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.
What “slanderous accusation” would that be?
post 403 to you: “What do you do for B12 - Take pills?”
post 406 (your reply to post 403): “Apparently, your ‘brain’ has gone far too long without sufficient oxygen...that’s what all that red meat does for your arteries.”
post 408 (reply to 406): “Typical liberal. If you can’t dispute the truth, attack the messenger.”
post 411 (you freaking out to post 408) is the rant I listed prior.
Having a slight problem with reading comprehension?
Maybe it’s a lack of protein...
Oh, and a new freak out in post 419!
Way to convince everyone that vegetarians AREN’T nutballs!
Apparently, no, not apparently. Definitely!!! You, fool you don’t get to pick and choose answers to whatever posts you choose to.
Yeah...you said I 'freaked' out because he asked what I did for B12. My reply was to being accused of being a liberal...and it was NO FREAK OUT, it was me mad as hell because some so called 'conservatives' think they have the right to declare anyone that doesn't follow their cookie-cutter pattern of conservatism a FREAKEN" liberal!!! Bite that, Buddy Boy!!!
Liar. They're not even in the same genus.
Just an observation here, but why is it that so many vegetarians seem to find it necessary to attack carnivores for obtaining the essential elements of their diet?
You choose what you want to eat. Permit those of us who choose differently to have our dinner, too.
As for the whales, the oil industry saved them well over a century ago. Without it, the last whale would have lit a lamp somewhere long ago.
Their research is into whether limited commercial whaling is sustainable. That is legitimate research. It's the same research the Norse and Icelanders conduct for their whaling.
They are researching whether limited commercial whaling is sustainable. Of course the whale meat is going to end up on the market. Duh! That’s what it’s for!
The first attack by carnivores on vegetarians is always slamming on the touchy-feely liberal label...and trust me here on FR it is done everytime, immediately!
And I am damnned tired of it!
So, my advice to you is why don't you follow the posts back and know who said what before pipe in with some totally erroneous quips!
Here's another enlightening bit of info for you, I'm not trying to convince any of the group of mush brained neanderthal bastards that pound their chest and think it makes them a big he man 'cause they can/will kill and eat any GD living thing they want to and anyone that doesn't do the same HAS to be a sorry ass liberal!"
Unlike the insecure group of 'manly-me-caveman-give-me-a-dinasour-leg jerks posting crap about vegetarians, most carnivores are decent, reasonable, intelligent people who choose to eat meat and they understand some people choose not to. I respect their choose, they respect my choose...
I am not threatened by them, nor they by me.
“Japanese eat nearly 4 million tons of meat a year.”
So what’s your point?
I said the U.S. eats more beef than the Japanese. How does that relate to your comment?
How many tons of meat does the U.S. eat?
“Japanese whaling days are numbered. The Japanese people are ticked that the whalers who took taxpayers money and cannot possibly pay them back.”
When whaling becomes unprofitable, it will stop.
The picture painted is that these whalers go home and kill a puppy at the end of the day. It’s their livelihood. As in the past, when technology/economy evolves, people have to evolve with it or fail.
You owe me a new keyboard (sans coffee). My stomach still hurts.
Actually its true, you consume more energy by eating vegies than meat eaters. Cattle are very efficient animals that graze on ground that is otherwise barren except for grass. It takes extra fuel, fertilizer and water to grow vegies so you can have your condescending smug attitude.
For you its a religion, but in reality being a vegie is more of a selfish cult. See the world works on efficiencies and your not being very efficient. Nothing wrong w/vegies, but being one doesn’t make you any better than a meat eater. Actually, its pretty wasteful.
Pray for America’s Freedom
I don’t believe that Japan is a signatory to that treaty.
"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. "
From the article posted on this thread.
BTW, thanks for calling me a “Redneck” without knowing anything about me.
I guess all hunters and meat-eaters are rednecks to you herbivores.
Sorry about your brain.
Thanks. I thought they were whale "research scientists" working for the non-profit ICR. It would be like having a logging company as part of the United States Dept. of Forestry, and getting Government subsidies to go out and log for trees within a protected area that is outside of the United States and than selling those trees at a massive profit. With the value amount of each tree being the equivalant of two Chrysler 300's. Now imagine those whaling fleets as GM and Chryster producing something that nobody wants, with thousands unsold cars sitting on the lots. Then you mount a massive campaign to try and get the cars sold. The entire scam costing millions all paid by taxpayers.
“The International Whaling Commission IWC. http://books.google.com/books?id=6Rid73dnTmgC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_navlinks_s#v=onepage&q=IWC&f=false
Search for “IWC” Got 100 hits in this book online. http://books.google.com/books?id=hJPRiQFhCFIC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_navlinks_s#v=onepage&q=IWC&f=false
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