Japan whalers in 'butter attack'

BBC ^ | 03 Mar 2008 | BBC

[BGHater]

			Whalers and activists have clashed several times Enlarge Image

Japan's whaling fleet in the waters off Antarctica has been attacked again by protesters, Tokyo officials have said.

Activists from the Sea Shepherd group threw containers filled with a mild form of acid made from rotten butter at a Japanese ship.

The group described it as "non-violent chemical warfare", but Tokyo condemned the actions as illegal and said several people were slightly injured.

Activists and whalers have clashed several times since last November.

The acid thrown at the whaling ship stings if it gets in people's eyes.

Officials said two crew members and two Japanese coast guard officers on one of the whaling ships complained of pain after the attack.

'Slippery powder'

Japan described it as illegal and said it would lodge a protest with the Dutch authorities who license the activists' boat.

But the Sea Shepherd's Paul Watson, aboard their vessel in the Antarctic, denied anyone had been hurt.

I absolutely condemn actions by crew members of any vessel that cause injury Stephen Smith Australian foreign minister

He said bottles of butyric acid and envelopes containing "slippery powder" had been thrown at the Nisshin Maru vessel.

"We filmed and photographed the entire thing. Not a single thing landed anywhere near their crew," he told Australia's AAP news agency.

Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith, although a vocal opponent of Japan's whale hunt, strongly criticised the Sea Shepherd's butter attack.

"I absolutely condemn actions by crew members of any vessel that cause injury - or have the potential to cause injury - to anyone on the high seas," he said in a statement.

Japan had planned to kill up to 900 minke whales and 50 fin whales during the expedition.

Tokyo says it carries out whaling for scientific research, but critics say the same data can be collected without killing the animals.

[BGHater]

Activists from the Sea Shepherd group throw bottles at the Japanese whaling fleet. (Image: AP/The Institute of Cetacean Research)

[Bender2]

May I be the first to ask.... was it "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter" attack?

[Rudder]

Wait ‘till PETA learns of this-—A bunch of animal-hating thugs twisting cows’ nipples and stealing their butter.

[Alas Babylon!]

You have to ask?

[Vaquero]

Give me the buttah!

[Bender2]

Yeah I did!

BTW your FR ID Alas Babylon is one of my all time favorite “What if we had that 1950s atomic war?” sci-fi novels.

I’ve always wished they’d have made a film of Pat Frank's 1959 work in the early 1960s, but nowadays, I wouldn’t want to see how today’s Hollywood libs would butcher it and make it all us Conservative White Folks fault!

[Vaquero]

[nina0113]

Tokyo says it carries out whaling for scientific research, ...

They're researching how many whales will fit in the hold.

(credit to Terry Pratchett/Neil Gaiman)

[TheBattman]

Yet another strike by enviro-terrorists.

[Bender2]

Opps, just discovered reading the Alas, Babylon Wikipedia article I linked that "An adaptation of Alas, Babylon was broadcast on April 3, 1960 as the 131st episode of the Playhouse 90 dramatic television series. It starred Don Murray, Burt Reynolds, and Rita Moreno."

Missed that one but I bet it was enjoyable.

[NonValueAdded]

chimpanzee minke whales? /obscure

[skinkinthegrass]

was it "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter" attack?.....well, it had to be said....and your 'the one' to do it. :D
...aren't these Eco-Wacko/Marxist Terrorist, committing "an act of war / Piracy?"

[Bender2]

Re: ...aren't these Eco-Wacko/Marxist Terrorist, committing "an act of war / Piracy?"

In this day and age, shrink, old sport... only Right-Wing Conservative Republicans are guilty of acts of war or piracy.

[6SJ7]

Always enjoy the openning scene in the movie ‘Armageddon’ where Bruce Willis is chipping golf balls from an oil platform onto the deck of a Green Peace ship.