The whale wars : Japan versus Sea Shepherd

[Guest guest]

http://www.greenfudge.org/2009/10/28/sea-shepherd-no-longer-alone-in-the-war-aga\

inst-whaling/

Sea Shepherd No Longer Alone in the War Against Whaling

 

Avid watchers and followers of the hit Animal Planet TV show *Whale

Wars*will be ecstatic to hear that the Sea Shepherd crew finally has another

ally to help them in their war against commercial whaling on the high seas. This

past week, it was announced that New Zealand’s Earthrace crew will be joining

the fight, making their combined effort quite the ominous force to be reckoned

with.

 

 

Image source: seashepherd.org

 

The Earthrace ship (recently renamed the Ady

Gil

<http://www.seashepherd.org/news-and-media/news-091020-1.html>)

is said to look like something out of the future or perhaps a form of alien

watercraft. It is a tri-hull wave piercer, built 78 ft (24 m) long and is

capable of going underwater to a depth of 23 ft (7 m). The shape of the ship

allows it to cut through the waves, rather than sail on top of them, as most

boats do; and it can travel at a speed up to 40 knots. Paul Watson, captain of

the Sea Shepherd’s crew and flagship Steve Irwin, said “we’ll be using it to

intercept and block harpoons”. This will be an extremely helpful tactic,

considering that the Japanese whalers have a “thing” for explosive harpoons.

 

The explosive harpoon may be one of the cruelest ways for a whale to meet

its grim fate. The harpoon is shot into the whale and explodes inside the

body; if that doesn’t work, whalers will then start to use rifles or a

penthrite harpoon. Due to these barbaric methods, it can take some whales

over an hour to die. What’s worse, there is no limit on the number of

weapons that can be used to kill a whale, nor a limit on the amount of time

it takes for the animal to die. They have to suffer through every twisted

bit of gore that man sees fit to put them through, even in areas that are

supposed to be their sanctuaries.

 

Yes, that is right, Japan also hunts in what are supposed to be protected whale

and sea life sanctuaries; protected by the

IWC<http://www.iwcoffice.org/>at that. Even more ridiculous is the way

the Japanese attempted to appeal to the International Whaling Commission,

stating the Steve Irwin ship endangered their lives in the Southern Ocean last

year (where one of the sanctuaries is located). “We cannot tolerate such

audacity,” Jun Yamashita—a Japanese delegation member—told the commission. “We

ask for all appropriate

measures, including a ban on the ship from leaving port, so that we can prevent

these acts from being repeated.” It seems to me they just want to be able to do

their illegal whaling stints without being under watch or under attack.

 

 

Image source: seashepherd.org

 

This very meeting is what tipped the iceberg and convinced Earthrace to join

the Sea Shepherd crew. Owner and Skipper of Earthrace, Pete Bethune said he

decided to become involved because “this is happening in my backyard and it

really pisses me off. I’m going to make a stand. They won’t get away from

me.” I certainly hope he’s right, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he was; the

Earthrace was able to travel around the world last year—on biofuel—in the

span of 2 months!

 

Operation Waltzing Matilda—the name of Sea Shepherd’s 6th anti-whaling

campaign—is set to launch from Australia in early December. With a pirate

kangaroo as their new jolly roger, Captain Watson says “With these two

ships, we will mount the most ambitious and aggressive effort to date to

obstruct the slaughter of the whales in the Southern Ocean”.

 

You can help the Sea Shepherd crew, both on

land<http://www.seashepherd.org/get-involved/volunteer-onshore.html>and

at

sea <http://www.seashepherd.org/get-involved/crewing-at-sea.html>, in their

fight against whaling. And for those that are curious: Yes, there will be a

3rd season of Whale Wars, continuing to follow the Sea Shepherd in their

great battle to save the whales.

 

By Heidi Marshall