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.
While in Tokyo I was treated to some "Whale Bacon", best seafood I ever had.
As I understand it the japanese are like the mythical Amerindians, NOTHING from the Whale is wasted.
Semper Fi
I'm not "picking on the Kiwis," I'm stating a geopolitical fact.
Little airy-fairy nations can talk big bluster, toss out Uncle Sam, get rid of their fighter jets and so on.
"Lah-di-dah, the world loves us!"
But to China, NZ is just low-hanging fruit, to be easily picked in due course. With one minor flex of China's new muscles.
Amen.
'They have no business in the South Pacific whale sanctuary'
A country making a statement that the South Pacific is a whale sanctuary doesn't make it so. Those are international waters, not the province of Australia or any other country, and no claim of these waters being a whale sanctuary would hold up in any court of law.
Japan has been whale hunting forever. It is part of their tradition and culture, a part of their food sources, and I doubt this will change very quickly. I'm sick and tired of bully environmentalist whackos like Greenpeace, and if the Japanese blew their boat out of the waters, or rammed it with a sharp object, I'd be cheering on the sidelines. I got a big kick out of it when one of the whacko tree huggers fell out of his tree perch a few years back and was seriously injured. Couldn't have happened to a better person. The environmentalists are the new communists, and you should figure that out yourself, if you are capable of clear thinking on this subject. I doubt you are.
http://cops.zive.net/c-board/file/jsdf2.wmv
Semper Fi
well since your from nz I could definitely see you getting pissed (if they sent a destroyer into the gulf I would be pissed myself) I just really really dislike green peace.
The entire country of New Zealand is chock full of environmentalist whackos. Remember, this is the country that won't allow any of our nuclear powered ships into their harbor. Of course, if there was another world war, I'm sure then they'd be glad we had those ships and subs, to help protect their arse, as they have zip for a military, and will have to depend on the good nature of others to protect them while they remain their goody two shoes pacifistic selves.
Fishermen here have always said that the Japanese have been illegally fishing our waters and there is nothing being done about it as they go back over the line when a complaint goes out.
I don't think it is right that our Fishermen have to follow Fed. mandates and others don't.
King V (the son) is attending Marine Biology seminars at OSU and so allot of education is coming my way.
Being good stewards is ok by me.
Not agreeing that GreenPeace is wonderful but just saying nothing wrong with being good stewards of our resources.
How do you feel about American Indians whaling?
41 whales shot in New Zealand
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1550474/posts
Maybe you should freeze the carcasses and sell them to the Japs.
Yup, and they come complete with "useful idiots" whose "feelings" for cute animals and green trees make it easier for the commies to murder humans, the only thing they're successful at.
New Zealanders are very much a mixed race.
Ahh, come on. He's a Kiwi. Ask him to stop killing all the innocent sheep and lambs.
Excellent find!!!!!
You would have thought that the Whale Loving Kiwis should have had the minimal resources required to move Pilot Whales back into the sea..
We do it frequently in the mean old U.S.A..
MAXIMUM weight for Pilot Whale males is 2 ton, Females run a maximum of 1.5 ton.
Killing those poor animals in peaceful, environmental and whale loving New Zealand -- sound like more of an environmental crime and waste than the Japanese fishing for food.
But then, environmentalists and pacifists are often hypocrites and usually incompetent fools.
P.S. to Diehard: Still waiting for a link to the International LAW that the Japanese are violating....
What do YOU hunt?
Semper Fi
whose "feelings" for cute animals and green trees make it easier for the commies to murder humans, the only thing they're successful at.
Well, if they keep falling out of trees, maybe they'll get good at killing humans too. Themselves.
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