Sea Shepherd Hunts Down the Japanese Whalers Before a Single Whale is Killed

[Barrett808]

Source: Sea Shepherd Conservation Society

Sea Shepherd Conservation Society’s fleet has found the illegal Japanese whaling vessels on the last day of the calendar year. In the vastness of the Southern Ocean, Sea Shepherd’s ships have now found the Japanese fleet before they even began killing whales. This is a momentous victory for the whales and precisely how Sea Shepherd’s President and Founder Captain Paul Watson had hoped to ring in the New Year.

At around 0900 hours (Australian Eastern Standard Time), Sea Shepherd’s ship the Bob Barker found a harpoon vessel on the edge of the ice at 148 degrees west. The unidentified Japanese vessel attempted to move south to draw the Bob Barker away from the Nisshin Maru.

At 1500 Hours AEST, some 60 miles to the North, Sea Shepherd’s flagship vessel the Steve Irwin found the Japanese harpoon vessel Yushin Maru #2 sitting in the ice.

The Gojira and Sea Shepherd’s helicopter the Nancy Burnet, continue to search for the Nisshin Maru, Japan’s floating abattoir.

Read more: http://www.seashepherd.org/news-and-media/news-101231-1.html

[pleah]

1. K&R!!

[sakabatou]

2. Oh that crew has a big spat with Nisshin Maru

[Suich]

9. Is that the one that ran over the Ady Gil?

:shrug:

[flvegan]

15. No, that was the Shonan Maru 2.

[me b zola]

3. WooHoo!!

:thumbsup:

[Name removed]

4. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Judi Lynn]

5. Thank you, best wishes, happy new year to the crews, and Captain Paul Watson.

People of conscience will be thinking of you throughout, always.

[bjobotts]

10. X10000000000

[EFerrari]

6. K&R

:applause:

[Judi Lynn]

7. Other whale news: Whale tangled up in fishing ropes gets human help

Whale tangled up in fishing ropes gets human help
150 feet of rope removed from around head of young right whale

http://msnbcmedia3.msn.com.nyud.net:8090/j/MSNBC/Components/Photo/_new/101231_rightwhale4.grid-10x2.jpg

This young North Atlantic right whale was spotted off northeast Florida on Christmas Day with fishing rope wrapped around its head.
msnbc.com
updated 2 hours 33 minutes ago 2010-12-31T22:26:36


Share Print Font: +-A severely entangled North Atlantic right whale — a species whose numbers are down to just a few hundred — was swimming off Florida on Friday after experts managed to cut off much of the fishing ropes holding it back.

"The team successfully removed more than 150 feet of ropes wrapped around the whale’s head and fins, and cut portions of entangling ropes that remain on the animal," the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said in a statement.

"We were very concerned about this whale as the entangling ropes appeared to be life threatening," said NOAA official Jamison Smith. "Given the efforts of the disentanglement team we are optimistic the whale may shed the remaining ropes on its own, so we will continue to monitor its condition via aerial surveys and intervene again if necessary."

The whale, 30 feet long and thought to be less than 2 years old, was first spotted off Daytona on Christmas Day by a team doing aerial surveys to spot right whales. Those teams alert ships to any right whales so that they can then alter course to avoid potential collisions.

More:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40866012/ns/us_news-environment/

[Kajsa]

44. That is good news, Judi!

:)

Thanks for sharing this.

Happy New Year!

[Michigan-Arizona]

8. WOW! That is great news!!!

I watched the movie THE COVE which deals with Japan slaughtering the dolphins & that just about did me in, so very, very sad. Thanks Paul W., the crew, all the wonderful donor's etc....... Wishing you a wonderful New Year!!!

[20score]

11. Very cool!

[InvisibleTouch]

12. Happy New Year Captain Watson!

Wishing the crew safety and much success.

[PearliePoo2]

13. Now that they have found them...now what?

What can they do to prevent the whale slaughter?

[flvegan]

14. Find the Nishun Maru.

Once they find the factory ship, they'll sit dead astern so that no killed whales can be processed. So long as one of the SSCS ships is dead behind her, the harpoon ships won't kill whales because they can't transfer them to the factory ship to be cut into slabs of meat.

[PearliePoo2]

17. Then this could get violent, no?

What tactics could or will, the factory ship take to get rid of the SSCS ships off their stern?
I applaud their courage and tenacity. Whales and dolphins need to be protected...NOT EATEN.

[flvegan]

18. Depends on how one defines violent.

Each year in the Southern Ocean brings something new. For example, this year, the Japanese whaling vessels have armed Coast Guard officers on them. We'll have to see.

[Name removed]

21. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[flvegan]

23. Not with anything lethal.

They throw rancid butter, use prop foulers, etc. Nothing that would sink them. Sinking a whaling vessel on the open water isn't what we want. Keeping the people safe is just as important as keeping the whales safe.

Now once back in harbor with nobody aboard...yeah, I'd love to see them sunk.

[Shining Jack]

20. +1 n/t

[harvey007]

16. Glad they are out there

Go Sea Shepherd!

[robinlynne]

26. Yes!!!!

[flvegan]

19. Ha ha! Suck it, whalers!

Nice work, Capt. Watson. Stay safe, Sea Shepherd.

[Withywindle]

22. May the wind always be at your back, Sea Shepherd!

:toast:

[freeplessinseattle]

24. Great news! I have so much admiration for them

True activists. I love you Sea Shepherds!

[madrchsod]

25. they have "godzilla" helping this year

[sam sarrha]

45. i thought it was rammed an cut in half.. is this the same one fixed up..??

[ManiacJoe]

55. Different boat.

[sakabatou]

62. No. That was the Ady Gil

Gojira is much larger.

[madrchsod]

64. new boat

[Odin2005]

53. That is a fuckin' awesome looking ship!

[Xicano]

69. Woohoo!!

I remember asking Chuck Swift Captain of the Bob Barker at a Sea Shepherd fund raising event here in SoCal if they had any plans to find a replacement to replace the Ady Gil. His response to me was "Well we have to remain tight lipped about operational plans, but, with regard to your question I can say you will be happy with what we have planned." I guess "Godzilla" is what he was referring to.

LOL... "Godzilla" I love it! Perfect name. :)


GO SEA SHEPHERD!

[lonestarnot]

27. Excellent!

[BeFree]

28. Let the games begin

Saving whales: A great Idea.

[Unrepentant Fenian]

29. Thumbs up for Capt. Watson and his crew! nt

[MrMickeysMom]

30. Very happy to hear this...

I get really upset when I watch the Sea Shepard on cable, so I just donated in 2010, hoping they'd get em...

Glad their efforts paid off. I may watch this again on TV.

[pam4water]

31. Why aren't the Japanese policing there fishermen?

[Kolesar]

36. The Japanese "fishing" lobby has way too much influence

Collectively, they lobby for this whaling fleet.

[bvar22]

40. They claim they are doing "research",

and Japan is protective of their Whaling Industry.

[hack89]

65. Because they are not breaking any laws? nt

[micraphone]

32. Great News!

Obviously one or two people here do not care about the wholesale butchery of whales.

No-one else is doing anything...

[crikkett]

38. What was that about?

Are you one of those people that has to pad every good thing they say with something bad?

[micraphone]

63. Not at all...

Apart from the dig at SS knockers, I was merely pointing out (mainly to said knockers) that SS is the only entity doing anything about the whalers.

I am in New Zealand and the people here are united against this illegal killing - a lot of which is happening in New Zealand protected waters. Where is our Government? On holiday! To be fair, NZ and Aus ministers did issue a press release in early December telling all sides to "be careful" (I paraphrase here).

Right now the whalers appear to be in Australian waters. Remember whaling in these waters is ILLEGAL. So where is the Australian Navy to protect the whales, illegal poaching of Patagonian Toothfish (aka Chilean sea bass) etc etc? At home.

Australians feel just as passionate about this issue as us Kiwis but the inaction of our Governments is hugely disappointing. Maybe they just want to keep the Japanese car imports coming, and we sure as hell don't sell much to the Japanese.

[Zax2me]

33. WTF it is going to continue....

What is it with Japanese vessels doing this illegal hunting?!
A success here or there, they obviously succeed more than they fail.
So why does the world put up with it?!
Why aren't we sanctioning against the Japanese govt?
The subject is not even on the table for this admin - or any other for that matter not to speak ill of this admin.
Just, sick of it all.....

[ZombieHorde]

58. The US is a whaling country. nt

[xchrom]

34. awesome! nt

[DainBramaged]

35. But Mommy, Toyota didn't save Free Willie, they ate him!!!!!

Happy New Year.

" As you get into your Japanese car and turn the key, think about who kills the whales"

[Kolesar]

37. The New Zealand government is surveilling the ocean & may have given away the whalers' position

The agenda is to ruin their season and when the "processing" ship needs to be replaced, the whalers will give up instead of building a new expensive ship.

www.seashepherd.org

[DirkGently]

39. Love the new boat. And the name.

[bvar22]

41. We never miss an episode of "Whale Wars".

Those people are heroes.

[TBF]

42. I have learned on DU that whale killing is bad, dog-killing is A-OK. nt

[Kajsa]

43. Go Sea Shepherd!!

I had the honor of meeting Paul Watson and some of the Sea Shepherd crew last July.
They are among the most dedicated, hard working volunteers I have met.

Godspeed to all of them!!

[Odin2005]

54. I envy you!

Those guys are awesome!

[Kajsa]

56. Hi Odin!

The Sea Shepherd sponsored the 'Sea No Evil' art show in Riverside,CA
July 31st, 2010 to help raise money for their expedition to stop the
Japanese whalers.

Xicano was there( unknown to me at the time!) and posted some really great pics in his thread.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=389&topic_id=8857916

It was great!
Captain Paul is a really nice guy with incredible patience for flustered supporters with jammed cameras.
:-)


Happy New Year, Odin!

:) :hi: :hug:

[Odin2005]

57. You have a happy one, too!

[Kajsa]

59. Here's my attempt to post

a few of my pictures from there,

Paul Watson and I



Karl and Paul Watson



Paul cracking up when this was accidentally taken while switching cameras. :)

[Odin2005]

67. Great pics!

:D

[Kajsa]

68. Thanks, Odin.

:D

[Xicano]

71. Nice pictures Kajsa :)

Here's some pictures I have when Sea Shepherd was here in SoCal back in July.



Paul Watson and I




Chuck Swift and I



Laurens de Groot, Chris Aultman (helicopter pilot) and I



Michelle Rodriguez and I

[Kajsa]

72. Great photos, Xicano!

Thanks.

That was a great evening!
:)

[Xicano]

73. Yes I enjoyed that evening too.

Although I wish I would of gotten some sleep the previous night so I didn't look so tired in the pictures. LOL.

Look forward to this year's Sea Shepherd fund raiser. I will go again. :)



:hi:

Peace,
Xicano

[Kajsa]

74. So will we !

Maybe we can meet there this year.

:) :hi:

[Xicano]

75. Sounds good..

And it'll be nice if other DU'ers could show up too. :)

:hi:

[PearliePoo2]

46. Boycott products made by the whale-eating, dolphin-clubbing Japanese

Put your money where your mouth is and walk the talk or just shut-up.
I know plenty of people who are naturalists, whale tour guides and "love" everything "Orca".
What do they drive? Nissans, Hondas and Mazdas, that's what. Blah....

[JanMichael]

47. our Subura was made in Louisiana; the Nissans are made in TN

with globalization, the boycotting method takes more time to study than it did in the past. :(

Btw-- many of the parts on Fords and Chevy's come from....Japan. China. Mexico.

So, when you go out and look at your "American" made car, don't feel so good about it :) Bummer, eh.

[PearliePoo2]

50. Follow your money back to corporate headquarters.

Where does your dollar finally end up?
That's what's important to me.
:)

[1monster]

48. My Chevy Aveo is made in Korea.... Your point is? What cars are made

in the US?

[PearliePoo2]

51. Yes, there are cars made in America.

You can do a google search and find out which companies and which models are still manufactured here in this country.
The subject being discussed on this post is Japan and their illegal whaling "research".
Not Korean whaling practices...nor Mexico...or Canada...but Japan.
This abhorrent "fishery" is NOT acceptable to me and I will not condone or try to justify it in any way, shape or form.

[Codeine]

70. Many great cars. Here's a list of UAW-made cars, trucks, and vans.

http://www.uaw.org/cars

[BrklynLiberal]

49. EXCELLENT NEWS!!!

[Odin2005]

52. KICK!!!

[bertman]

60. Excellent post, Barrett808. I just read "Earth Warrior" which was written

in the early 90's if I'm not mistaken. Excellent book that shows the dangerous and spartan conditions these brave activists live under while trying to stop the whalers.

REC.

[Kaleko]

61. Fantastic.

[hack89]

66. Will there be another South Park episode? I hope so. nt