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Whalers blocked from refuelling in Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary
Posted by jossc on 22 January 2008.
After eleven days successfully preventing the Japanese whaling fleet from killing whales in the Southern Ocean, the crew of the Esperanza were this morning able to inconvenience them still further by delaying the refuelling of their factory ship, the Nisshin Maru.
In a dramatic non-violent protest against the whalers, activists Jetske and Heath placed their inflatable between the Nisshin Maru and the tanker Oriental Bluebird. Both ships turned their water hoses onto the inflatable and continued to close with each other, until after half an hour the inflatable was forced to leave to avoid being crushed. You can see some of the action in the video below.
The Oriental Bluebird plays a key role in the fleet's activities, keeping the ships refuelled and trans-shipping frozen whalemeat from the Nisshin Maru, yet it has no permit to be in this part of the Antarctic, which has been declared a "natural reserve devoted to peace and science" by the Environmental Protocol to the Antarctic Treaty, and where refuelling is a threat to the pristine environment. Japan is a signatory to this treaty, and as such is bound to comply with it's provisions and not undertake
any refuelling operations. This they have consistently failed to do; they also to fail to lodge environmental impact assessments for the whaling fleet with the Antarctic Treaty Secretariat, which are required everytime the ships enter Arctic waters.
Although the attempt to stop Nisshin Maru was ultimately unsuccessful, the good news is that no whaling has now taken place since the Esperanza found the whaling fleet on January 12th. Even better, the Japanese vice-minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Toru Shirasu announced yesterday that whaling would not restart while Esperanza was on the scene: "It is very difficult to resume hunting when there is a ship that may interfere with our activity."
Help to Sea Shepherd
As a long time supporter of Greenpeace, I was saddened to hear that Greenpeace would not offer help to "Steve Irwin", the Sea Shepherd ship, claiming that the supporters did not want Greenpeace to do this. I can catagorically state that I would want all those working to stop whales being killed to communicate with one another. Surely the goal of protecting whales from horrific slaughter is paramount? The Sea Shepherd organization are defending the oceans and the creatures of the oceans with a fair bit of success and by supporting one another and working together, the success could be even greater.
Why not use the Esperanza?
I am a long-time Greenpeace supporter.
It's all very well delaying the refueling for a short while but, ultimately, you achieved nothing except get some pics & video for promo purposes.
Why didn't you place the Esperanza between the two Japanese boats? That would have been far more effective.
Also, I just read that the Esperanza has now broken off the pursuit and turned to head back to New Zealand, leaving the whalers to get back to their killing.
Despite this, the Esperanza is still refusing to reveal the whalers' coordinates to Sea Shepherd in the full knowledge that whales will die due to Greenpeace's stubbornness and pride. I find this disgusting coming from an organisation which claims to care about saving whales!
Greenpeace as whale 'protectors'
Greenpeace say on this website;
the Japanese vice-minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Toru Shirasu announced yesterday that whaling would not restart while Esperanza was on the scene: "It is very difficult to resume hunting when there is a ship that may interfere with our activity."
Yet almost as soon as this is said Greenpeace leave the area. Anyone know why?
Where is the union between sea shepherd and greenpeace?
Hearing news that greenpeace isnt helping sea shepherd by simply giving co-ords of the japanese whalers whereabouts tells me that greenpeace isnt really 100% dedicated to helping save these whales and is more concerned about THEIR OWN publicity by which they'll recieve donations and funds than the protection of these whales.
If giving sea shepherd the info they need will help further prevent whales from being killed then why are greenpeace not doing it? I dont understand why and that is not good for publicity.
Help the Sea Shepherd
Why wont you help the Sea Shepherd?
there is something very wrong with all this,
You need to fight this together not each other.
cm
Why not call in Sea Shepherd. For very good reasons...
Why not help Sea Shepherd? Two reasons really.
First: Sea Shepherd are quite happy (in fact, proud of the fact) that they use violent methods to achieve their ends - throwing acid, using a giant 'can-opener' to gouge holes, and ramming are among their repertoire. Greenpeace fundamentally and profoundly disagrees with this approach., and will not willingly be a party to it.
Second: the whales didn't need any help from Sea Shepherd. The fleet stopped whaling for 14 days while Esperanza was in close pursuit of the factory ship. When the Espy left the area the Australian government ship Oceanic Viking was in close attendance on the Nisshin Maru and whaling had not resumed. Sea Shepherd could easily have got the Nisshin Maru's coordinated from them.
Of course, if you find the thought of doing physical violence to the whalers more appealing, then I guess you're right, we should have called in Sea Shepherd.
Why Esperanza left the whaling fleet
Wake up!
Yes the Steve Irwin ship does use direct action, but so does the whaling fleet killing whales.
be real for goodness sake, we are trying to save whales, not get photo's and more funding for the next campain......
The time is now, not next year......
Greenpeace please do what you promise......
Why do think that violence makes the anti-whaling case stronger?
If you know anything about the current situation you'll know that the solution will be found in Japan, not in the Southern Ocean. We've been focusing on exposing the whalers' activities to a Japanese public that was largely unaware of them, with very promising results.
No one is questioning Sea Shepherd's commitment, but we can't give out the co-ordinates while they refuse to rule out violence. Physically threatening the whalers guarantees them public sympathy, rather than focusing on their violence against the whales.
And if we'd given them the coordinates of the whaling fleet then we'd get the blame for any subsequent violence in Japan, which would undermine all of the amazing support our campaign is getting there:
http://www.greenpeace.org/international/news/fake-science
-exposed180108/Whaling-receives-criticism200108
The hearts and minds of the Japanese public is where this campaign will be won, not in the Southern Ocean - and Sea Shepherd's violent approach is largely counter-productive.
can it be classed as violent??
Jossc wrote
"use violent methods to achieve their ends - throwing acid, using a giant 'can-opener' to gouge holes,"
It really is pretty weird when damage to a piece of metal is considered more 'violent' than the harpooning of a whale. If their 'violence' stops the whale being killed then surely that is actually less violent in the end than allowing it to happen.
A LIFE is always worth more than property. It is the thinking that private property is more valuable, that is allowing us to destroy the planet.
i totally agree with joss and fiona
i think that it is really stupid that people consider their property more valuable than a whales life. This shows that the whalers are totally self centered and conceited. They dont care about anything else accept from theirselves. I think this is awfull, and world peace will never be accieved if people keep thinking like this.[ie. property ismore importand th something living.] -its not and i would really like to give the japanese wghalers a piece of my mind, and tell; them how i feel about what they are upto with the whales.
Go Greenpeace!! keep up with the good work!!