Water shield new weapon in whaling tussle

[Guest guest]

http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/water-shield-new-weapon-in-whaling-tussle\

/2006/01/06/1136387625766.html

 

There's also a photo of " Crew aboard the Nisshin Maru

protest (above left) and anti-whaling activists

alongside the Kyo Maru No. 1. " One of the signs that

whalers hold says " SCIENCE-BASED " LETHAL RESEARCH;

they obviously don't know what they are saying.

(SCIENCE-BASED my ...)

 

By Andrew Darby

January 7, 2006

 

WARNED off the Japanese fleet by water cannon,

Greenpeace has adopted a new method to disrupt the

whale kill in Antarctica — a saltwater shield, which

mists the air between harpooner and whale.

 

Greenpeace is using its water screens for hours at a

time, flinging up a cold mist to fall on Japanese

harpooners as its protesters in small boats dodge the

whaling ships' bows.

 

Greenpeace expedition leader Shane Rattenbury said:

" The idea is that for the harpooner it's like looking

through a mist or a curtain; it's much harder for him

to see. It's proving to be one of our best tactics and

it is quite non-violent. "

 

Greenpeace claimed that a harpoon from a Japanese

whaling ship was fired between two of its inflatable

boats.

 

The whalers have repeatedly said that if an accident

occurs during the confrontations, protesters hampering

harpooners will be to blame.

 

When Greenpeace photographers flew overhead, Japanese

crew held signs denigrating Greenpeace, which they

have done previously.

 

Greenpeace said that at least 20 minke whales had been

slaughtered on the Nisshin Maru in the past 48 hours.

The fleet is made up of one processing ship, three

harpoon ships and two scouting vessels. Accounts of

the action on a Greenpeace web log claimed many whales

escaped but an exhausted minke calf was hit at close

range. Another minke took 4½ minutes to die, finally

being winched in by a harpoon line to be shot by a

high-powered rifle.

 

Greenpeace's second ship, Arctic Sunrise, caught up

with the fleet on Thursday night. The ships travelled

about 3000 nautical miles west to waters north of

Prydz Bay before Christmas. Sea Shepherd's ship,

Farley Mowat, is expected to arrive in the area within

24 hours.

 

The protest is being monitored by the US Office of

Naval Intelligence, which publishes a weekly worldwide

piracy report on the internet.

 

The office said in its latest report that it had seen

no evidence to support a claim by Japanese whalers

that Greenpeace and Sea Shepherd were acting in concert.