Finny you should mention that...
Posted on 01/08/2010 4:19:19 PM PST by PJ-Comix
ENVIRONMENT lobby group Sea Shepherd has lodged a piracy complaint in the Netherlands against the captain and crew of a Japanese ship that collided with one of its vessels.
"We have lodged a complaint of piracy with the Dutch prosecuting authority against the captain and crew of the Japanese vessel," Sea Shepherd legal representative Liesbeth Zegveld told AFP today.
"This was close to murder. It was such an extreme act that if no-one takes action now, we may have an even more serious incident in future."
The New Zealand-registered Ady Gil, a high-tech protest boat of the Sea Shepherd group, sank on Friday after being badly damaged in a collision with a Japanese ship, the Shonan Maru 2, two days earlier.
Both parties blame each other for the crash.
Zegveld claimed the collision was "an act of violence" and said the damage was close to $US1 million ($A1.09 million). One of the crew suffered broken ribs.
Piracy enjoys universal jurisdiction, the lawyer said, and "any state is competent to deal with this case".
The Netherlands was chosen since one of the crew was Dutch and the Sea Shepherd's main ship, the Steve Irwin, is registered in the Netherlands.
"We want the crew of the Shonan Maru 2 to go to jail," Zegveld said. "We will bring a civil suit later to recoup the financial losses."
Prosecution spokeswoman Marieke van der Molen confirmed that a complaint had been received on Friday.
"There will be an initial examination before we decide whether or not to open a full investigation," she said. Sea Shepherd claims to have saved hundreds of whales by chasing the Japanese whaling fleet.
I thouhgt I sw the skull and cross bones not just on the side but that is also the flag they were flying. I can’t see a court anywhere not dismissing on that fact alone? Of course there is sure to be some bleeding heart somewhere but in a sensible world the boat flying the pirate flag is the prirate.
Finny you should mention that...
I was always partial to SKYDIVER, the jet interceptor from the submarine in UFO.
I guess I dug the chicks with the fishnet uniforms and the green wigs.
Anyone besides me remember that show?
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Last year you can see the larger sea shepherd collide with a whaling ship:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_b_IYQMSvM&NR=1
Still, I wish the Japanese wouldn’t take so many whales. There are better ways to do research, and American beef tastes better than whale.
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Thank you freepers one and all (well maybe not the ones that pointed out what President Reagan did in response to our breaking the IWC moratorium on whaling, and the poster that pointed out the area is an internationally recognized whale sanctuary) but for the rest of you useful idiots, I mean, loyal Japanese lovers. we will be sending tasy whale meat and a white flag with a red sun in it that you can wave as you watch the great Japanese heroes on Whale Wars. Bonsai!!
Japan American friendship committee
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Then these 'sea shepherd' people should take pictures and take them to the 'international court'
If we don't live by laws what do we have?
And a small tree to you as well,you eco-doofus.
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Irwin was a supporter of the group and was planning on going on one of their expeditions before he died, as I recall.
Sounds like you need to join your friends on the Sea Shepherd for a good cry.
U.S. Navy vessels have mechanical problems sometimes too, and reading the article I only see some issues with the autopilot and a pump during one leg of the journey mentioned - encounters with submerged debris, etc. are a very different thing from problems with the mechanics, structure, or design of the boat.
I don't see what relevance the collision has to do with this discussion at all, since there doesn't seem to be any evidence it was the result of a mechanical failure and the crew were cleared of any wrongdoing.
(And by the way, only one of the three Guatemalan fishermen was killed in the collision. You might as well actually read pages before you link to them.)
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I have known several fat vegans. After all there is not a bit of animal product in a bag of sugar.
Aye he was, and Neptune sent a harpoon as a thank ye.
You seem a bit of a Picaroon, Mr. Middle, defender of the Freebooters of the Sea Sherpa's Society. By any chance had you a bit o piracy behind you?
No reason to be defensive, I mis-read that one small bit.
I also note that the Sea Shepherd group itself has different details from those of the Wiki:
“The Current Fleet
M/Y Ady Gil
Says Chuck Swift, Deputy CEO in charge of ship’s operations, “The Ady Gil gives us the speed necessary to catch and stay with the Japanese whaling fleet. We are very optimistic that with these two ships, and some other surprises, we will shut down whaling in the Antarctic Whale Sanctuary.”
...
The Historical Fleet
Sea Shepherd
The first vessel
Our first ship was a British-registered fishing trawler purchased in 1978 with a grant from the Fund for Animals.
Her major action was ramming and damaging the outlaw whaler Sierra. The campaign to find and disable the Sierra was Sea Shepherd’s first direct action.
Captain Paul Watson scuttled the ship rather than let it fall into the hands of pirate whalers.
Read the honorable history of our beloved ship...
Sea Shepherd II
The Sea Shepherd II had an astounding record of success prior to her sale. Her lineage of actions and campaigns include:
1990 - Rammed illegal Japanese driftnet boats and sheared the power blocks used for the nets.
1991 - Mexican outlaw tuna boat rammed in Guatemalan waters with government thanks.
1991 - Boarded the replica ship Santa Maria during Columbus voyage anniversary in protest of 500 years of injustice to Native American Peoples. Spanish Government eventually apologized.”
That it was a Mexican boat in Guatemalan waters, would explain why they were exonerated by the Guatemalans, of nothing short of homicide in the death of *a* fisherman. Hardly what I would call a “real” exoneration.
And I also note that this caused a crack in their hull. Such collisions are rare to not damage the internal structure as well. For automobiles, such hidden damage is one of the reasons for CARFAX.
I still hold that a preponderance of evidence suggests that this craft is not seaworthy. And the Japanese will likely contact Lloyd’s Registry to examine their certification.
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