Posted on 01/01/2006 5:41:10 PM PST by Dundee
Japanese warship 'to guard whalers'
A STANDOFF between Japanese whalers and environmentalists has escalated, with a conservation group claiming the Japanese Government has sent a warship to Antarctic waters to protect its fleet.
The Washington-based Sea Shepherd Conservation Society said it had received a tip-off that a Japanese naval ship had been sent to the region to defend its whalers from protesters.
The group said it was concerned the warship would try to seize its vessel and those of the two Greenpeace crews shadowing the whaling fleet through the Southern Ocean.
"The Japanese Institute of Cetacean Research has made an open accusation of piracy and eco-terrorism against the Greenpeace Foundation and Sea Shepherd," it said.
"If Japan adopts the false accusations that acts of piracy have been committed against their ships, they can use the accusations as an excuse under international law to attack and seize the ships they accuse."
The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society's vessel joined two Greenpeace boats in the Antarctic waters last week to try to stop the whale hunt.
Both organisations have been accused of deliberately ramming the whaling boats -- an accusation they strongly deny.
Greenpeace spokesman aboard the Arctic Sunrise Shane Rattenbury said he had been unable to confirm rumours over the weekend, which is a Japanese national holiday, that the warship was on its way.
But he said the Japanese whaling fleet was under huge pressure due to the presence of the three protest boats, which were beaming rare images of a whale hunt to the world.
"I think it would certainly raise the stakes, because not only would it be a very expensive exercise but sending a military vessel into Antarctic treaty waters would make a very serious diplomatic incident," Mr Rattenbury said.
Environment Minister Ian Campbell would not comment on the rumour or what action the Australian Government might take if it proved true.
But on Friday he accused the Sea Shepherd crew of acting in a "warlike manner" by allegedly trying to damage one of the Japanese whaling vessels.
Senator Campbell referred an email from the captain of one protesting ship to the Minister for Justice and Customs. The federal Government has refused requests to send its own naval vessel to the Southern Ocean to oversee the whaling fleet, which is hunting in what Australia declares to be its Antarctic territory and a whale sanctuary.
Japan does not recognise Australia's claim to the waters.
Japan's constitution prevents it from sending an offensive force overseas. But in 1992, the Tokyo government passed a special law to allow a Japanese naval vessel to accompany the first shipment of plutonium oxide from France to Japan.
Greenpeace opposed the shipment of plutonium and sent one of its own vessels, the Solo, to shadow the load.
During the first leg of the voyage, the Japanese naval vessel Shikishima was accused of ramming the Greenpeace boat.
The Japanese Fisheries Agency maintains its whaling program is legal research.
I have mixed feelings about it.
Best laugh I've had all day. That will provide about a week's amusement for the Chinese Special Forces, on R&R from looting and raping duty.
A country needs at least one modern jet fighter aircraft to not be a complete joke. Don't be amazed that you are not taken seriously.
> The Kiwis got rid of all of their fighter jets, and have ZIP for air defense. They truly are pacifist yoyos who must believe in good karma and the love of their fellow man for protection.
Hey Bozo. Not all of us were in favor of that decision: I certainly was not. And when we get a proper Conservative government back in place in Wellington, doubtless that decision will be reversed.
Are you always this offensive and objectionable, or have I just picked a lucky day?
The only book of his I have not read is an old one that was published under two names, one was the "Pan Asian menace"
Alligators....Hummingbirds....
Semper Fi
While I prefer dead treeware to reading an ebook, your link is bookmarked and appreciated.
Thanks.
> Best laugh I've had all day. That will provide about a week's amusement for the Chinese Special Forces, on R&R from looting and raping duty.
Pity the Chinese Special Forces, then. For they shall be going into Harm's Way.
Someone is going to go swimming........soon..
Greenpeace and the other loony "Conservation" group have their ships in the area - making asses of themselves - doing battle with each other in addition to harassing the Japanese fishing fleet..
It would be nice to see "Captain Paul Watson", founder of the self appointed terrorists of the sea organization Sea Shepherd Conserservation Society.... sent to swimming with his beloved fish.
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http://www.guardian.co.uk/conservation/story/0,13369,167650
7,00.html
Greenpeace fights sea battle with rival anti-whaling ship
· Groups accuse each other of attempting to ram boats
· Report of Japanese warship sailing to area
John Vidal, environment editor
Monday January 2, 2006
The Guardian
A battle for what is being called "the high moral wave" was last night being fought off the wild coast of Antarctica as the world's two leading international marine protection groups fought each other over which would stop the Japanese whaling fleet.
With an international crew of volunteers, a helicopter and a deep war chest, Greenpeace International has sent two boats, the Arctic Sunrise and the faster Esperanza, to the Southern Ocean to stop the Japanese whaling fleet as it tries to catch 900 minke, blue and other whales for "scientific research".
Last night the group, which located and gave chase to the Japanese fleet before Christmas, claimed to have the whalers on the run in mountainous seas peppered with icebergs. "The fleet seems to be running in circles, stopping and going in different directions. It's the sixth day in a row that we have seen no whales transferred to the factory ship. It's unlikely that whaling is being undertaken," said a spokesman.
The animal rights protector Captain Paul Watson, who co-founded Greenpeace in the 1970s and later set up the more radical Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, was also in pursuit of the fleet yesterday in his ship, the Farley Mowat. Capt Watson, who accuses Greenpeace of being "the Avon ladies of the environment" and of being more interested in publicity than in enforcing international law, intercepted the Nisshin Maru factory ship on Christmas Day. Each environmental group now accuses the other of endangering lives by trying to ram its vessels.
Sea Shepherd had requested the presence of the Australian navy to monitor events in the Southern Ocean, but Australia's environment minister, Ian Campbell, said that Sea Shepherd's threats to attack the fleet "risk setting back the cause of whale conservation many years".
Capt Watson said yesterday: "Stop threatening us, Mr Campbell, and charge us if you believe we are acting unlawfully. Stop posing for the Japanese [who] are in blatant violation of international conservation laws."
Despite a short truce at Christmas in which the captains swapped greetings, Capt Watson and Greenpeace were at daggers drawn again yesterday with Sea Shepherd accusing the larger group of refusing to say where the Japanese fleet was.
"Greenpeace has misled Sea Shepherd and betrayed us. The Japanese fleet does not give a damn about protests. [Greenpeace] just take pictures and hang banners. We are down here to enforce international conservation law and to stop the illegal whaling operations."
Greenpeace retorted: "Greenpeace distance themselves from Sea Shepherd because of their inability to commit to non-violent tactics. But we'll do what we can to put bodies between harpoons and whales and protect the whales non-violently," said its spokesman Danny Kennedy. Capt Watson yesterday warned Greenpeace that Japan had dispatched a warship to the Southern Ocean to protect its whaling fleet and arrest the conservationists for piracy. This could not be confirmed.
Last night, the three conservation ships were reportedly trying to spot the Japanese harpoon vessels. "They are sweeping along the [Antarctic] coast corridor with radar and helicopter reconnaissance flights with the objective of ferreting out the positions of the illegal harpoon vessels," said a spokesman for Greenpeace.
Backstory
The bad blood between Greenpeace and Sea Shepherd goes back to 1979, when Captain Paul Watson, membership number 008, left the Greenpeace Foundation he helped set up in Canada in 1972. In 1978, he formed the Sea Shepherd society. While Greenpeace adopted an ethic of non-violence, Capt Watson, 55, believes in confrontation and has been accused of piracy and terrorism.
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Go HERE:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/466/story.cfm?c_id=1501010&ObjectID=10362089
To see and read about Capt. Watson -- a self important self described PIRATE...
Semper Fi
Mate, I have no quarrel with you, and I do not support Greenpeace or the Sea Shepherd Society. I am opposed to the Japanese whaling fleet.
At least Paul Watson and his Sea Shepherd organization has the balls to stand up to Japan. A greedy Pirate nation that wants nothing more than to rape and pillage the seven seas to feed its greedy mouth with fresh seafood: more than it could ever conceivably or reasonably consume, yet it yearns and hungers for more. Much goes rotten: it's waste. Still the hungry Japanese maw cries out for more!
I for one object. Fish in their own Japanese waters, fine. But not in the South Pacific, thanks.
It was a JOKE you idiot!
How come the SSS and Commiepeace never bother the Russian or Chinese ships? LOL Could it be because the would blow their sorry assees out of the water?
Personally I hope the Japanese navy sinks these Greenpeace thugs with all hands.
L
I like fresh seafood. Haddock is a very good fish. Sea bass, mmm.
Quite frankly, if one is to hunt whales, eating seems reasonable to me. I guess you would not like a Rally's commercial (fast food hamburgers) "You gotta eat"
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