Jornal ZERO HORA - MIDIA NO BRASIL

-Photos by Barbara Veiga-

NEW COMMENTS & PHOTOS FROM THE SOUTHERN OCEAN!

Link: http://www.seashepherd.org/news-and-media/editorial-110125-1.html

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

The Art of Hunting Whalers Up, up, and away with our whale killer hunting balloons Commentary by Captain Paul Watson Doug O’Neil launches a weather balloon into the Southern Ocean sky. (photo: Barbara Veiga)It is difficult to describe the immensity of the great Southern Ocean and the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary, and even more difficult to explain the awesome challenge of hunting the whaling fleet down in these remote, bitterly cold, and hostile waters. Imagine taking three cars and departing from Los Angeles in the USA or Perth in Australia. Somewhere in an area much larger than Australia and the United States there are four cars that you need to find. They could be in Fargo, North Dakota or Tallahassee, Florida, or they could be in Alice Springs or Adelaide, or they could be in one of thousands of rest stops on any highway or backcountry road in either country. In other words we are talking B-I-G. Hundreds of thousands of square miles! And our cars only move at about 18 miles per hour. Where do you even begin? In 2002 when we first ventured into the Southern Ocean, we failed to find the Japanese fleet at all but since then, we have grown stronger with each year and become better equipped. Now with three ships and a helicopter, we are stronger than we ever have been and we now have the capability to find the whalers and keep them on the run. When the Greenpeace ships ventured down here to these waters a few years ago, the whalers continued on with their grisly business undeterred by the cameras and the banner hanging. Greenpeace got some horrific footage of dying whales but their cameras did not stop the killing. The Japanese whalers treated Greenpeace as an annoyance but the killing remained undeterred. To be fair, the Greenpeace crewmembers were passionate about the cause but they were limited by the bureaucratic restraints of their organization and this revisionist policy of so-called bearing witness. Finally realizing that hanging banners was futile, Greenpeace retreated permanently from the Southern Ocean. In the early days when I was a Greenpeace director and activist, we didn’t just bear witness to atrocities, we intervened. And that is precisely what Sea Shepherd continues to do. We are not down here to witness the killing of whales, we are down here to stop the killing of whales. Thus far this has been a very good year. The whalers have only been able to slip in a couple of days of whaling with only one harpoon vessel while on the run. We caught them before they began whaling and we have now been chasing the fleet for nearly a month. But the big challenge is locating them. So how do we do it? First we know the general area of their illegal operations each year. There are two areas. The first is the Antarctic coast from the South of Tasmania, to the westward coastline to the south of South Africa. The second region, where we are this year, is the Antarctic coast south of Tasmania, eastward to the area just on the other side of the Ross Sea. Each of these two regions is immense, of course. I prefer the Ross Sea area because the whaling fleet tends to get down into this gigantic Southern Ocean bay and floe ice tends to funnel them into certain areas. We then tend to look at the ocean the way a whale does. When bank robber Willie Horton was once asked why he robbed banks, he answered, “Because that is where the money is.” We say to ourselves, why would a whale go to a certain area? The answer is that is where the krill is. And so we look for plankton blooms, which has a great deal to do with ocean currents and temperatures. We also study the ice charts. Crewmembers prepare the surveillance weather balloons for launch. (photo: Barbara Veiga)With our two ships that are equipped with a helicopter deck, we place our ships in a search formation and patrol with the helicopter that extends our range. This year we also deployed a new technology of using weather balloons, which is working quite well. The weather balloons are deployed with a camera feature, along with equipment to detect radio and radar signals. Rising as high as 30,000 feet in the air, the balloons send back some very valuable data that has proven to be very instrumental in finding the whalers this season. The best tactic for defending whales down here in the Southern Ocean is to keep the whaling ships on the run, while burning fuel and catching very few whales. The key to ending whaling is an economic one. Getting the Japanese people onside is all well and good but it guarantees nothing, as the whalers don’t care about public opinion. As a Canadian, I know that the majority of Canadians oppose the horrific annual seal slaughter, yet the Canadian government continues to subsidize the industry. Why? Because it is never about what the people want, it is what the bureaucrats and the corporations want. However, cutting profits is something they do understand, and they do notice. And Sea Shepherd has considerably cut profits and will do so more than ever this season. This is the reason that the Japanese government has been reaching out at the highest diplomatic efforts to Australia, the United States, Canada, New Zealand, and the Netherlands in a desperate effort to shut down Sea Shepherd. The best acknowledgement of our effectiveness comes from the Japanese Fisheries Agency and the Institute for Cetacean Research (or Removal as I like to call it). Both these groups have denounced Sea Shepherd for cutting their kill quotas and their profits. Critics tend to only have opinions without much substance, and our critics are entitled to say what they like about our effectiveness. We need only look to our real enemies – the whalers, for validation of our strategies and tactics. According to the whalers, Sea Shepherd is hurting them. I must admit that I take a great deal of pleasure in watching that foul evil floating abattoir the Nisshin Maru running in desperation every time they see us. That desperation was never more evident than yesterday, when they smashed through the thick and dangerous ice fields in an attempt to get away from us.    Next year we intend to be even better prepared. We could use a third larger vessel, one to match each of the harpoon vessels. If two ships can keep two harpoon vessels occupied, three ships can keep all three of the harpoon vessels occupied. We are also working on acquiring a couple of long-range drones fitted with cameras and detection equipment. This year the whalers can run, but they can no longer hide – from our balloons! Operation No Compromise

NEWS: Sea Shepherd Successfully finds the Nisshin Maru

Link: http://www.seashepherd.org/news-and-media/news-110125-1.html

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Sea Shepherd Successfully finds the Nisshin Maru The Nisshin Maru as seen from the Nancy Burnet helicopter (click to enlarge)Position: 70 Degrees  45 Minutes South 171 Degrees 45 Minutes West  Vessels Involved:  Japanese whalers - The Nisshin Maru, Yushin Maru No. 1 and Yushin Maru No. 2 Sea Shepherd Conservation Society - The Steve Irwin En route - The Bob Barker and the Yushin Maru No. 3 (video to follow shortly) After a 26-day pursuit covering over 4,000 miles, the Steve Irwin caught up with the Nisshin Maru at 1800 hours on January 25th, 2011 AEST. “We finally have this serial killing death ship where we want them, and from here on in, we intend to ride their ass until the end of the whaling season,” said Captain Paul Watson from onboard the Steve Irwin. “This whaling fleet belongs to us now – lock, stock, and smoking harpoon gun.” The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society ships the Steve Irwin, Bob Barker, and Gojira originally found the Japanese whaling fleet on December 31st, 2010 before the whalers had an opportunity to kill a single whale. Unfortunately, two of the harpoon vessels blocked the approach to the Nisshin Maru and the factory ship was able to flee with the faster harpoon vessels tailing the two larger Sea Shepherd ships to relay Sea Shepherd movements to the fleeing Nisshin Maru. The Gojira was prevented from immediately pursuing the Nisshin Maru due to risky ice conditions. The Gojira shot ahead of the Steve Irwin and the Bob Barker as the Nisshin Maru fled westward. On January 10th, the Gojiraencountered the refueling and supply ship the Sun Laurel. On January 12th, the Bob Barker and the Steve Irwin caught up with the tanker and began to tail the Korean-owned vessel allowing the Gojira to continue westward in pursuit of the Nisshin Maru. The Sun Laurel headed north and east to put as much distance between the factory ship and themselves as they could. The Sea Shepherd ships followed knowing it was essential to cut off the supplies to the whaling fleet. Two of the three harpoon vessels followed and for 23 days we had confirmation that these two vessels had not taken a single whale. With the Sun Laurel heading east and getting closer to Chile than New Zealand, Captain Watson seized an opportunity to break away and lose the tail, doing so on January 18th.  The Bob Barker continued to follow the Sun Laurel with one harpoon vessel continuing to follow the Bob Barker. The other harpoon vessel, having lost the Steve Irwin, left to rejoin the Nisshin Maru. The Yushin Maru No. 1 cutting through the ice floes (click to enlarge)The Gojira was following the progress of the Nisshin Maru by launching weather balloons equipped with remote cameras and radar detectors. Unfortunately, the Gojira developed a problem with their fuel pumps and Captain Locky MacLean elected to return to Hobart to replace the pumps. This decision was kept confidential in order to keep the Nisshin Maru on the run until the Steve Irwin could close in. On January 23rd, Captain Watson made a risky decision to call off theBob Barker from continuing the pursuit of the Sun Laurel. His concern was that the Nisshin Maru with two harpoon vessels could begin whaling operations in the Ross Sea within days. The Bob Barker was instructed to head due south as a decoy to lead theYushin Maru along while the Steve Irwin entered the Ross Sea. And today after a 26-day pursuit, the Nisshin Maru has finally been caught and the Steve Irwin is on its tail. The Bob Barker some 300 miles away has been instructed to join the Steve Irwin. Unfortunately, the Japanese whaling fleet appears to have just begun their illegal whaling operations. There is a whale presently being butchered on the deck. Sea Shepherd’s objective now is to make sure that whale is the last one taken this season. The whaling fleet has been caught in an ice bay in the Ross Sea and is fleeing eastward into thick ice. The Steve Irwin intends to follow.         There is no doubt that this season will be a financial disaster for the Japanese whaling fleet. “We are well on our way to economically sinking this whaling fleet,” said Captain Watson. “We will now chase them through the frozen gates of hell if need be, but we will stop their illegal whaling operations…I am confident of that!” The Nisshin Maru trying to outrun the Steve Irwin by going through heavy ice (click to enlarge) The Nisshin Maru exiting the ice floes (click to enlarge) all photos by Barbara Veiga Operation No Compromise

Ondas altas, emoções a flor da pele!

Como ultimamente eu tenho postado apenas as matérias escritas pelo Paul Watson com meu trabalho fotográfico(por pura falta de tempo), dessa vez eu decidi colocar aqui um pouco da minha experiência a bordo.

Estamos enfrentando nesse momento uma tempestade com ventos de 40 nós e ondas que garantem uma grande aventura no Steve Irwin. O curioso é que eu adoro fotografar o mar nessas condições, mesmo que meus equipamento fotográficos criem asas e vão de um lado para o outro com o movimento do navio.

Hoje foi o dia de colocar meu "mustang suit" e com um gancho me conectar ao navio ao sair para fotografar no convés(que está limitado para a tripulação por uma questão de segurança). Foi absolutamente emocionante olhar o Steve Irwin desde a proa e me dar conta do quanto somos insignificantes diante do poder e constante transição do mar.

O importante é saber que estou o lugar certo e fazendo a coisa certa. Cada minuto fotografando as ações da Sea Shepherd é um dádiva e ainda posso me aventurar nas tempestades do Pólo Sul.

-Por Barbara Veiga-

Sea Shepherd News: Riding a Storm in Pursuit of a Black-Hearted Sun

Link: http://www.seashepherd.org/news-and-media/news-110115-1.html

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Riding a Storm in Pursuit of a Black-Hearted Sun A bird’s eye view of the Steve Irwin during a stormIt is Day Seventeen since finding the Japanese whaling fleet, and it is a wee bit uncomfortable today after the whaling fleet supply vessel Sun Laureldecided to lead us into a storm to try and shake the Bob Barker and the Steve Irwin off its tail. We are now over 300 miles north of the Antarctic Treaty Zone Boundary and the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary as the Sun Laurel wanders northward and eastward hoping to unload her cargo of heavy fuel for the Nisshin Maruand diesel fuel for the harpoon vessels. It is mystifying why the Korean captain thinks he can lose us in a storm. TheBob Barker and the Steve Irwin are far superior sea vessels than this tanker and the rolling of the supply ship has to be uncomfortable for her crew, far more uncomfortable than for the Sea Shepherd crews. Behind the two Sea Shepherd ships in plain sight are the Yushin Maru # 1and Yushin Maru #2. Both of them are more than a day's steaming from the whaling grounds, and if they are not on the whaling grounds, they are not killing whales. The Bob Barker tracking the Sun LaurelThe Gojira continues to hunt for the Nisshin Maru and the Yushin Maru #3. Captain Paul Watson has decided that the most effective tactic that can be implemented is to cut the Nisshin Maru off from her supplies. TheBob Barker and the Steve Irwin will be able to pursue the Sun Laurel for longer than the Nisshin Maru can survive without fuel. The Nisshin Maru has four choices now: (1) quit whaling and return to Japan, (2) attempt to refuel with the Sun Laurel, (3) go to a distant port to refuel, or (4) find another tanker somewhere to refuel them and hope they are not discovered before they do so. Option two will put them into a direct confrontation with the Sea Shepherd ships. Options three and four will cost them weeks of time. Yesterday, the crew of the Steve Irwin were accompanied by a large pod of pilot whales. The crews of both the Bob Barker and the Steve Irwin are in high spirits as this pursuit continues. A pod of Short-finned Pilot Whales Operation No Compromise

Sea Shepherd News

Holding the Course!

Update from the frontlines in the Southern Ocean
January 14, 2011, 1400 hours AEST/January 13, 2011, 1900 hours PST

The Sea Shepherd fleet escorting the Sun Laurel tanker out of the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary (click to enlarge)Panamanian-registered, Korean-owned tanker the Sun Laurel has complied with Sea Shepherd Conservation Society’s request to remove itself from the Antarctic Treaty zone. The ship is now north of 60 degrees and continues to be followed by both the Steve Irwin and the Bob Barker. The Bob Barker in turn, is being followed and tailed by the Yushin Maru No. 2, and the Steve Irwin is being followed by the Yushin Maru No. 1.

This morning, the Yushin Maru No. 1 replaced the Yushin Maru No. 3 as the tail on the Steve Irwin. This means that as of this morning all three harpoon vessels were within sight of the Sea Shepherd ships. Therefore, the Nisshin Maru factory ship would presumably be over 200 miles away in order to stay out of the Sea Shepherd helicopter’s range.  

It is a certainty that there is no possibility of whaling today. Sea Shepherd has every reason to also believe that based on the fact that two of the three harpoon vessels have been under continuous observation for the past 15 days, and due to the great distance of over 2,000 miles covered by the whaling fleet since being located on December 31, 2010, there has been very little time to hunt, load, and process whales.

(l to r) The Bob Barker, the Gojira, the Sun Laurel refueling and supply tanker, and the Steve Irwin on the move (click to enlarge)The harpooners have been taking turns refueling from the Nisshin Maru, but soon those supplies will run low as well and the Nisshin Maru will need the heavy oil (bunker C) cargo presently in the hold of the Sun Laurel. The Bob Barker and the Steve Irwin will stay with the supply ship and will aggressively interfere with any attempts at refueling and resupply.

After successfully finding the Sun Laurel supply vessel, the Gojira has since left to scout in search of the Nisshin Maru.

There is no doubt that the Japanese whaling fleet has been severely crippled this whaling season. With a third of the whaling season behind them, with two of the three harpoon vessels tied up with their supplies cut off and constantly being on the run, the whale kill quota has been reduced to zero, or very close to it.

Sea Shepherd has two months left until the whaling season is over, which means 60 more days at sea. We have the fuel, the resources, and a crew committed to this campaign whose morale has already been bolstered by our successes this year. The captains and the crews of all three Sea Shepherd ships are confident of a very successful year in neutralizing illegal whaling activities in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary.

The Japanese whaling ships presently in the Southern Ocean include: the Nisshin Maru factory ship, the three Yushin Maruharpoon vessels (Nos. 1, 2 and 3), and the Sun Laurel supply vessel.

The three Sea Shepherd ships opposing the whalers include: the Steve Irwin, the Bob Barker, and the Gojira, along with theNancy Burnet helicopter.

Link: http://www.seashepherd.org/news-and-media/news-110113-1.html

Operation No Compromise

Sea Shepherd News From the Ice

Wednesday, January 12, 2011 Link: http://www.seashepherd.org/news-and-media/news-110112-1.html

Sea Shepherd Cuts off Supplies to the Japanese Whaling Fleet The Gojira catches up to the Sun Laurel to investigate their intentThe mysterious and elusive supply ship for the Japanese whaling fleet has been located. At 1420 hours on January 12 AEST, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society’s scout and interceptor vessel the Gojira found the Japanese refueling and supply ship. It is identified as the Panamanian registered Sun Laurel (IMO# 9405631), and it was found at 62 degrees 43 minutes south and 178 degrees 33 minutes west. Captain of the Gojira Canadian Lockhart MacLean radioed the Sun Laurel and asked if they were in the area to refuel the Japanese whaling fleet. Their response was a hesitant “maybe.” The tanker is full and has not yet discharged its supplies to the Nisshin Maru or the harpoon vessels. The Bob Barker, being tailed by the Yushin Maru, and the Steve Irwin being tailed by the Yushin Maru No. 3, immediately changed course to intercept the tanker. The Steve Irwin is expected to intercept the Sun Laurel at 2200 hours AEST on January 12. The Sun Laurel departed from Japan on December 4, 2010 from the port of Tateyama Ko. Captain Paul Watson responded to the interception of the Sun Laurel from the Steve Irwin, “We have found the Achilles heel of the whaling fleet and we intend to stay on it like a bloodhound and keep this ship from delivering fuel and supplies to the whaling fleet. This tanker’s support of Japan’s illegal activities makes the captain and crew of the Sun Laurel as culpable as the person firing the harpoon into a whale’s flesh.” The Sun Laurel supply ship intercepted by Sea ShepherdThe Sea Shepherd ships have now chased the whaling fleet for 13 days, and with the harpoon ships tailing, finding and closing in on the Nisshin Maru has proven to be very difficult. The harpoon ships simply relay the position of the Steve Irwin and the Bob Barker ahead allowing the Nisshin Maru, allowing it to stay out of reach. “So if we can’t go to the Nisshin Maru, the Nisshin Maru will have to come to us,” said Captain Watson. “They need to refuel soon, and we will be here with the Sun Laurel waiting for them to arrive. Refueling south of 60 degrees is illegal and we intend to enforce the Antarctic Treaty if they attempt to violate it.” There is no evidence that any whales have been killed this season. The entire Japanese whaling fleet has been fleeing from the Sea Shepherd ships for nearly two weeks since being found on the eastern side of the Ross Sea on December 31, 2010. The three Sea Shepherd ships are committed to spending the remainder of the whaling season in the Southern Ocean, but the season will be cut very short if the whaling ships are unable to refuel. “It’s time for these poachers to take their harpoons and flensing knives and head home,” said Captain MacLean from theGojira. “We have made it clear that they are not welcome in the sanctuary.” Operation No Compromise

Sea Shepherd News From the Ice

Monday, January 10, 2011 Link: http://www.seashepherd.org/news-and-media/news-110110-1.html

Sea Shepherd Stands Self-sufficient in the Southern Ocean Sea Shepherd does not expect help or assistance from Australia or New Zealand. Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard said that the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society should not expect any help from Australia should any Sea Shepherd crew or vessels get in trouble in the Southern Ocean. From the Sydney Morning Herald: Ms Gillard has called on both sides to act more responsibly. “This is a remote, inhospitable, dangerous place," she told reporters in Canberra on Monday. "Any sense that somehow you can act irresponsibly and somehow someone miraculously turns up to save you - that is not the way the world works." The message from the Australian government is clear: Don’t call us if you get into trouble. And Sea Shepherd does not intend to. Sea Shepherd can and will take care of themselves. Sea Shepherd’s Delta team attempts to outrun the fierce spray from the Yushin Maru No. 3’s water cannons to ensure safety for their crew (click to enlarge)Captain Paul Watson responded by saying, “I have seven years of experience in Southern Ocean waters so I do not need Prime Minister Gillard to tell me that this is a remote, inhospitable, dangerous place. I also don’t expect Australia or anyone else to ‘miraculously’ turn up to save us. We do indeed know how the world works. We are not wealthy yachtsmen racing around the world trying to set a record and thus deserving of assistance. We are not fishermen who expect and demand government assistance. No, we are marine conservationists trying to stop the poaching of whales in a whale sanctuary and we can take care of ourselves should the need arises, just as we always have.” The Sea Shepherd vessels the Bob Barker and Steve Irwin carry physicians, trained medics, and firemen, and have well-stocked medical wards. The ships carry emergency pumps, firefighting equipment, and towing equipment. Even before the Steve Irwin left port, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority notified Sea Shepherd that Sea Shepherd’s crews were not to expect any assistance, and the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs notified all our Australian crewmembers that the government would be limited in their capacity to help with consular services or assistance. The message: You’re on your own down there. Last year when the Ady Gil was ripped in two by the Shonan Maru No. 2, her six-man crew was rescued immediately by the crew of the Bob Barker. The Australian government’s response was to assure Japan that the whalers would be absolved of any blame before even seeing any evidence of the collision. “Yes, it is true,” said Steve Irwin’s Communications Officer Doug O’Neil of Tasmania. “Our government talks tough about saving whales, but when it comes to action they show their true colors as handmaids to trade and profits and thus they side with the Japanese government while pretending to defend the whales to the Australian public.” “As for acting irresponsibly,” remarked Captain Watson, “I can’t think of anything more irresponsible than allowing poachers to slaughter threatened and protected whales in an internationally established whale sanctuary.” Sea Shepherd’s Delta team races to escape the quickly pursuing Yushin Maru No. 3 with the Steve Irwin serving as a safety back-up (click to enlarge) Operation No Compromise

-Sea Shepherd News-

Link: http://www.seashepherd.org/news-and-media/news-110109-1.html

Sunday, January 09, 2011

The Bob Barker Engages Poachers in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary Delta team trying to slow the Yushin Maru No. 2 as it fires its water cannons at the exposed crewThe Southern Ocean - Accusations from the Japanese hunter killer boat theYushin Maru No. 2 that crewmembers from the Bob Barker threw “flash bang” grenades at their vessel are entirely false. The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society does not have possession of flash bang grenades nor have we ever had possession of such weapons. “Activists started hand-throwing at least two flash bangs and one smoke bomb toward the YS2.” Flash bang grenades were actually used by the Japanese Coast Guard in 2008 against Sea Shepherd crewmembers but Sea Shepherd has not, and will not deploy these dangerous weapons in retaliation. However, Sea Shepherd crewmembers did deploy stink bombs and smoke bombs during this engagement. The object of this exercise was to attempt to throw theYushin Maru No. 2 off the tail of the Bob Barker. Sea Shepherd views the constant tailing of their vessels as a provocation to deter the Japanese whalers. As long as the harpooners continue tailing the Bob Barker and the Steve Irwin, they will prevent Sea Shepherd from closing in on the Nisshin Maru,however, in doing so Sea Shepherd will continue to keep these two vessels from whaling themselves. The fast interceptor vessel the Gojira continues to pursue its tracking of the Nisshin Maru westward. The Delta team catches up with the Japanese harpoon vessel the Yushin Maru No. 2 amidst fierce seasThe exercise to attempt to throw the Yushin Maru No. 2 off the tail of the Bob Barker was initially successful. Unfortunately, the small Zodiac boats that initially slowed the Yushin Maru No. 2, had to cover 80 miles of open sea in order to return back to the Bob Barker, resulting in damage to one of them due to the heavy seas. The Bob Barker was forced to return to pick up their crew and ensure their safety. This delay allowed the Yushin Maru No. 2 to locate the Bob Barker once again. The Institute of Cetacean Research (ICR) stated that one of the Bob Barker’ssmall boats became entangled in their own prop fouling line and therefore became disabled. This statement is untrue. The inflatable boat became disabled after the confrontation with the Japanese whaling vessel, and solely due to damage to the pontoon from prolonged pounding against heavy seas. “Our boat crew’s courage is amazing,” said Captain Paul Watson from theSteve Irwin. “They bravely put a great distance between themselves and theBob Barker in this exercise, thereby exposing themselves to freezing temperatures in the open boats for many hours, in waters littered with growlers and small icebergs.” As usual, the ICR described the confrontation as an “attack” but noted that no damage was inflicted to the Yushin Maru No. 2and there were no injuries on either side. Today marks the eleventh day since Sea Shepherd successfully located the Japanese whaling fleet before they could begin whaling. During this time, the Yushin Maru No. 2 and Yushin Maru No. 3 have been unable to fire single harpoon. The Yushin Maru No. 1 is presumably with the Nisshin Maru fleeing westward. A fishing vessel sighted them on January 9th relaying their position to Sea Shepherd. Considering the distance the Yushin Maru has covered during the last eleven days, the speed at which they are traveling, and the fact they only have one harpoon vessel with them, the chances of them whaling are low, and if any whaling has taken place, it will be minimal. While running at full speed whaling is inefficient. Whaling with only one harpoon vessel is inefficient. Whaling with three conservation vessels on your ass is also inefficient. There are still two months remaining, and Sea Shepherd will maintain their pursuit of the Japanese whalers until the end of the whaling season to ensure the maximum number of whales will be saved.

Japanese Whalers and Sea Shepherd Skirmish on the Date Line

Link: http://www.seashepherd.org/news-and-media/news-110105-1.html

Sea Shepherd News

Wednesday, January 05, 2011

Japanese Whalers and Sea Shepherd Skirmish on the Date Line The Gojira catches up to the Yushin Maru #2Sea Shepherd’s ships the Steve Irwin and the Gojira engaged in their second confrontation of the season when Sea Shepherd attempted to shake off the tail of a harpoon vessel on the evening of January 5th, 2011. This engagement took place on the International Date Line as the vessels crossed back and forth from Wednesday to Tuesday and back to Wednesday again. The Sea Shepherd ships have been pursuing the Japanese factory ship theNisshin Maru for the past six days ever since finding the Japanese whaling fleet on December 31st, 2010. Since then, the two fleets have covered over a thousand miles as the whalers attempt to shake of the pursuing Sea Shepherd ships. As the Steve Irwin and the Bob Barker pursue the Nisshin Maru, harpoon vessel the Yushin Maru #2 is tailing the Steve Irwin, while the Yushin Maru #3tails the Bob Barker. The situation is somewhat complicated because as the Sea Shepherd ships chase the Nisshin Maru, the harpoon vessels chase the Sea Shepherd ships to relay positions ahead to the Nisshin Maru so that the factory ship can avoid being caught. However, Sea Shepherd has the advantage of the high speed Gojira vessel to scout ahead and to continue in pursuit of the Nisshin Maru. What this also means is that two of the three harpoon vessels cannot whale because they are tailing the Sea Shepherd ships. The third harpoon vessels whereabouts is unknown but is presumed to be with the Nisshin Maru. If the Nisshin Maru stops and attempts to whale, the Gojira will catch up to them and will relay their position to the other two Sea Shepherd ships. Therefore, the two harpoon vessels have been neutralized as whalers, and the factory ship and the third harpoon vessel don’t have much time to stop and look for whales with Godzilla breathing down their backsides. “What we have down here in the Southern Ocean are seven ships, four on their side and three on ours, engaged in a cat and mouse pursuit over thousands of miles of remote and dangerous seas,” said Captain Paul Watson from the Steve Irwin. “We chase them. They chase us, but the important thing is that we are all running, wasting away the miles, and buying time for the whales. Every day they don’t kill whales is a victory. We can sustain this running confrontation until the end of March, and the end of the whaling season if need be.” The latest confrontation saw the Gojira attempting to slow down the Yushin Maru #2. The whalers responded with water cannons and Sea Shepherd retaliated with stink bombs. The Yushin Maru #2 deploying their water cannon The Gojira in pursuit of the Yushin Maru #2 Operation No Compromise