Posted on 12/26/2005 9:47:38 PM PST by 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.
In that particular case (as well as many others) greenpeace was operating outside the law. By that logic (if you don't mind me stretching the use of the word) anytime a policemen hurts someone in the act of arresting them, they are 'terrorists'.
Greenpeace doesn't have a leg to stand on. The self appointed almost never do.
[setting: Greenpeace raft on the ocean, following a whaler]
RUSSELL: She works for Pendant Publishing. She's the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. You know, I used to work for NBC, but when I go back to her this time, she'll respect me.
MAN ON RAFT: You'd better get down. They might start firing soon. (harpoon fires)
(scene ends)
[setting: Monk's]
KRAMER: You know what you ought to do George? You should work for Greenpeace. You those people they attack the whalers out on the open sea.
GEORGE: Are you crazy? You take your life in your hands with those nuts.
[setting: Greenpeace raft]
(Russell fell off the boat but still hangs on to a rope. The other man, still in the boat is screaming to him and holds the rope.)
MAN: Keep fighting matey! Get your head above the water! I've got you matey! I've got you! Matey! (he loses the rope) I'll remember her name! Elaine Benes! I'll write to her. I'll tell her all about you and what you did out here! Goodbye, matey! Goddbye!
Self-appointed moralists at Greenpeace enjoy smearing others with accusations of "crimes" while ignoring their own.
The head of Greenpeace urged followers to "shoot kids who shoot birds." That's real moralistic, isn't it?
Here's a green from Germany: ""We in the Green movement, aspire to a cultural model in which the killing of a forest will be considered more contemptible and more criminal than the sale of 6-year-old children to Asian brothels."
Patrick Moore another former Greenpeace co-founder once wrote that he had no idea that after he left Greenpeace in 1986 that they would “… evolve into a band of scientific illiterates who use Gestapo tactics to silence people who wish to express their views in a civilized forum.”
I would no more mourn the passing of Greenpeace filth than I would the death of a functionary in the KGB. And speaking of the KGB, Greenpeace served as a front group for these mass murderers in the 1980s.
Those on FR defending Greenpeace on this board should do a bit of research to find out what they're crawling in bed with.
Unagi is my fave!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.