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Sea Shepherd, whalers clash in Antarctic waters

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It was extremely dangerous,” he said. “I can’t tell you how intimidating it is to have a 12,000 tonne ship coming at you and trying to slam into the side of you. Their contention that we rammed them is just ludicrous. We would just bounce off them.”

Do come looking for sympathy from me. You want to play chicken expect to run over.

-1 ( +11 / -12 )

Edited to read.....DONT come looking....sorry

-1 ( +7 / -8 )

Shameful behavior on both side's....Funny how loop hole's are like black hole's, sucking in everyone's moral's and ethics, faster than light...

0 ( +6 / -6 )

It is too bad that this is not being taken up the the Japanese news programs. Make no mistake. Whalers love the publicity. Anything that puts whale in the news. Consumption declined more than 90% from the 60s, but is on the increase again due to the new publicity.

0 ( +5 / -5 )

When are both sides going to realize that one human life is not more important then a killing a whale, or litting one live?

0 ( +4 / -4 )

i'd say.. if ss weren't there to interfere in the first place NOBODY woulda gotten rammed.

-1 ( +11 / -12 )

"vital scientific research" of eating habits of the Japanese population. What a joke!!!

3 ( +12 / -9 )

@gokai why anybody would want to eat that fatty mercury laden meat is beyond me. so many healthier cheaper meats available, which will only get cheaper if Japan decides to join the TPP. whaling and whale meat is a dying business anybody who sees it otherwise is a moron.

0 ( +9 / -9 )

"Veteran anti-whaling campaigner Paul Watson said in the incident on Monday the Japanese factory ship the Nisshin Maru rammed the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society’s much smaller vessel the Bob Barker."

The Japanese government is famous for doing OBSCENE ACTS in the high seas. Don't anybody notice events over the last few months? Big Japanese coast guard ships hosing small Taiwanese boats with massive water cannon. Now you have the big Japanese whaler ship trying to intimidate the much smaller Bob Parker. Funny thing Japan dare not do this to Chinese maritime ships!

-9 ( +9 / -18 )

ehh. Hahahah, I would want a big ship so i can ram some pirates too.

-4 ( +7 / -11 )

I support SS 100%. They are doing the right thing.

There you have it. I'm just cheering for those environmentalists who are trying to protect the most precious thing on Earth, life.

-3 ( +12 / -15 )

The fugitive Watson says,

"We took up our positions to block their approach to the (fuel tanker) Sun Laurel and they rammed the Bob Barker twice, causing considerable damage, and then they pushed it into the side of the Sun Laurel."

The fugitive Watson admits that he is deliberately violating the court ordered 500 yard buffer zone by deliberately POSITIONING the eco-terrorist SS scows in the path of the Sun Laurel and Nisshin Maru. Water cannon can't shoot 500 yards.

Watson's goal seems to be to damage the refueling vessel Sun Laurel. That should stop this years whaling. It could also cause thousands of gallons of fuel to spill into the antarctic if they don't sink the Sun Lauel (the 11th vessel the eco-terrorist SS will have sunk - not counting the Ady Gil which Watson sunk when he decided to cut the tow) but Watson is willing to take that risk. Violence is the answer and the eco-terrorist SS are more than willing to repeatedly use violence to force others to do their bidding.

2 ( +12 / -10 )

Whats wrong with hunting whales? Its not that controlled hunting will extinguish whales, Its not like chinese fishing ships have nowhere to get more fish.

-4 ( +8 / -12 )

Tony Ew - "Veteran anti-whaling campaigner Paul Watson said in the incident on Monday the Japanese factory ship the Nisshin Maru rammed the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society’s much smaller vessel the Bob Barker."

The Japanese government is famous for doing OBSCENE ACTS in the high seas.

The eco-terrorist SS has a proven history of sinking, and bragging about the sinking of, ten vessels. The eco-terrorist SS believe in violence and so do the supporters of the eco-terrorist SS.

-3 ( +6 / -9 )

Only a matter of time before the Japanese/Korean whaling enterprise gives up and goes home. How many tonnes of unwanted, frozen whale meat do they already have?

1 ( +7 / -6 )

Looks like AFP left out the best parts, like the fact that SS ship was using highly illegal propeller destroying cables (http://www.grindtv.com/outdoor/blog/51124/dramatic+collision+in+southern+ocean+leaves+anti-whaling+boat+damaged/) and in blatant violation of it's injunction.

And we also have the truth I've been saying all along, the whalers don't use concussion grenades, rather percussion grenades that are perfectly safe.

4 ( +14 / -10 )

Don't worry Bura, there's no shortage for dog food and treats with that frozen supply around.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

@arrestpaulFeb. 26, 2013 - 12:44PM JST

Tony Ew - "Veteran anti-whaling campaigner Paul Watson said in the incident on Monday the Japanese factory ship the Nisshin Maru rammed the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society’s much smaller vessel the Bob Barker."

The Japanese government is famous for doing OBSCENE ACTS in the high seas.

The eco-terrorist SS has a proven history of sinking, and bragging about the sinking of, ten vessels. The eco-terrorist SS believe in violence and so do the supporters of the eco-terrorist SS.

As usual flowery words, adjectives fail to impress me! If you use David vs Goliath analogy, you can see who is clearly the terrorist. You can connect the dots yourself.

-2 ( +4 / -6 )

Tony EwFeb. 26, 2013 - 01:04PM JST

As usual flowery words, adjectives fail to impress me! If you use David vs Goliath analogy, you can see who is clearly the terrorist.

So why is Ady Gil suing SS for sinking their ship? With the illegal maneuvers they are pulling here, they are asking for another ship owner to sue them.

5 ( +14 / -9 )

The article forgot to mention that the Sun Laurel is a South Korean tanker. Looks like the Japanese aren't the only ones looking to profit off this whale hunt.

The whalers need better planning. Seriously, what were they thinking? They could have easily hired a backup tanker. Then they wouldn't have had to resort to using stun grenades and water cannons and all this other nonsense. The Steve Irwin, Bob Barker and Sam Simon would have been left circling the Sun Laurel while the whaling fleet was off refueling with the backup tanker. Have the whalers never heard of the old saying: don't put all your eggs/fuel in one basket/tanker.

1 ( +5 / -4 )

Tony Ew - As usual flowery words, adjectives fail to impress me! If you use David vs Goliath analogy, you can see who is clearly the terrorist. You can connect the dots yourself.

Why should it be considered important to impress you? The FBI consider the eco-terrorist SS to be eco-terrorists because of the repeated acts of violence they have committed. The eco-terrorist SS own video's show the eco-terrorist SS violating the court ordered 500 yard buffer zone. Currently, the eco-terrorist SS are trying to damage, and probably sink, the refueling vessel Sun Laurel. That should impress you.

-3 ( +4 / -7 )

Sea Shepherds should start arming themselves. They tried to negotiate and tried non violent methods ... The answer is 'NO!' You cannot kill whales in international waters.

http://youtu.be/Pj7yPRhk584

-9 ( +4 / -13 )

AriesKJJFeb. 26, 2013 - 01:45PM JST

Sea Shepherds should start arming themselves.

They are armed with deadly weapons including pneumatic cannons with glass shrapnel ammunition, less deadly weapons like percussion grenades, and anti-ship weapons like propeller destroying cables. They have also been known to carry military grade knives and hunting bows.

They tried to negotiate and tried non violent methods ...

Actually, they only started using lawyers recently, but their violent tactics since their founding in the 80s actually got them kicked out of eco-terrorist friendly greenpeace!

The answer is 'NO!' You cannot kill whales in international waters.

Actually, you can, it's international waters AND UN doesn't have any regulations against it. Japan is a member of the IWC, which did impose a commercial moratorium on whales, but Japan is using one of the authorized method to hunt non-endangered minke whales. If they really wanted to, they could leave IWC and hunt all the whales they want.

-3 ( +10 / -13 )

I'm just cheering for those environmentalists who are trying to protect the most precious thing on Earth, life.

Sounds like both sides are trying to protect the wrong 'life'. No stance on this whale hunting either, but is a human life worth protecting, or killing of a whale?

All involved needs to get some priorities straght before someone does get killed.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

It's an easy shift not to want to kill whales, just need to be open minded enough to listen to science and common sense. Whales are not fish, cetaceans are not food.

Japan's aging, ornery whaling fleet again defies a global ban | IFAW - International Fund for Animal Welfare

http://www.ifaw.org/international/news/japans-aging-ornery-whaling-fleet-again-defies-global-ban

-4 ( +6 / -10 )

It's an easy shift not to want to kill whales, just need to be open minded enough to listen to science and common sense. Whales are not fish, cetaceans are not food.

Says who?

Sea Shepherds should start arming themselves.

They already are armed.

They tried to negotiate and tried non violent methods ...

No, they haven't.

The answer is 'NO!' You cannot kill whales in international waters.

Er... yes you can.

Veteran anti-whaling campaigner Paul Watson said in the incident on Monday the Japanese factory ship the Nisshin Maru rammed the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society’s much smaller vessel the Bob Barker.

Well then, maybe you should keep the distance you've been told to by the courts? Idiots.

-2 ( +11 / -13 )

I wonder what kind of people belive what Paul Wtason says. He is a fugitive on the run, after all, and he never hesitates to break the law one more time and then brag about it.

The fact that some people still see him as a hero is beyond me.

3 ( +11 / -8 )

Yup, someone is gonna get killed eventually. I wonder who they'll blame for it?...officially, I mean.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

"There you have it. I'm just cheering for those environmentalists who are trying to protect the most precious thing on Earth, life."

Then you shouldn't consume anything. Everything that exist in this world has life in it, be it a tree to a small bug. viruses and bacterias are also life forms, ya know?

killing whale is not right, but your excuse for not killing is even more lame.

1 ( +6 / -5 )

@sidesmile somebody already did get killed, a whaler did a fews years ago by there own incompetence.

-1 ( +5 / -6 )

AriesKJJFEB. 26, 2013 - 01:45PM JST

The answer is 'NO!' You cannot kill whales in international waters.

But Sea shepherd says they are in Australian waters .. ummmmm, either you are a tad confused or sea shepherd are a tad confused. Then again, most likely is that you are both extremely confused :-)

2 ( +6 / -4 )

Thanks wtfjapan. It all seems a bit silly, really. These activists deliberately bite off more than they can chew then complain when they suffer the consequences. Its like trying to prove to the world that hornets are likely to sting if one whacks the nest with a stick...lamenting and blaming the hornets when they get nailed..then expecting the rational world to come to their aid. Equally I dont agree with the Japanese excuse for hunting whales. Science my posterior. Just admit that the hunt is for food..that very few people eat anyway..if the activists get in the way of it then dont steam in full bore..it just adds fuel to their cries of "save the whaaaales!"..and makes you look equally childish.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

The article forgot to mention that the Sun Laurel is a South Korean tanker. Looks like the Japanese aren't the only ones looking to profit off this whale hunt.

Anyone in Australia who sold supplies to the SS ships is also profiting off this whale hunt.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

eyeonwarsonFeb. 26, 2013 - 03:53PM JST

But Sea shepherd says they are in Australian waters .. ummmmm, either you are a tad confused or sea shepherd are a tad confused.

SS is not confused, they are simply lying to people. On top of that, Australia is illegally claiming Antarctic sea territories despite those places being well outside the EEZ even for preposterous Antarctic territorial claims (which are also illegal, since they did not claim the EEZ when they claimed the land). The whaling is happening on the high seas, which is fully international and no government has any claim over it.

-1 ( +8 / -9 )

When are both sides going to realize that one human life is not more important then a killing a whale, or litting one live?

How do you figure that? We could swap a human life for every whale left in the ocean and there would still be a few billion too much folk.

I don’t think it likely, nor would I support, whales developing the means to bring about a 97% reduction in the human population – but I do have to wonder if it would be better for the environment.

SS volunteers know the risks - they signed up for it. An SS death is far more likely than whaler death - but presumably whaler crew don't live in a vacuum. They’re surely aware there are people out there that object to whaling and are expressing that increasingly forthrightly. I’m just a traditional hard working fishertard doesn’t exempt one from the decision to be there in the first place.

-4 ( +3 / -7 )

Australia is illegally claiming Antarctic sea territories

Um? No they are not. They have the same level of rights and claims on the Antarctic as a dozen other countries. All unresolved - hardly illegal. They do support the IWC Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary - but so does practically everybody else (not Japan, St Kitts and Nevis, Ivory Coast nor the Marshall Islands sadly).

Show me any link that demonstrates the Australian Government is illegally claiming territory.

-1 ( +5 / -6 )

Being an extremist must be an exciting life. Just hate and be prepared to die, and if you die one hundred mermaids will wait on you hand and foot for eternity.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

I'm sorry, not "hand and foot" but "fin and gill".

3 ( +5 / -2 )

FreePeterFeb. 26, 2013 - 05:00PM JST

Um? No they are not. They have the same level of rights and claims on the Antarctic as a dozen other countries. All unresolved - hardly illegal.

Actually, entirely illegal. The Antarctic treaty system they belong to states no new claims can be made, yet they made a new claim on the area in question in 1995, decades after signing the treaty. Even those countries that claim the treaty system is legal (which is less than half a dozen when you condense her majesty's lands as one) refuse to accept new claims since the 1959 deadline.

Show me any link that demonstrates the Australian Government is illegally claiming territory.

You can find it yourself, it's the Humane Society vs ICR judgement.

0 ( +7 / -7 )

@wtfjapan FEB. 26, 2013 - 11:49AM JST Why anybody would want to eat that fatty mercury laden meat is beyond me.

A couple of reasons, one, its rather tasty. Two, it´s free of antibiotics and growth hormone and all the other crap that often comes from factory farming. Three, the meat comes from an animal that lives its life free and wild, up until the moment it`s harvested.

And lastly, four, I throw another whale steak on the barbie every time Watson and Sea Shepherd gets caught out in yet another lie. Keep it up Watson, I`m feeling peckish :-)

-1 ( +5 / -6 )

Hey, this water cannons really works!!

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

As a person born in Australia...I find the most frustrating thing is that the Australian government does not do jack about this. They just sit there making threats....the reason why the Sea Shepherd is doing this is because no one else will. I don't agree with the methods they use but at least they try. That said...is a human life worth a whale? Does anyone even know the benefits whales give us? I don't.

I have tried whale once..it's not nice. It tastes weird and has a funny smell and I would never eat it again...lets put it this way...I'm a sushi-aholic and would rather eat broccoli over whale.

I think that the best thing is that the Australian Government arrests the whaling fleet "if" it is inside our waters.

3 ( +6 / -3 )

wtfjapanFeb. 26, 2013 - 11:49AM JST

why anybody would want to eat that fatty mercury laden meat is beyond me.

That's a common lie told by SS, minke whale meat does not contain any more mercury than any fish, and in fact less so than most fish on sale in Japan. The actual study only mentioned dolphins (suborder odontoceti, which eats fish and other meat that may contain mercury), not minke whales (suborder of mysticeti, which are filter feeders that don't specialize in animals that may have concentrated mercury), and due to the vastly different diets the comparisons are premature at best, downright lying at worst.

3 ( +9 / -6 )

due to the vastly different diets the comparisons are premature at best, downright lying at worst.

And when the meat is chopped up and wrapped in plastic and put on sale, the shopper has no way of telling if it is minke or dolphin, so claiming the whalemeat on sale in Japanese supermarkets (assuming you can find it) or served in those nasty little whalemeat restaurants is guaranteed free of mercury is premature at best, downright lying (on the part of the seller) at worst.

-4 ( +5 / -9 )

eyeonwarsonFeb. 26, 2013 - 07:22PM JST

Note that Antarctic minke has lower levels than minke from the arctic.

And any any mercury in the antarctic minke is from Australian factories and ships.

0 ( +8 / -8 )

cleoFeb. 26, 2013 - 07:11PM JST

And when the meat is chopped up and wrapped in plastic and put on sale, the shopper has no way of telling if it is minke or dolphin, so claiming the whalemeat on sale in Japanese supermarkets (assuming you can find it) or served in those nasty little whalemeat restaurants

There's nothing to prove anything you are saying since a single article from 1997, from a time when the consumption of whale meat was far higher than the supply could handle. There have been no reports of dolphin meat sold as anything but that since then. Feel free to post real facts when you find some.

-1 ( +6 / -7 )

Despite all the media hype and showboating, the fact is, without the efforts of Sea Shepherd there would be 10-15,000 less whales in Antarctica. It would also mean there would be ten times more than the current five tonnes of whale meat in freezers around Japan.

-3 ( +5 / -8 )

I don't know who to believe nowadays. But I think whaling should stop though the way we stop it shouldn't be ramming ships until they sink to the abyss. Watson's way of doing things is too rash.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Disillusioned

Despite all the media hype and showboating, the fact is, without the efforts of Sea Shepherd there would be 10-15,000 less whales in Antarctica.

Could you enlighten us on how you got those figures?

If I remember correctly the target catch is never that high.

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

With no witnesses, this will be another season for the history books with all the "they did this, and we were completely innocent".

With emotions running high, SS with an eye on shutting down whaling, the whalers frustrated at another pitiful catch, confrontation was inevitable given the last few seasons.

There are no inocent parties out there, it just dependson whose side ou'r on and who can edit their video footage the best.

Saying that, all the best to Sea Shepherd and another successful campaign.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

AriesKJJFEB. 26, 2013 - 01:45PM JST Sea Shepherds should start arming themselves. They tried to negotiate and tried non violent methods ... The answer is 'NO!' You cannot kill whales in international waters.

Yes they can. It is legal what Japan is doing. Japan never exceed the limited number which is given by IWC. SS is doing illegal operation. Express their opinion legally.

2 ( +6 / -4 )

@ SamuraiBlue

Target catch is usually 850 minkies, +/ - 10%

@ MasterBape

Saying that, all the best to Sea Shepherd and another successful campaign.

Meanwhile, Norway and Iceland will take around 6 - 800 minkies in a true commercial hunt

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

@eyeon yep keep putting that crap in your body see what your health looks like in ten years, LOL go right ahead put another whale steak on the barbie me im going to donate more cash to SS, bring on the pain SS. LOL

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

Whats wrong with hunting whales? Its not that controlled hunting will extinguish whales, Its not like chinese fishing ships have nowhere to get more fish.

It's wrong because they are intelligent mammals and deserve to be left alone. I don't agree with the SS tactics, but I wholeheartedly agree that whaling must be stopped.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

Samuraiblue - Could you enlighten us on how you got those figures?

It's pretty easy mate. Japan's target quota is a thousand whales per year. 7-800 minki whales, 50 odd humpbacks, a hundred or so fin whales and pretty much anything else that comes within range of the grenade harpoons. SS has reduced their yearly total to less than 200 per year for over ten years. Pretty simple really. Do you need a calculator?

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

@ Disillusioned

The Target is 850 minkies +/- 10%. 50 fin, 50 humpbacks. Humpbacks have not been taken. Nothing else has been taken in the SO, but if you have any proof otherwise, please show us.

SS has reduced their yearly total to less than 200 per year for over ten years. Pretty simple really. Do you need a calculator?

Nope, but It seems you do

Japanese SO catches the last 10 years:

2003 = 443, 2004 = 441, 2005 = 866, 2006 = 511, 2007 = 551, 2008 = 681, 2009 = 508, 2010 = 173, 2011 = 267, 2012 = ongoing

Pretty simple really :-)

-5 ( +0 / -5 )

So, eyeonwarson, it seems you are right up to date with the numbers. Good for you! Japan has always targeted humpback, Fin and Sei whales, but were unable to catch them cos of SS. Ok, so, instead of 10-15,000 more whales in Antarctica it is 5-10,000. Pardon me!

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

@ Disillusioned

FEB. 27, 2013 - 01:14AM JST So, eyeonwarson, it seems you are right up to date with the numbers. Good for you! Japan has always targeted humpback, Fin and Sei whales, but were unable to catch them cos of SS. Ok, so, instead of 10-15,000 more whales in Antarctica it is 5-10,000. Pardon me!

Nope, wrong again,

2002, SS could`nt even find any whaling ships and from 2002 to 2006, they were nowhere near the SO.

They more or less started in the 2005 / 2006 season

You have a calculator and the figures are above :- ) work it out.

Incidentally, I didn`t include coastal and North pacific figures either.

Japan has always targeted humpback whales.

Nope, no humpbacks taken commercially since 1966 - Japan has a SC permit quota of 50, but they have never used it. Keep trying, you`ll figure it out yet :-)

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

AriesKJJ - Sea Shepherds should start arming themselves. They tried to negotiate and tried non violent methods ... The answer is 'NO!' You cannot kill whales in international waters.

That would be really interesting. If the eco-terrorist SS started carrying .50 caliber machine guns and RPGs, they won't be able to sail into, or leave, any port in the world. Rules are rules. Port nations don't like armed vessels in their ports except for their own navy and coast guards. Other nations can make diplomatic arragements for their navy vessels to visit.

Plus any navy or coast guard in the world could detain the aggresive "armed" eco-terrorist SS scows and arrest the captains and crews. Watson will finally get to see what Costa Rica looks like. It would be thru a small cell window, of course. If the eco-terrorist SS scows chose to resist being boarded, any navy in the world would be acting within international law if they chose to sink the resisting vessel. I wonder if Watson can swim? He looks more like a "floater" to me.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

SS, stop being the biggest jerks in the world. Japan, stop subsidizing the whaling industry. If it dies on its own, great, but if it needs your money to keep going, I think you should find something better to do, like rebuild Tohoku.

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

Okay I just saw the video. SS was the right and the Japanese ship was in the wrong. It is clear n the video that the Japanese rammed the SS vessel

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/02/27/world/asia/japan-whaling-controversy/index.html?hpt=hp_t3

See for yourself.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

FPSRussia - Okay I just saw the video. SS was the right and the Japanese ship was in the wrong. It is clear n the video that the Japanese rammed the SS vessel

You should also have noticed that the article you linked says, ".....noting that a U.S. court has banned Sea Shepherd from threatening whaling ships' operations or sailing within 500 yards of them."

I see eco-terrorist SS supplied proof that the eco-terrorist SS are violating the court's order. The eco-terrorist SS violated the court order in order to position their scows where they would cause the most amount of damage and disruption.

Personally, I don't think it's a good idea to provoke a collision with a bunker ship full of fuel but Watson never did show any sign of common sense. All he knows is violence. Violence is Watson's answer to everything.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

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