Sea Shepherd locates Japanese whaling factory ship

 

After three-plus weeks of skirmishing with Japanese harpoon boats, activists opposing the country's Southern Ocean whale hunt today announced they had located the factory processing ship.

"We finally have this serial killing death ship where we want them," said Capt. Paul Watson, founder of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, which is campaigning against the hunt for a seventh season. "This whaling fleet belongs to us now -- lock, stock, and smoking harpoon gun."

The Sea Shepherd fleet of three boats encountered two of three Japanese harpoon boats on Dec. 31 about 1,700 miles southeast of New Zealand.

The processing vessel Nisshin Maru and the harpoon boat, Yushin Maru, had apparently used the other two boats as decoys as Sea Shepherd tried to stay with them and also pursue the factory ship.

Watson, who is controversial because of his group's militant tactics, presumed that no whales had been killed because the factory ship was being kept on the run.

However, when he and his crew aboard the Steve Irwin spotted the Nisshin Maru today, as it was entering the ice-filled Ross Sea, they saw a whale being processed on its deck.

"Sea Shepherd's objective now is to make sure that whale is the last one taken this season," a news release states.

Japan annually targets 900-plus minke whales and a handful of fin whales in hunts approved by the Fisheries Agency and run by the Institute of Cetacean Research. The country uses a "lethal research" loophole in the wording of a longstanding global ban on commercial whaling, and claims its hunts are for science.

Sea Shepherd has been criticized for methods that include heaving smoke bombs on whaling boats, and tossing rope devises to foul propellers. Last season a vessel collision led to one of its boats being scuttled.

But Japan has fallen under increased pressure from non-whaling nations to cease whaling or reduce its quota and, to be sure, the drama and intrigue this season has spilled beyond the remote Southern Ocean.

U.S. diplomatic cables dated Jan. 1 and posted a few days later on the WikiLeaks website revealed that Japan and the U.S. had discussed punishing the nonprofit Sea Shepherd by removing its tax-exempt status as part of a compromise arrangement in which Japan would reduce its quota but be allowed to hunt legally in Antarctic waters. That has not happened.

Earlier, as the whalers and activists bounded toward the Southern Ocean, the U.S., Australia, New Zealand and The Netherlands issued a joint statement condemning, in advance, "any actions that imperil human life."

According to reports from both sides, whose versions sometimes differ, there have been no life-threatening situations this season. The Institute of Cetacean Research has not posted an update on its website since Jan. 9, when it accused Sea Shepherd crew members of throwing "flash bang" devices onto one of its harpoon boats.

Sea Shepherd had deployed its speedy interceptor boat, Gojira, to pursue and locate the Nisshin Maru. Its crew tried to keep track of the Nisshin Maru's position by using weather balloons outfitted with cameras and radar. But the activist group revealed today that Gojira has returned to Hobart, Tasmania, because of problems with its fuel pump.

Now the theater is inside the Ross Sea and centers around the Nisshin Maru, where crews aboard Sea Shepherd's Steve Irwin and Bob Barker -- plus, a helicopter and inflatable boats -- presumably will harass the whalers while awaiting the return of Gojira as the whaling season is just past its halfway point.

Boasted 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!"

-- Pete Thomas

-- Images of the Nisshin Maru are courtesy of Sea Shepherd

-- Editor's note: A similar version of this post appears on the GrindTv outdoors blog

-- Twitter: @Pete_Thomas

Comments

[pump fuel]

Wow, I love this boat so much.

[pump fuel]

I love this boat so much.

[Tony DeMaio]

Say what you may,but do you really think the Japanese are going to abide by any rules when the only check point sits in an office thousands of miles away negotiating. Everyone has their own ideas, but I personally would not trust the Japanese to babysit my house cat. And just how many whales does one need for RESEARCH...the bottom line to me is they need a better means of confirmation on how many whales were really killed, as the ship returns to port listing to one side.

The Sea Shepard is the only real means currently doing anything evasive...The Japanese need a shot of Sea Shepard anti-venom. If I was a younger man in good health I'd be proud to be part of what the Sea Shepard crew...if not for them most wouldn't haven't a clue of what's going on...on the other side of that long desk.

[Richard]

WhalePeople - Are u kidding? Everyone wants to see whaling end, not slowed down, not hampered, not messed with and certainly not turned into a half witted reality television show complete with lies, faked moments like Watson being shot, and rammings for ratings.

So Watson claims he stopped a few whales from being killed this year and last. He made the same claims when he was the Seal Saviour of Canada for 10 years, and now more seals than every are getting whacked out there on the ice and Watson is no where to be seen.

He has left the seals for more $$lucrative$$ whale waters.

You may want to see this link about his actual numbers vs the reality, that's if you can handle a dose of reality and get your sycophantic nose out from under Sea Shepherd skirts for just ten minutes.

http://www.southernfriedscience.com/?p=4424

Results, my mypoic whale friend, not media bytes is what is needed.

30 years of nothing, equals nothing, and we are well past the days when you should be able to offer the world open ended commitments to saving wildlife.

So good by to the fat man and Sea Shepherd and hello to anyone who can make a difference. You that person?

[c murray]

good Luck and may you win over evil sea shepherd, as always our best thoughts and wishes are with you from australia, we are so very proud of all of you, forget the rest, you are truely the best protectors of all creatures. good work keep at it, you will win

[thewhalepeople.com]

Wow,

At least one person had the decency to applaud Watson. And as far as success is concerned, seems to me the last year's quota by Japan was disrupted as quoted by the Japanese, due to Watson.

Does that count as failure? Hmmmm... 2 plus 2 equals four....

I guess that someone else was responsible for the lack of Japanese kills last year....

And even with all the "noise", Watson and others are getting some things done. What they have done is bring a lot of attention on something that is not right. Even the Japanese admit it in their own newspapers as they laugh at the world.

Watson may not be doing things right. But he is doing something better than at least a few who are sitting on their arses...

[Devon McDonald]

After 30+ years from Paul Watson of the Sea Shepherd $ociety, he has in fact, no conservation victories to his credit and in fact, every single wildlife issue he has tackled is still ongoing today.

Paul Watson, conservation wise, is a complete failure.

[Richard]

Sea Shepherd Fail #77

So Watson failed once again to stop whaling...with THREE BOATS?

Sea Shepherd has a long and tiresome history of making claims about saved wildife, failing, and making more claims. For years SSCS rode the cash cow of saving seals in Canada. Remember the Seal Wars anyone, anyone?

Last week it was announced that Canada signed a multi-million dollar trade agreement with China for seal products from Canada. The hunt will go on, that's after SSCS lost 3.8 million dollars on a vessel that was impounded by the Canadian coast guard.

That was Sea Shepherd fail #72

How much longer will we put up with the Cirque Du Whale that is Sea Shepherd these days and the always bombastic and self important founder Paul Watson who, without a clue, is trying to stop whales being killed for another useless year?

The conservation world can do better. Surely there has to be smarter, younger, slimmer conservationists out there who actually have a plan beyond donations for a second rate reality television show?

[bob]

Good work sea shepard