Whalers slam Greenpeace pursuit

The Australian ^ | December 27, 2005 | Denis Peters

[Dundee]

Whalers slam Greenpeace pursuit

JAPANESE whalers have called on Greenpeace to stop pursuing its fleet in the Southern Ocean, accusing the environmental organisation of engaging in piracy.

In an open letter to Greenpeace, Institute of Cetacean Research director-general Hiroshi Hatanaka said the environmentalists were behaving dangerously in pursuing whaling ships.

"Greenpeace's intention to highlight environmental degradation of the seas with the aim of protecting the marine environment is in itself laudable," Dr Hatanaka said in the letter.

"However, your organisation's actual behaviour is nothing but an opinionated display of self-righteousness.

"I strongly request Greenpeace stops pursuing our research vessels immediately and refrains from coming any closer in future."

Two Greenpeace vessels, the Esperanza and the Arctic Sunrise, have spent the past week deep in the Southern Ocean engaged in a cat and mouse game with a fleet of six whaling ships.

Japan plans to slaughter 935 minke whales and 10 fin whales in Antarctic waters this summer as part of its whale research program.

Greenpeace expedition leader Shane Rattenbury has claimed success in preventing some whales being taken, putting inflatable rafts in between harpooners and the whales.

But on at least one occasion, a Greenpeace ship and a whaling ship have been engaged in a minor collision.

Dr Hatanaka said that since December 21, in spite of repeated warnings and requests to move away, Greenpeace had continued to approach the mother ship Nisshin Maru and other fleet vessels.

"Your organisation continues to put in danger the lives of your crews by trying to board our vessels," he said. "In short, these actions amount to piracy."

Greenpeace chief executive Steve Shallhorn yesterday defended the tactics, saying he would welcome any inquiry into the conduct of Greenpeace skippers and ships at sea.

Dr Hatanaka said data on Japanese Greenpeace activists engaged in the obstruction of the whaling would be submitted to authorities as evidence for indictment and criminal prosecution.

"Furthermore, any escalation of Greenpeace's violent activities would correspond to piracy as defined by Article 101 of the United Nations Law of the Sea," he said.

He also criticised the crew of Sea Shepherd boat Farley Mowat, which he said had deployed a mooring line with the intent of entangling the Nisshin Maru's propeller.

Farley Mowatcaptain Paul Watson said on Sunday the incident occurred when his ship tried to come alongside the Nisshin Maru.

He said the whaler headed directly at the Farley Mowat and he deployed the mooring line to deter it.

Mr Watson said the Nisshin Maru then changed direction to avoid a collision.

[Dundee]

I'm not all that keen on whaling (only because I'm not yet convinced that whale numbers have recovered enough to resume sustained hunting) but on this matter I'm siding with the Whalers.

For once, France had the right idea...

[Aussiebabe]

I am totally against whaling and believe it should be banned. On the other hand, I think it would be perfectly acceptable for the Japanese Navy or Air Force to give a few warning shots to the Greenpeace ships and if they continue to endanger the Japanese ships on open seas to take aggressive actions, including a few shells to disable the Greenpeace ships' propellers.

[festus]

It would seem to me that Piracy is grounds for having ones ship scuttled on the high seas. But then this is the UN law that is being referenced.

Is he saying that if Greenpeace does this again he'll send them a sternly worded letter ?

[george76]

Greenpeace got caught in Alaska with no oil spill plan while they were in harbor on some protest/fund raising event.

The police/harbor master told Greenpeace that they had to comply with the law on oil spill plans.

Greenpeace then snuck out of the harbor that night...and got caught because of quick police work.

The jury convicted Greenpeace of several charges, but a friendly judge is trying to let Greenpeace off the hook.

A developing story that the Elite Media is not covering...

[Loud Mime]

Note to whalers: Carry this type of harpoon too.

[beaver fever]

"For once, France had the right idea..."

When France destoyed the Rainbow Warrior in New Zealand it had nothing to do with Whaling it had to do with the plans of Greenpeace to disrupt Frances nuclear weapons program.

It was an act of terrorism that resulted in the death of one of the Greenpeace crew. A women involved in the sabotage is now a highly placed French intelligence officer.

So when the French are involved in a terrorist act against Greenpeace the French are heroes but if they go against US foreign policy in Iraq they're surrender monkeys.

I think your defense of the French is rather selective.

The Japanese are mining the oceans of every fish they can harvest with no care at all for the future.

Look at a sushi menu and half the sashimi is no longer available. You're lucky if you can get red toro, torigai or mai mai.

[GladesGuru]

Why not let the harpoon gunner deal with the GreenPeace types. With a careful aim, it might be possible to string two or more "activists" on the harpoon line with one shot.

Would that qualify as a hippie necklace? A Peace necklace? A GreenPeace necklace?

Or would the correct term be 'chumming for shark'?

[george76]

"Greenpeace USA had cried wolf one too many times."

"With credibility down, US membership fell from some 1 million members to 300,000."

"By the late 1990s, the organization was in financial crisis."

"It slashed budgets and laid-off staff. Greenpeace USA’s entire board resigned."

"Executive Director Barbara Dudley resigned from the lead staff role at Greenpeace USA in May, 1997 after five difficult years in Washington, DC."

"Greenpeace was also in trouble north of the border. Revenue Canada revoked the charitable status of Greenpeace Canada in 1989, amid concerns the organization was not providing a discernible benefit to the public."

"As co-founder of Greenpeace, former Director of Greenpeace International and former President of Greenpeace Canada, I am saddened by the direction members of my former organization have taken."

Co-founder of Greenpeace, Dr. Patrick Moore is Chairman and Chief Scientist of Greenspirit Strategies Ltd. in Vancouver, Canada.

http://www.greenspirit.com/home.cfm

[Aussiebabe]

Hmmmm....maybe you have the right idea. The Japanese had a crewman who had a medical emergency appendicitis and they ship was trying to dock in Hobart. Greenpeace ships successfully stopped the Japanese ship from docking and the crewman had to be taken by helicoptered from the ship to the hospital-- luckily he survived --if he hadn't, it would have been premeditated murder in my book by the Greenpeace crew.

[gr8eman]

The Japs should declare war on Greenpiece...in accordance with UN law, of course!

[Jack Black]

When France destoyed the Rainbow Warrior in New Zealand it had nothing to do with Whaling it had to do with the plans of Greenpeace to disrupt Frances nuclear weapons program.

So? That seems like a MORE reasonable reason to bang the boat. The French were conducting critical military work during the cold war. Greenpeace attempted to disrupt it. France disrupted the disrupters.

It was an act of terrorism that resulted in the death of one of the Greenpeace crew.

By planning to f*ck with the military of a existing nation Greenpeace moved from being an advocacy organization to being a private militia.

A women involved in the sabotage is now a highly placed French intelligence officer.

Well she was ordered to carry out a mission and did so successfully. I would not expect her to be punished for that, anymore than I would expect individual Marines to be punnished because some liberal presstitute doesn't like the target of a Navy bombing mission. Duh!

So when the French are involved in a terrorist act against Greenpeace the French are heroes

Who said it was heroic? Needed, maybe. But it was a no risk mission, not the stuff heros are made of.

but if they go against US foreign policy in Iraq they're surrender monkeys.

No, that's not it. We dislike the Frence currently because of their behaviour re: Iraq. Key politicians were taking bribes from the horrid Saddam, while lecturing the US diplomats about morality - that makes them absurd posers.

I think your defense of the French is rather selective.

Well I'm not the person you wrote this to, but just because one approves or disaproves of a single act doesn't mean that there is a single description that can encapsulate an entire people. "Selective = Intellegent". Only non-thinking idiots think you can correctly call out a whole nation based on a single act. Call 'em as you see 'em. France has done both great things and stupid things in the 20th century.

The Japanese are mining the oceans of every fish they can harvest with no care at all for the future.

This has nothing to do with France's actions RE: Greenpeace circa 1985.

Look at a sushi menu and half the sashimi is no longer available. You're lucky if you can get red toro, torigai or mai mai.

I prefer a nice t-bone anyway. If this bugs you STOP EATING FISH !! It's only the appetites of people like you that lead fishermen to fish. Based on your detailed knowledge of weird Jap fish dishes like sashimi and sushi I take you are a big time fish eater -- and therefore a huge part of the FISH KILLING problem. Stop now !!

[fish hawk]

They need to arm themselves and blow the Sea Shepherd out of the water.

[Petruchio]

Look at a sushi menu and half the sashimi is no longer available. You're lucky if you can get red toro, torigai or mai mai.

In my book, raw fish = Bait.

[GeronL]

Whaling vessels should be armed

[beaver fever]

Nice try France was determined to become a member of the nuclear club to increase their status in Europe and more importantly attempt to relegate England to a secondary European power.

The woman in question did not carry the mission out successfully she was caught by the NZ government. While being transported to a French jurisdiction on remand she was mysteriously picked up by a French submarine.

She is still presently under indictment for murder in NZ.

So you think a terrorist act committed by French intelligence is OK? I spite of your opinion about Greenpeace the Rainbow Warrior was an unarmed ship in a neutral harbor when it was bombed. That is a terrorist act

"Based on your detailed knowledge of weird Jap fish dishes like sashimi and sushi"

Jap fish? For your information you can buy sushi in more places in the world than a T Bone steak.

By the way your comment is bigoted and I have no love for Japanese or Spanish fishing practices. Both countries are turning the oceans into deserts.

My meat of choice is Turkey. Low fat. I've lost thirty pounds when I made the switch from pork and steak is for crackers.

Prime Rib is another matter but once a year is enough.

[beaver fever]

I knew a guy who owned a crab boat that fished off the Queen Charlotte Islands and Alaska. He was a big native guy and he ate raw fish out of bait pail so he didn't have to heave to and make lunch.

Raw salmon cheeks, they's some good eatin'

[beaver fever]

Whales should be armed.

[bluefish]

Of course his defense is selective. That makes sense. If they do something right, it is good. If they do something wrong, it is bad. No? What, prey tell, is wrong with that?

As for the susi, I haven't heard of any of those things and I eat susi all the time. I guess it is no longer available to me because you ate it all up! Hypocrite.

[GeronL]

I've lost thirty pounds when I made the switch from pork and steak is for crackers.

I knew I was doing something wrong

[beaver fever]

If you haven't had red toro or torigai you have never been inside a sushi restaurant.

California roll doesn't count as sushi. You can buy that crap in a supermarket.

Here's another one for you Unagi, barbecued eel with oyster sauce.