Posted on 01/07/2010 6:52:08 PM PST by myknowledge
The Sea Shepherd's anti-whaling speedboat Ady Gill has sunk after it was sliced in two by a Japanese whaling vessel during a clash in the Southern Ocean on Wednesday.
Sea Shepherd founder Paul Watson told ABC News Breakfast the Ady Gill went down shortly before 3:30am AEDT while it was being towed to a French research base by the group's Bob Barker boat.
"I think they were towing for about six or seven hours," he said.
"Even the act of towing was taking more water on. The Japanese vessel had cut the vessel completely in half and made it unseaworthy."
Six Sea Shepherd crew members were almost thrown overboard and one crew member suffered broken ribs when the Japanese whaling security ship, the Shonan Maru 2, ploughed through the bow of the high-tech Ady Gill on Wednesday.
Both the Japanese whalers and the Sea Shepherd crew blame each other for the incident, which happened in Antarctic waters.
But Mr Watson has defended his crew and says the risk of dying on the high seas is worth it if it allows the group to save whales.
"My crew are well aware of the risks that we have to take to protect whales down here. I think those risks are worth taking," he said.
"I can tell you now that if the oceans die, civilisations collapse and we all die.
"People die everyday to protect oil wells and real estate and we call them heroes and pin medals on them. I think protecting the diversity of oceans... is a far more noble cause."
'Harassment and attack'
But Glenn Inwood from Japan's Institute of Cetacean Research says Mr Watson has a dangerous attitude.
"Paul Watson has said before that he's willing to give any Japanese vessel what he calls a steel enema by ramming his ship into the stern of any Japanese vessel," Mr Inwood said.
"He also proudly displays the number of vessels he's sunk on the side of the Steve Irwin.
"You can understand why the Japanese have put security vessels down there.
"To say Japan has broken maritime laws can't be justified in this instance when you're under constant harassment and constant attack from these ships."
Mr Inwood says Japan's whaling program is internationally recognised as legal.
"The International Whaling Commission (IWC) have sanctioned it. The New Zealand government recognises its legality, and many members of the IWC do as well," he said.
"Sea Shepherd is trying to prevent Japan from conducting what is a legal operation under the rules of the IWC."
Yesterday Acting Prime Minister Julia Gillard asked the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) to investigate the incident and said the findings would be made public.
She says the Government reserves the right to take international legal action if diplomacy with Japanese officials fails, and has warned that evidence has already been collected to launch such action.
New Zealand is also investigating the incident because the Ady Gil was registered there.
'An act of war'
Mr Watson says an insurance payout on the Ady Gill is unlikely because the incident was a deliberate act.
"It's a $1.5 million loss for our organisation," he said.
"I think the Japanese deliberately took that vessel out; they saw it as a threat and they were under orders to take it out.
"It would be an act of war so there wouldn't be any insurance on it."
Mr Watson says two Japanese harpoon ships were nearby but did not offer any help after the incident.
"They were responsible, they destroyed the vessel ... I think they should have offered some sort of assistance but they refused to acknowledge any distress signal," he said.
Mr Watson says they were able to remove all the fuel from the speedboat to prevent any pollution.
Mr Watson is urging the Federal Government to take a tougher action against Japanese whalers.
"In the six years that we've been doing this, we've never caused an injury to anyone, we've never broken a law... and now they have sunk one of our vessels," he said.
"[Federal Environment Minister] Peter Garrett has become the master of restraint. He made a campaign promise to end whaling; now let's see him [do something]."
Mr Watson says the Government should send a boat to Antarctic waters, where the Sea Shepherd's other boats - the Steve Irwin and Bob Barker - are continuing to pursue Japanese whalers.
Mr Watson says the boats are chasing the Japanese fleet and the whalers have not killed a whale in two days.
Diplomatic approach
Meanwhile, New Zealand officials have met with representatives from the Japanese embassy in Wellington to discuss the situation.
The ABC understands that at the Wellington meeting, Japan said it regarded the incident as "regrettable" but a "low-key event".
This morning a spokesman for the New Zealand Foreign Minister, Murray McCully, said contrary to media reports, Japan had not lodged a stern complaint with the New Zealand Government.
He said Japanese officials agreed with New Zealand that their citizens needed to have better regard for people on the high seas.
The spokesman said legal action over the collision had not been discussed, because it still had not been established who was at fault.
Maritime New Zealand has launched an investigation.
So say the American bald eagle was endangered would you have the same philosophy? I don't think culling an entire species is humane. Like I said I disagree with PETA 99.9%. I eat meat from animals every night but this is absolutely wrong. The Japanese make the mongols look like cheerleaders.
There also is a demand for tiger bile.
So eradicating this magnificent species off the face of the earth is also OK as long as it “produces a product”?
The YouTube video taken from the Whaler’s bridge CLEARLY shows the Ady Gil accelerating in front of the ship.
These morons most likely did this for PUBLICITY, and sympathy to a cause that has seen a drop in funding because the trust-fund class has lost so much on the markets.
Watson is a psycho. That's easy for him to say but he wasn't on the boat that got creamed.
“”To say Japan has broken maritime laws can’t be justified in this instance when you’re under constant harassment and constant attack from these ships.”
Should have taken drastic action years ago. It’s just getting worse.
Yea! for Japanese!
Someone documented yesterday that these whales aren’t endagered, in fact their numbers may be at the maximum level that the area there can sustain.
Anyone that thinks it is just a-ok for the Japanese to go out and slaughter whales has something bad wrong with them.
There are some conservatives that are almost as deranged as most all the liberals definitely are!
The Japs are not hunting endangered whales (blues, humpbacks, rights et al.) At least they are not supposed to be. If anyone has evidence to the contrary please present it. Otherwise they can grab a limited number of Minkes. Chill out!
I don't care if this gets me banned. Those whalers are scum. They are the scum of the earth.Are hunters also scum?
You’re hysterical.
This is the problem with the mainstream GOP. Killing endangered whales is wrong, killing endangered tigers is wrong. Who gives a damn what boat or what group is protecting the animals. I for one would like my children and grandchildren to be able to see those whales and not see them go the way of the dinosaur.
It’s not illegal.
And there are more than enough Minke whales to keep a healthy population going.
Try reading and stop emoting.
Please present proof that these whales are not endangered then I will give you the argument.
Whaling is... unnecessary. That's my biggest complaint about it. However, these people who go out there and fly the Jolly Roger (it was painted on the speedboat) pretty much get what they deserve for meddling in the affairs of others.
Have there been any large, well-funded PR campaigns in Japan that were aimed at turning public opinion against this practice? Seems like the methods that these Sea Shepherd boneheads are using are more likely to get people killed than they are to help keep whales safe. Some people just love that form of protest, though - like the anti-logging types who pound metal spikes into felled trees, hoping to shatter a saw chain or sawmill blade (and maybe dismember a logger). Same stuff.
“I don’t care if this gets me banned. Those whalers are scum. They are the scum of the earth. And for FReepers who think they are God Almighty I implore you to go to Alaska during the Summer and take a boat ride to look at the humpback whales.”
I don’t think you should be banned... just get educated
and learn to think.
1. Whales that are not in danger of extinction can be harvested responsibly.
2. Whales are big. That doesn’t make them sacred.
3. Whales don’t sing. They make noise.
4. Anthropomorphism isn’t rationale.
5. Hunting whales is no more barbaric than hunting rabbits,
squirrels or deer. Are you also against all other forms of
hunting and fishing?
Your one argument is that we should go watch them. I am assuming
your point is that they are magnificent? So are deer.
best,
ampu
Yes I am. As a new pet owner this year I have had an attitude adjustment. A year ago I could give a damn but having an animal changes you.
As far as hunters go. Hunt all you want. As long as it is legal. Hunt deer, pheasant, duck, geese, rabbit what have you. These animals aren't near the point of oblviion.
But when you have a species on the brink of extinction I think that common sense would say, "Leave it the hell alone!"
We are deranged because we don't mind ocean-going herd animals being harvested for food and other products?
What about tuna, crab, and lobster fishermen? Are they also evil?
Becareful.....you are believing the propaganda and are in danger of losing your soul.
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