Sea Shepherd arrives in Australia after defeating whalers, Watson off the grid

Posted on March 20, 2013 by Adam Westlake in Features, National with 11 Comments
Sea Shepherd arrives in Australia after defeating whalers, Watson off the grid

The fleet and crew of the extremist anti-whaling group Sea Shepherd arrived in Australia on Wednesday, claiming victory in this year’s campaign against Japan’s whalers, and calling for free passage for founder Paul Watson. Three of their four ships, the Steve Irwin, Bob Barker, and Sam Simon docked with an estimated $1.03 million in damages, while the fourth ship, the Brigitte Bardot, remains at an undisclosed location with Watson believed to be aboard, as he is still wanted by Interpol.

Peter Hammarstedt, the captain of the Bob Barker, commented in Melbourne that their campaign had been the most successful, and also the most dangerous, out of their nine previous attempts to impede Japan’s annual whale hunt in the Southern Ocean in the name of “scientific research.” The Japanese fleet usually sets a quota of a little over 1,000 whales on their hunts, but Sea Shepherd says they only managed to take home 75, possibly their lowest catch ever. Bob Brown, a former Australian politician and current director of Sea Shepherd after taking over for Watson, commented that their mission, which saw them set sail in November, had “a great outcome.”

Captain Hammarstedt stated that the group’s ships “carried scars from battle” as they were repeatedly rammed by illegal Japanese vessels. While it was more than clear to those following the struggle between the two sides that there were multiple collisions at sea, the Sea Shepherd member made no mention of the video footage captured from a Japanese ship that strongly indicates the activists’ intentionally sailing into the path of their whaling vessels on at least one occasion.

There were no sightings of Watson in Melbourne on Wednesday, as he most likely remains at bay due to skipping in Germany last summer. Regardless of German authorities dropping their arrest warrant earlier this month, Interpol maintains their call for Watson’s detainment. Bob Brown urged the government of Canberra to allow the Sea Shepherd founder into Australia without the risk of him being arrested and sent to Japan. He added that Japan’s whale hunts were ruled illegal by the Australian Federal Court, and as they violate order, Sea Shepherd is merely trying to uphold Australia’s law. Unfortunately for Brown and Watson, Australia never asked, nor gave Sea Shepherd the authority, to take such action.

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[via AFP]
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  • RP

    “Unfortunately for Brown and Watson, Australia never asked, nor gave Sea Shepherd the authority, to take such action.”

    Where or how did this blatant lie and deception come from?

    • Facts?

      So you are saying the Aussie government authorized Sea Shepherd as a government official operation?

  • RP

    “The Australian Federal Court has ruled that Japanese whaling is illegal — they are breaking Australian law, and Sea Shepherd is upholding Australian law,” he said.

    “We need the chief upholder of Australian law in Antarctic waters, Paul Watson, to know that he can come freely onto these shores knowing that he will not be harassed by the long arm of Tokyo.”

    Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus indicated that Watson would not be arrested if he came to Australia.

    “The Australian government does not provide assurances whether a person will be subject to extradition proceedings either now or during the future,” he said, without saying whether Canberra has received an extradition request.

    “But as I have made clear, a person cannot be extradited from Australia in the absence of an Australian warrant and the approval of the Australian government.

    “That said, I can confirm that Mr Watson is not subject to any arrest warrant in any Australian government juristication.”

    Canadian Watson claims the charges he faces are part of a “politically motivated” attempt led by Japan to put an end to his efforts against whaling.

    -AFP/fl

  • RP

    Jun Morikawa, author of “Whaling in Japan: Power, Politics, and Diplomacy” explains that the whaling continues for the benefit of corrupt bureaucrats who ensure tax funded subsidies in the fisheries budget only to take high paid jobs in the commercial whaling industry after leaving public office. This corruption is so common in Japan’s government they have a word for it: ‘amakudari’.

    • ddpalmer

      It is common around the world, nothing special in Japan.

      • Hayashi

        Do you mean amakudari? or lethal research of endangered species? I don’t think morioka’s book is about amakudari or global practices ,it might be about whaling in Japan specifically. I agree it’s not special at all.

        • ddpalmer

          I mean politicians using their power to ensure themselves well paying jobs when they leave politics.

        • Truth

          The situation is Japan is different from other developed nation for a number of reason. Morikawa write more about the politics than whaling. I do not think simple “corruption” is the right word to describe it though.

          I often find it strange that many of the American opponents of groups like Sea Shepherd would tend towards the right or libertarian values which abhor “big government” but, in essence, what they are defending is one of the worst example of “big government” excess in the world. I am not just writing that specifically about the whaling lobby/industry but as regards the nature of the government, industry and these “public interest corporations” (I think that is the correct term) which really have no public interest at all, except an interest in public funds for themselves.

          Paul Watson is correct when he accuses them of being a small army of individuals, doing nothing very much very well, being largely unaccountable and living off government handouts.

          Part of their anger and upset is at anyone, let alone a big fat foreigner outside of society or hippies with no status, coming along and successfully challenging their god given right to government funding, exposing them and embarrassing them in front of others.

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

    The sea shepherds ran low on fuel and had to quit but the ICR is still there as far as we know, who defeated who exactly?

  • RP

    Here is a much more balanced and honest article about Japanese whaling from The Japan Times..

    http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2013/03/21/national/sea-shepherd-returns-to-australia-victorious/#.UUpyefEfapg

  • OceanOfStars

    Really MCroskey? Really. 103 whales taken out of 1,035 whale quota. Now…who defeated who exactly?