japanese competetion for other resources in the Pacific and Australia wanting a stronger presence in the Southern Oceans and seeing Sea Shepherd as a way to pressure someone else who wants a presence there. The drawback to Australia playing too hard on the Sea Shepherd side with things like not allowing the Shonan No. 2 to tail Sea Shepherd vessels, despite the No. 2 having no whaling gear aboard, is it puts Japan into a position where they might have to re-designate the No. 2 a Coast Guard vessel or send another Coast Guard vessel, a shift of the “presence” balance in the Southern Oceans.

            There is a potential for this to get worse between two nations who really have a lot more business being friends. Whaling will die out if the Japanese are allowed to walk away from it without being seen as being forced out of it, this is something I think many anti-whaling activists do not understand.

          • Think

            I’d like to know who wrote the SSCS Senkaku piece as it is unsigned. Does Watson write all the editorial pieces himself?

            In it they state the island were “forcibly annexed” and no doubt their minions will run off and repeat it 10,000 times and it will become part of the alternative reality they live in. It was an unfortunately claim to have made and issue to take sides in as the manner in which Japan laid claim to the islands was irreproachable according to the law of the time. No force was used at all.

            There seems to be an element of “look-at-me-ism” in some of Sea Shepherd’s posturing, like a bigger boy showing off to young kids by jumping up on something, by which I mean younger adherents are seemingly thrilled by the ‘courageous’ defiance of their leaders but to the adult world they are nothing of significance at all.

            Some elements of Sea Shepherd appear to really think they are locked into an almighty battle with “Japan”, whereas to “Japan” they are really nothing more than a tiny midge and making an utter fool of themselves in this case.

            I ask who wrote it because from an animal rights, animal welfare or conservation point of view, China is by far the worse offender to Japan. From an animal rights or conservation their idiocy lost me.

            What did they really do? Send an email to some Chinese Embassy and claim they had therefore contacted “China”.

            All this World War II style rhetoric and quasi-militaristic language and nationalism exhausts me, but only encourages others back into pre-programmed racist responses.

            Equally ridiculous statements are often made by SSCS about “making agreements with Japan”. I mean, WTF do they mean? When has Sea Shepherd made an agreement with the State of Japan? Show me it.

            Another lie? Why?

          • http://twitter.com/RSPW_DEP David Powell

            You said it. Other things China does as far as use of land animals as delicacies and medicine are of concern too. Including many endangered species and some that are kept in really bad conditions.

            Sea Shepherd is trying to manufacture their own media reality, using press releases and social media, as far as those “agreements” and other portions of the release you mentioned that are provably false. The hope is it will become accepted as genuine reality. The difficulty comes when reality remains what it is yet some go charging into the fray believing the non-reality, because that can get people into serious trouble in the real world.

          • Sun Wu

            ‘…Whaling will die out if the Japanese are allowed to walk away from it without being seen as being forced out of it…’
            Thanks, this is what it is all about! Feels good to know at least one persons understands.
            Instead a former Australian Government official is becoming friends with Watson while Seashepherd is firing guns at Japan in all sort of International conflicts…especially in this China-Japan – there is a potential for some harm being done.
            Actually I do love to watch animal-documentaries in order to understand human behavior.
            When thinking of Watson I see a male sealions. Have you ever seen these guys with the big nose fighting during mating season?
            When reading some comments here on this blog I happen to see a stray dog running around at night time lifting its leg to mark every lantern it is passing.
            PS: since you seem to be a native english-speaker…I hope you do not have any problem with my english. Where I come from ‘Sweetie’ is not of much sexual nature especially when used talking to an alpha male web-dog.
            Its is much more ment to say: give me a break.

          • stopthegreed

            Calling another male “sweetie” is very very odd.

    • ddpalmer

      Where to begin?

      Read the Australian court order. It even says that the Australian Antarctic EEZ claim isn’t recoginezed by most of the world and is thus moot. Making the court order moot. That is why the judge tried to throw the case out until politicians got involved. It is also why unlike the SSCS the Japanese haven’t tried to get the injunction/order lifted, because they know it is bogus and has no force.

      The Sanctuary was established in violation of the IWC’s own regulations. But even ignoring that fact, the Japanese objected to the sanctuary, so it has no effect for them. And the sanctuary applies to commercial whaling and the Japanese have permits under Article VIII which is exempt. Article VIII also trumps the moratorium issue.

      If the Sun Laurel is transporting heavy fuel oil, then that would mean that at least one of the Japanese whaling ships must be using heavy fuel oil. So why are you complaining about the Sun Laurel transporting heavy fuel oil just now rather than complaining about the whaling vessel burning heavy fuel oil for the past month?

      • stopthegreed

        How do you say all that without laughing at yourself?

        • ddpalmer

          It is easy to not laugh at myself when I write the truth.

          But making baseless claims without even trying to prove anything I wrote is a lie, now that makes me laugh.

          • sidewinder

            Article IX – says that you are a douche.

          • ddpalmer

            No it doesn’t.
            It says: “Each Contracting Government shall take appropriate
            measures to ensure the application of the provisions of this Convention and the punishment of infractions against the said provisions in operations carried out by persons or by vessels under its jurisdiction.”

            While Article VIII says; “Notwithstanding anything contained in this Convention…and the killing, taking, and treating of whales in accordance with the provisions of this Article shall be exempt from the operation of this Convention.”

            So Article IX doesn’t apply to whaling under Article VIII.
            Better luck next time douche.

          • Think

            Except the Japanese whaling is not scientific. It is blatantly commercial, and so they have no valid claim.

            Culturally and historically what has happened here is the Japanese Ministry in question has rather over-confidently believed they could get away with the same kind of hypocrisy, double talk and media control as they do inside Japan … outside of Japan. And the environmental movement has called their number.

            Unfortunately for them, the free world sees through such deviances, has a freer press, and its citizens are taught to think for themselves and question, rather than repeat, conform and be afraid.

            Unused to having their number called, and disliking the idea of the hoi polloi doing so, the ministry does not know what to do and prides are at stake.

            So now, like a gambler called half-way through a bluff, the Japanese are caught at having to put their hands up, admit and stop; or carry on betting on the table in a hope to bluster their way through and intimidate others out of the game by increasing the stakes.

            These people have too much power and influence within Japan and it would be doing the Japanese a favor if their pride, and will, was successful broken.

            Apologists of the whale slaughtering industry are generally aware of the internal dynamics and care nothing for the greater environmental implications.

            What on earth motivates them to want to take sides with a destructive money-making enterprise and repressive and non-democratic regime?

            Bizarre psychology.

          • ddpalmer

            Except the Japanese whaling is scientific. That is why they publish scientific papers. It is also why the IWC Scientific Committee members, most from anti-whaling countries, thanks them for the useful data. And why the IWC works with the Japanese whalers on their SOWER research missions.

            But lets not let facts get in the way of ranting.

    • Harp Seal

      Serious violation is when sea shepherd throw BA in glass bottle and rope. I don’t know about anyone here. But back home we call that littering.

  • Sun Wu

    Whale whores…I am sure all of you guys have seen the South Park episode dealing with seashepherd! ‘…maybe we can shoot me and say the Japanese did it causing an international crisis…’

    Anybody who has not seen it: DO IT before watching ‘oil spill confirmed ‘ on Seashepherd’s Australian website…

    The recorded radio-conservation betweeen captain and bosun of Sun Laurel is not talking of any oil-spill at all.

    Seashepherd says they smell diesel.

    Seashepherd says they took watersamples.

    Seashepherd is quoting regulations and international laws trying to give them a good reputation… regulations and laws which they brake themselves on a daily basis…(I recommend youtube)

    Seashepherd’s and the Australian POPULIST Bob Brown’s strategy for 2013 seems to be making Australians believe Japan is dancing on the nose-tips of each single Australian sheep-farmer.

    This is bad, and just one more proof for Paul Watson pouring oil in a conflict which would have been closed for MANY years withouth Paul Watson’s Ego being crushed in 1977 when he got KIKKED out of Greenpeace.

    Since Paul Watson’s broken Ego had prolonged the suffering of whales in Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary for years I make him personally responsible for a number of whales equal to the number of whales he claims having saved.

    PS: don’t bother calling me a paid PR-whore…I everything but this

    If not do so be

    • A.C.

      I’ve mentioned this before. I love South Park, not only because the strange humor, but because it often makes me think too. I though wouldn’t say they were only making fun of Sea Shepherd in this episode – everyone gets lampooned. However, made me think of the issue from different sides.

      • Sun Wu

        pssst, don’t tell anyone…I never watched it, only the trailer. I have no TV and a mobile internet-connection which deserves anything but derserving to be called stable and fast. The trailer was definately not PRO Seashepherd, hope the rest is in the same manner.

        • A.C.

          It was Anti-Sea-Shepherd and Pro-Save-The-Whales.

          • Think

            I’d go ever further to say it was ‘anti-Sea-Shepherd’s excesses’ and pro-Save the Whales. And it was quite right and very funny.

            Sure, the Japanese whalers had their asses equally kicked.

            Despite all their excess people still want Sea Shepherd to win. It’s just that the excess are making it difficult to want to support them. I think the org needs to stand back, look at what is going on rather than just how money money is coming in, and re-focus.

          • Sun Wu

            that was the impression I got when watching the trailer…and it is my oppinion.
            I believe whaling to end is dependent on the world showing Japan that the majority is not supporting this Canadian nutcase, lets not forget he was KICKED OUT of Greenpeace in 1977 already for something which seems to be his personality ever since. Unfortunately he has managed to build up a MULTI-MILLION USD machinery allowing his cracked ego feel comfortable.
            Anyone wanting: feel free to believe whalemeat having an impact on food or oil-security in 2013. I have not been accused of any neoliberal coleur in the past, but in this case I do believe the market will take care of it after Japan has practised how to stockpile whalemeat for the last 5 years…and talking about oil: fossil fuel cant become that expensive in the near future…if space programs do rely on catching whales though… :)
            Talking about Oil… merchant shipping like the Double-Hull tanker Sun Laurel operating wolrdwide is doing so according to International regulations/laws of classification organisations and IMO, eg. Standart of Training, Certification, Watchkeeping called STCW 95
            Just to point out who is in charge of motorized deepwater horizonts in Antarctica from a professional point of view….
            I do not have any information on this 29 year old Swedish guy (Hammarstadt?) being in charge of the SS fuel-tanker and with SS as long as I can remember.
            But I happen to know that CAPTAIN Lockhart MacLean is a university dropout. Other than the Sun Laurel he is definately not operating according to INTERNATIONAL standarts!
            This is the reason why he was just a bosun at Greenpeace being responsible for derosting and painting! With Watson these type of people become CAPTAINS who operate floating fuel bombs in the most remote and pristine environment worldwide.
            According to Professional standarts SS is a bunch of unprofessionals who run a MULTI MILLION enterprise in a nature reserve.
            Since I want whaling to end I do believe it is time for Greenpeace to take if there happens to be a NGO in Souther Ocean needed what I personally don’t believe.
            Warehouses are full…and consumers dying. The market will take care of the rest.

          • stopthegreed

            Let’s remember the majority of those people who started Greenpeace with Paul Watson do support him. Some even crewing and still crewing with him over the years and are great friends of his. One of the Australian skippers has decades of experience. Is say the vast majority of their crew now have all types of experience. Including US coast guards, army, navy. I know people like to talk badly of crew but most people have no idea about crew. I remember when the Canadian coast guard were towing a fishing/ sealing boat out of the ice. They had nobody watching and the fishing boat flipped while under tow and killed several crew. A huge mistake by the coast guard. Accidents happen sometimes. But to say Sea Shepherd crew arnt trained is ignorant.

          • Sun Wu

            From Neptun’s Navy, Watson’s wild crusade to save the oceans:
            ‘…
            Several years after ramming the Sierra, Watson gave himself the title of captain, though he does not have a captain’s license. “He loves to dress up in uniform, as ‘Captain Paul Watson,’ and suddenly there’s enough gold braid on his shoulders to skipper the Queen Mary,” David Sellers, an old friend and former Sea Shepherd crew member, told me. In the eighties, Sellers and Watson fought so bitterly over the seaworthiness of Watson’s ship that they did not speak for fifteen years. (Sellers, a licensed captain, had insisted that it was not safe for ocean travel.) Many of Watson’s colleagues from the seventies and eighties no longer work with him; they have grown tired either of the campaigns or of Watson’s style of leadership—“anarchy run by God,” a longtime volunteer called it. “He doesn’t like people who disagree with him.”…’

      • WhatchingTheWatcher-Is-A-Idiot

        Alright you have already showed how stupid you are by admitting you watch south park you idiot no educational or practical info comes from a show you have to be stoned or half brain dead to watch. Repeating that Watson got kicked out of GP over and over is also stupidity. Who gets the attention of the world GP or Sea sheperd? I could walk down my street and ask every person who has heard of GP and probably get one or two people but ask about sea sheperd and everybody knows them and praises there work you think you have some intelligent thoughts along with most that replied to your post but are nothing but a bunch of ignorant morons.

    • http://twitter.com/RSPW_DEP David Powell

      I hate whaling, but I also grew up on the water and know a bit about boats. The Sea Shepherds are insane.

  • MLCross

    The last time Australia sent the Oceanic Viking to “observe” the whaling, the only illegal activity they documented was on the part of Sea Shepherd. As for the Australian Federal Court, the presiding judge, Judge Alsop specifically stated that the ruling didn’t apply to the Japanese.

    • stopthegreed

      Oh please. Spare us all your bullshit.

      • MLCross

        A completely contentless reply from a brain-dead Sea Sheep. What a shock. The two facts I posted are searchable to anyone interested in learning the truth. You won’t stopthegreed, because you already know what I posted is true and simply don’t have any other response.

        • sidewinder

          Yawn – look, your getting away from the facts here:

          The Japanese are poaching endangered whales in a whale sanctuary in complete defiance of a global moratorium on whaling all in the name of “Science” and guess what? The meat ends up on dinner plates, school lunch boxes and in the pet food aisle of supermarkets.

          • MLCross

            Yawn – same old obfuscation by the Sea Sheep. Article 8 of IWC says it is completely legal, and you know it. And they are required by the same agreement to not waste any of the animal, and you know it. You’re the only one running, screaming away from the facts here.

          • Think

            The only fact of any value is that the Japanese whalers are dishonestly carrying out commercial whaling and against the requests of the IWC.

            Your argument would only carry weight if you could suspend your disbelief far enough to accept they were really doing scientific research. The rest of the world does not.

            It’s not research therefore it’s not legal.

            Actually, you mean the Article VIII of the ICRW, not the IWC.

          • MLCross

            See how the goalposts moved when the facts come out? It was “poaching endangered whales in complete defiance…blah blah baaaaaaaaaaahhhhh”. Now, it’s just “dishonestly…” “against the requests…” . Now, we’re on the old “it’s not research” canaard. And, of course, you know that I’m going to point out that all of the data collected is published in the cruise reports and that data has been used in countless peer-reviewed scientific studies and all of that is listed on the ICR web site for anyone to go look at. The research is completely legal under the very agreement you cite. OK, go ahead, change the subject, move the posts again. Where we goin’ next Think, you going to tell me about how Watson was shot in his little Junior Woodchuck Badge?

  • http://twitter.com/46nd2 46nd2

    Tiny minded cowards who kill whales dump oil in the ocean? Yep stupid is as stupid does.

  • http://www.facebook.com/look.mother.no.hands Shayne O’Neill

    Whats extremist about sea shephard? Interesting to note the editorial bias here… Its a story about australian waters, and possible criminal behavior by a large corporation from a group with mainstream australian values.

  • Ade

    Maybe some more of the tsunami fund we donated to can be used to fund the illegal whalers next year as well ..nice to see it being put to good use and thats the last time i donate any help

    • Harp seal

      Any proof of that because Watson can’t find it. All he does is block you from facebook.

      • stopthegreed

        Heard of Google? The Japanese even had a press release stating it. Old news.

        • ddpalmer

          You mean the press release that says the fund is Japanese tax money, not donations?

          • sidewinder

            No I mean the admission that they used Money from the Tsunami relief fund to pay for the upgrades to the Nisshin Maru.

          • ddpalmer

            Yeah the Tsunami Relief Fund filled with Japanese tax money.

    • Harp seal

      Another one who claims they donate to the tsunami fund.
      I donated to the Red Cross. Are you and Watson saying that the Red Cross is funding whaling in the Southern Ocean?

    • Think

      They did not receive foreign or public donations. I have no idea why Sea Shepherd keeps putting out that message.

  • Endit

    I believe whaling should come to an end but i also think so of Paul Watson and his Shepherd crew. They are nothing more than thrill seeking extremist junkies that are delusional hero wannabe’s. All the money poured into mr watson could actually have made a difference if it were poured somewhere else.

    • Think

      Where and how should it be spent and on the basis of what do you suggest that?

      I think it is wrong to portray all volunteers in that manner, I think it is wrong to even to portray most volunteers in that way. I’d say most were sincere.

      (Paul Watson actually takes very little of the money in comparison to most NGO leaders of similar sized operations, so I don’t think that it a very strong argument, even if you think he should take none).

  • Think

    A sincere question to the anti-Sea Shepherd activists again.

    Do you honestly think people care whether political or rights activists break minor laws for the sakes of their causes?

    Personally, I would have said anyone interested in such issues know that a certain amount of civil disobedience is necessary or required and understand there is a moral difference between that and a proper crime.

    Likewise, most people with half-a-brain know that the law is skewed in favor of corporations and property and is not complete, that it continues to develop by being tried and tested, and vested interests being challenged.

    I would say people know that and respect those who do.

    What values are you appealing to in who? Who made you class monitors to keep other kids in line? I am honestly trying to understand.

    On many websites it seems that the same parties trying to paint environmental activists as “bad people” using the silliest attempts at character assassination. If you were to ask me, the accusations you use are so weak and petty it make your side look silly and unattractive.

    In the bigger picture, do you really think anyone cares anyone cares whether Paul Watson is a bad man who didn’t pay a parking ticket in 1973″ or whatever it is you try to say!

    Honestly, I am trying to understand. What is the game plan here? What is it you think you are achieving and who is it you are targeting?

    Everyone has a past and if you have not broken a law then I suggest you get out and enjoy life a little more. If far more fun being on the side of the resistance than volunteers on the side of repression.

  • sea shepards 4 ever

    Japan sucks. they should just stop whaling whats the big deal we know its not research, we know the world wants them to stop, it stupid pride and honor and blah blah, that’s what lead to hiroshima, Japanese old school pride over common sense

  • lc1120

    why doesnt japan focus on their nuclear power plant issues instead of hunting whales for research that is non existent ! Japan sucks. radioactive material is being leaked into the ocean, there is a giant sespool of plastic of its coasts, they have no environmental concern whatsoever because they are packed into a small country, they could give a shit about the environment or whales or animals, they eat anything that walks because they have to. uuug japan.