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Posted: Fri Dec 23, 2005 4:52 pm Post Subject: GREENPEACE HOUND WHALERS
Go Greenpeace !!!!!!!!!!!
Quote:
Southern Ocean, International — Our two ships, the Esperanza and the Arctic Sunrise, today confronted the Fisheries Agency of Japan whaling fleet and called on it to "Leave the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary immediately." In inflatables carrying banners which read "defend the whales” and “stop the bloody whaling," crew from the two ships declared their intention to stop the hunt.
"This whale hunt is unnecessary, unjustified, and unwanted," said Expedition leader Shane Rattenbury. In a radio call to the whaling vessels, from the bridge of the Arctic Sunrise, Yuko Hirono, of Greenpeace Japan called upon the whalers to stop killing whales "and leave the internationally recognised Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary."
Flying in the face of international protest and repeated calls from the International Whaling Commission (IWC) to stop its annual 'scientific' whale hunt, this year FAJ has more than double its planned catch of minke whales to 935 and added 10 endangered fin whales. Over the next 2 years 40 more fin whales will be added to the annual kill along with 50 humpback whales. Fin whales are the second largest creatures on earth, after blue whales.
"No one is fooled by the giant new "RESEARCH" sign which has been painted on the side of the fleet's factory ship, the Nisshin Maru. Once the whales are have been measured and weighed by the 'scientists' the butchers get to work and the whales are cut up and boxed for market," said Rattenbury. "This is all about money and not science."
We are using every available means to bring the hunt to an early end and make it the last time the Sanctuary is breached by the whalers.
"In a world were international public opinion is ignored and where high-level diplomatic pressure has failed, Greenpeace hopes that consumers can once and for all demonstrate that there is no profit in whaling," said Rattenbury.
Statement to Nisshin Maru on first encounter
This is Shane Rattenbury, expedition leader on behalf of the MY Arctic Sunrise and MY Esperanza.
Our two vessels and the crew aboard are here to protest your whaling program, and request that you return to Japan immediately.
The area in which you are hunting has been designated as the Antarctic Whale Sanctuary, designed to help whale populations recover after the devastating commercial whaling of the last century.
The whales in this Sanctuary are protected from commercial whaling. Your so-called scientific whaling has been repeatedly criticized by the International Whaling Commission, and is nothing more than commercial whaling in disguise.
The massive increase in quota this season simply underlines that this is an attempt to restart commercial whaling.
You also plan to hunt the endangered fin whale. There is simply no justification for targeting an endangered species.
We respectfully request that you immediately cease your whaling and leave this area. If you do leave now, we will leave with you. If you do not leave, we will have no option but to interfere with your whaling program.
Greenpeace is a non-violent organisation. We will do nothing to harm or endanger your vessels, your equipment or your crew. We will, however, use all peaceful means at our disposal to prevent you from killing whales.
Looks like Greenpeace's actions have been successful for now with the Japanese whaling fleet heading back north:
Quote:
Greenpeace claims it has forced the Japanese whaling fleet to suspend hunting in the Southern Ocean.
Two of the environmental group's ships have been tracking the Japanese, using inflatable boats to disrupt their expedition.
Spokesman Steve Rattenberg, who is onboard one of the Greenpeace vessels, today said that after two days of confrontation on the high seas, the Japanese are heading north. He said the fleet has now been sailing for more than 36 hours over 700 kilometres without harpooning a single whale.
Mr Rattenberg said the Greenpeace ships will continue tailing the whalers and expect they will try to resume whaling at some point.
He affirmed that as soon as that happens, the protesters will be putting themselves between the harpoons and the whales again.
Interesting Article from Sea Shepherd the group 'protesting' with Greenpeace.
Quote:
12/29/2005
Japanese Warship Enroute to Defend Whalers?
Sea Shepherd Conservation Society has received a tip from a reliable source in Japan, that Japan has dispatched a warship to the Southern Ocean for the purpose of protecting their whaling fleet from interference by whale conservation activists. This may explain why the Japanese fleet has not been whaling since December 24. The fleet seems to be running in circles, stopping and going in different directions.
The Japanese Institute of Cetacean Research has made an open accusation of piracy and eco-terrorism against the Greenpeace Foundation and Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. If Japan adopts the false accusations that acts of piracy have been committed against their ships, they can use the accusations as an excuse under international law, to attack and seize the ships they accuse.
Per the United Nations Convention on the Sea:
Article 105 of the Law of the Sea states, in part:
Seizure of a pirate ship or aircraft
On the high seas, . . . every State may seize a pirate ship . . . The courts of the State which carried out the seizure may decide upon the penalties to be imposed . . .
Japan may present an argument that they have grounds to intervene. Hiroshi Hatanaka, the Director General of the Institute of Cetacean Research, specifically cites Article 101 of the Law of the Sea.
Articles 101 and 103 of the Law of the Sea state, in part:
Articles 101 – Definition of piracy
Piracy consists of any of the following acts: (a) any illegal acts of violence or detention, or any act of depredation, committed for private ends by the crew or the passengers of a private ship or a private aircraft, and directed: (i) on the high seas, against another ship or aircraft, or against persons or property on board such ship; . . .
Articles 103 – Definition of a pirate ship or aircraft
A ship or aircraft is considered a pirate ship or aircraft if it is intended by the persons in dominant control to be used for the purpose of committing one of the acts referred to in article 101. . . .
In effect, all the Japanese have to do is decide that Greenpeace and Sea Shepherd ships are in violation of Article 101 to intervene. It gets complicated because Article 105 only permits seizures on the high seas and the Japanese fleet is actually operating not on the high seas but in the waters of the Australian Antarctic Territory. However, Japan does not recognize this territory and may see a military intervention in Australia's seas as a test for challenging Australian sovereignty.
Captain Paul Watson once again calls upon Australia to send a naval vessel to the Australian Antarctic Territory to keep the peace and also to represent Australia’s territorial interests in Antarctica.
The Sea Shepherd ship Farley Mowat is presently in pursuit of the Japanese whaling fleet in the waters off the Banzare Coast of Antarctica where the whalers are in violation of numerous international conservation laws and regulations.
