Whaling court ultimatum issued

The Australian ^ | January 14, 2006

[Dundee]

Whaling court ultimatum issued

A HARDLINE environmental group has promised not to attack Japan's whaling fleet if Australia takes the Japanese to court to try to stop the annual slaughter.

Sea Shepherd, which has promised to "shut down" the whaling ship Nisshin Maru, today said it would give Australia and New Zealand two days to announce a legal challenge against Japan.

The group's founder Paul Watson, skipper of its flagship Farley Mowat in the Southern Ocean, earlier threatened to ram the Japanese whaling fleet.

"If either New Zealand or Australia agrees to take Japan to court over the whaling issue, Sea Shepherd will agree to withdraw from confrontation for this year in order to allow an opportunity for a proper legal challenge," the group said.

"Captain Watson has agreed to not attack any Japanese fleet for 48 hours to give New Zealand and Australia an opportunity to act responsibly."

Mr Watson said Japan was in violation of the laws of the International Whaling Commission, the Antarctic Treaty and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.

The Sea Shepherd ship Farley Mowat, skippered by Paul Watson, is about 160km from the whalers.

Environmentalists attached to groups Sea Shepherd and Greenpeace have been involved in high-seas harassment of a Japanese whaling fleet in the Southern Ocean.

The Greenpeace vessel Arctic Sunrise was involved in the collision with the Japanese whale processing ship Nisshin Maru last Sunday, putting a 1.5-metre dent in the Sunrise's bow and bending its forward mast.

Australia has declined to take action against Japan, with Prime Minister John Howard insisting he has made his anti-whaling views known to the Japanese Government.

[Dundee]

The environmentalists can go to hell. I really doubt that Australia will take Japan to court. New Zealand (the Canada to Australia's America) might depending on how the Kiwi public react.

It would be funny listening to the enviro-nutters if it was taken to court and the court ruled in favour of Japan.

[tet68]

They really think they are something.

Take these whalers to court or or or we'll threaten this
cat.

Just imagine, people like this want POLITICAL power.
People like this who have no inhibitions about raming
and sinking a vessle at sea, or issueing ultimatums to
sovereign governments, want POLITICAL POWER ???

[arthurus]

Why are not the whaling ships armed? Pirates are legitimate game anywhere on the seas. Their vessels should be destroyed and RPGs are cheap.

[tet68]

The next thing you know They will be broadcasting a
Green Manifesto.
Oh wait, they probably already have...

[HuntsvilleTxVeteran]

I thought they used a cannon to shoot the whales with an explosive harpoon.
A few below the waterline might do the trick.

[Hexenhammer]

I wouldn't mind seeing the JSDF send some ships out to protect their whalers and take a few shots at those hippie dingbats.

[Servant of the 9]

Hate to say anything positive about enviro-loons, but they are doing exactly what the Minutemen are doing along the Mexican border, trying to get the Aussie government to enforce it's own laws, or in this case treaty obligations.

Next move may be to try to get New Zealand to commission whales as ships of the New Zealand Merchant Marine, making attacking them piracy.

So9

[Dundee]

The thing is, Australia and New Zealand have no jurisdiction in this matter because our territorial claims in Antarctica (and thus the waters adjacent to them) are not recognized by the enviro-nutters or by the 'International Community'.

Also, whales don't meet the safety and environmental standards of NZ. The Kiwi's would be forced to remove them from the high seas and install all the required features (life boats, pollution control devices, navigation and radar equipment).

[arthurus]

a cannon to shoot the whales

Too expensive and too short range.A .50 cal. rifle would be good.

[tet68]

This headline is vey confusing, it makes it sound like
the "Whaling Court" has issued an ultimatum.

[Servant of the 9]

The thing is, Australia and New Zealand have no jurisdiction in this matter because our territorial claims in Antarctica (and thus the waters adjacent to them) are not recognized by the enviro-nutters or by the 'International Community'.

This is an international treaty that the US and Japan are also signatories to. The sovereignty over the whales is collective in the treaty regardless of territorial claims.

Also, whales don't meet the safety and environmental standards of NZ. The Kiwi's would be forced to remove them from the high seas and install all the required features (life boats, pollution control devices, navigation and radar equipment).

I didn't say it was a sane idea. We are, after all dealing with eco-loons and a whack-job lefty government.

So9

[sgtbono2002]

****The group's founder Paul Watson, skipper of its flagship Farley Mowat in the Southern Ocean, earlier threatened to ram the Japanese whaling fleet*****

Here we have a boat skipper on the High seas threatening to Ram an unarmed ship. If that isnt Piracy what is it, thius man should be arrested and his ticket pulled.

[DesertWalker]

The name of their ship is the Farley Mowat. Most people probably don't remember the man, Farley Mowat. He was an early (1950's I think) radical environmentalist and, most importantly, a Canadian Communist - with a big "C". He defined environmental issues directly as old style Communist class warfare.

The current day environmentalists don't give a sh*t about whales. They are Communists.

[fat city]

There's actually a Whaling Court? Who knew? Bet its full of blowholes.

[WayneS]

Do the judges carry harpoons?

[WayneS]

Ticket pulled... or "punched"?

[river rat]

If the Japanese sink both the Greenpeace and Sea Shepherd ships -- I would salute them.

Semper Fi