Whale wars
Picture of the Day ( 42 )
In this photo released by Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, Japanese whaling ship Yushin Maru No. 3, bottom, shoots a water cannon at Sea Shepherd’s inflatable boat as Yushin Maru No. 2 sails alongside in the Southern Ocean off Antarctica on Saturday.
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42 Comments
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Wasabi67
THE ECO-TERRORISTS SHOULD be arrested and their boats destroyed each and everytime this happens.. until these crazy morons stop.
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BlackWidow
research
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OssanAmerica
So what's the black zodiac doing approaching the Yushin Maru No.3? According to Sea Shepherd themselves they're on a mission to harass and interfere with the Research Whaling. Spray those pirate wannabes.
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rabblerouser
@Wasabi67
When you say you are conducting scientific research but are actually hunting thousands for meat under that guise, you should not expect others to play fair either.
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oberst
Can't they do research on " live " specimen ? Why do they have to kill the specimen first ?
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Zenny11
How do you research mercury contamination in the internal organs of a live Whale, or check its stomach for what it eats, etc?
Remember the blubber of a whale is 30-40cm thick than you start hitting muscle, etc.
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MrDog
@rabblerouser
They ARE conducting scientific research. Look at the vast amout of data and reports on they have on the internet. Also, where did you get your numbers? The SeaShepherd website I presume? They aren't taking THOUSANDS.
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gsharp
I've been following this "war" for a year now. I think the Japanese could turn all the criticism away from themselves if they didn't sell their research specimens. If they really wanted to prove they are doing research they should kill the number of whales they need to do it and then dump them back into the ocean. Otherwise, it's not research. It's a business wanting to make money using "research" as a way to get around the whaling ban.
My bet is that if they took this approach there would be far few kills.
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OssanAmerica
They are conducting Research Whaling authorized under IWC regulations Article 8 which also requires them to submit data to the IWC Scientific committee and to utlize the meat from the whales they take. Arguing that they are "actually hunting for meat" can only be proven if the IWC Scientific committe hasn't been receiving their findings. Unfortunately for you, they have been for many years.
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ExportExpert
They are doing research to see what this years whale meat tastes like and also to see how much it can be sold for on the japanese domestic market, that is the only research being conducted here.
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gsharp
I think the "outrage" over this whaling comes from two different perspectives. The first one is the environmentalist perspective. They don't want to hurt the "big lovable whales". The second perspective is the thinking intelligent perspective. This perspective is mine and it means that we see the whole "research" thing as a something so outrageous that we can't believe you expect us to believe it!
If they hunting whales without lying about why they did it it would most definitely sailed beneath my radar. I just wanted to put forth that perspective so the pro whalers would understand it. To me they are just fishermen making a living and I can respect that. I don't respect the "research" thing though.
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Disillusioned
Yes, that is right.
Report: "We, the Japanese, have hunted whales in the southern oceans for 18 years and killed around 15,000 whales in that time. Our conclusive research shows that there are whales in the southern ocean and that they eat krill and small fish. We humbly respect the guidelines of the IWC and appreciate the fact we can use their conditions to keep whale meat in our restaurants and to keep our tradition of hunting whales for research." - End report.
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space_monkey
If every country on earth hunted whales like the Japanese they would be extinct. This is why everyone condemns the Japanese Whale hunts. They are selfish. No-one believes it's legitimate research. It's either no one hunts them or everyone hunts them. I just don't understand why everyone doesn't understand this basic point.
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gaijinfo
Just another example of how Japan is still voluntarily stuck in the past. There's no need for whale research, and there's no need for whale food. No other group of scientists research animals by hunting and killing them, regardless of what the useless international whaling commission rules say.
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gaijinfo
That being said, that water looks awfully chilly. I'd hate to fall in.
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ravagesoftimes
OssanAmerica
slaughtering whales...in the name of research? hahahaha...mphh...HAHAHHAHAHA! do you people really buy that crap? what are you researching about? how to kill whales? hilarious stuff.
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rabblerouser
@MrDog
Since 1985 Japan has hunted more than five thousand whales under objection from the International Whaling Commission. The figures are published at the IWC website.
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Foxie
What a beautiful, serene picture of a very calm and sunny day in the sea.
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Shrkb8
While the IWC does have an article that allows research killing, they explicitly passed a resolution that demanded Japan halt all whale kills in the Southern Oceans. The IWC also passed a resolution asking Japan to pull their research study proposal (JARPA II). In 2009, the IWC Research Committee requested revision of JARPA II with respect to lethal killing. The Japanese government and the ICR have ignored all three actions by the IWC and the whale killing continues.
When even scientists question the value of the research, does anyone need any other evidence that the "research" is just a front?
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marsnairb
lets see the last time one of these sea Shepard boats came up to a Japanese vessel they put a boy on board. so I can see the reason for the water cannons.
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Ranger_Miffy
Nisshin Maru="research" terrorists, and they are terrorists for whales. When will the Japanese madness end? Go get 'em, Sea Shepards!
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cleo
Yes, no blood and guts in the water, no minke in its death agony churning up the peaceful, still water, no rifle shots splitting the air as the slaughtermen try to kill a wounded animal taking minutes or tens of minutes to die. Let's hope it stays that way.
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Zenny11
If SSCS come close again like I said hit them with glass bottles of their "rancid butter" and also drop ropes and nets in front of the zodiacs to mess up the props.
SSCS has now put twice people of theirs onto japanese ships(1st time just were detained and released) plus, they also had transmitters, etc hidden on the Japanese ships.
If they are that much for enforcing the law/rules they should start by following them themselves first.
SSCS tactics are bad and only fools will cheer them.
That is my view.
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Damien15
Thanks millions to all members of Seasheperd for braving the cold, spending your christmas and new year in icy cold waters to save the great whales. You are our heroes and we will keep on supporting you with our donations until this sensless, profit driven slaughter ends.
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OssanAmerica
Remarkably childish, but you admit that the IWC guidelines are being respected.
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Ranger_Miffy
Guidelines Japan bribed officials for...
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SolidariTea
Paul Watson is a real showman. Something exciting, marketable and profitable is bound to happen. Stay tuned.
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Shrkb8
OssanAmerica, Japan ignores two IWC resolutions and ignores the request of the IWC Research Committee in their Southern Ocean whale hunts. Claims of "research" have not stood up to scrutiny. In particular, the IWC Research Committee, did not find sufficient justification for killing whales for research in their evaluation of Japan's whale research proposal, JARPA II.
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MrDog
@rabblerouser
You are the one who said "hunting", meaning a continual process. Then you realise your mistake and say:
That's the past. Nothing to do with this years catch.
Also, America, Britain and many many other countries have hunted hundreds of thousands of whales.
Oh and, @rangermiffy,
So you'd prefer Japan to leave the IWC and have no quotas at all? Also, the bribing was started by the anti-whaling countries, not pro-whaling ones. Why is it good for one and not good for the other??
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oberst
I understand there are lots of people who truely love Japan but this whale killing under the name of scientific research is just wrong.
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MrDog
@oberst
It has nothing to do with any "love" for Japan, as I for one certainly don't have any love for this country other than I like living here despite it's flaws (which every country has).
The reason why I, and quite a few people on here are pro-whaling is because they don't like the rabid anti-whaling crowd and their twisted ideology of: it doesn't matter if there are facts and evidence against what you think, if something you think is cute is getting killed, you go on a 150% emotion attack and ignore anything that doesn't fit with your blinkered view of the world.
Okay, as I said above: so you'd be fine with Japan leaving the IWC and being able to whale commercially as they wish with no quota regulations?
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oberst
I don't think japanese eat whale meats on a regular basis, it's not like their health depend on it...........I just think the whole killing the whale thing is wrong. My personal opinion, of course.
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limboinjapan
I am personally on the fence here on this leaving the emotion out ( you know all the "they are smart" "cute" or whatever) and looking at it purely at a stand point of resource, I am torn on the mater I feel that if the numbers prove that a managed cull is OK then that is it, but at the same time claiming "tradition" then I fell Japan should do it in it's own "traditional" areas.
Many here do not see past all the propaganda on both side, one side we have Japan that is using "tradition" to justify a purely business thing (read above before screaming) and on the other side we have the so-called environmentalists trying to push their belief (not unlike radical religious groups) on the rest of us.
It seems to me that these groups choose the animals they are going to protest the most for on their "promotional" and sell ability" and playing on pure "emotion" of the generally stupid public, basically if its cute or majestic they can and will use it to further their agenda, if its ugly or repulsive well too bad for it.
Whales have been romanticized and made into some sort of great untouchable creature and that is the real story if they were considered dumb and ugly with no grace whatsoever I highly doubt anything would be said the so-called environmentalist would have another poster animal for sure!
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MrDog
@limboinjapan
Great point!
I hate Japan calling the "tradition" card too. It's just silly, but what do you expect? Japan always claims that their "traditions" are golden and unique and therefore should be left to do as they please. Silly, but expected from Japan.
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limboinjapan
These so-called environmentalist are a bunch of showboaters, once a year they run out chase a few Japanese whaling ships and the rest of the year they use that little chase to sucker people into donating millions and travel the world for free, great job if you can get it.
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timtak
Japanese whalers should say that they are hunting as they research, and researching as they hunt, to ensure that their hunt is at sustainable levels, and keep hunting.
That they have to call it research (not hunting) may have been how the deal was brokered to them at the start of the moratorium. "You can keep hunting whale at a low leve, under the rubric of research," they were probably told, so they signed.
The hunt is research. But it seems clear to most people that it is also a hunt. The fact that the japanese are using the "tactful" approach, that may have been offered to them, is being used as an excuse for the disgusting behaviour of Sea Shepard's crew.
Be forthright about the hunt, and firm with the terrorists.
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Shrkb8
Limbo,
The fact that people donate millions to save whales in the Southern Sanctuary says alot. Without them, Sea Shepherd could do nothing. Sea Shepherd has no state funding and no revenue from whale meat.
ICR receives state funding and funding from their commercial sale of whale meat - and they admit they are under financial stress due to the impacts of Sea Shepherd campaigns. Perhaps the ICR should start a private donation campaign for their "research". That would be an interesting comparison of where public sentiment lies.
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Shrkb8
Mr Dog
So you are for whaling because you don't like the logic of the anti- whaling community?
If every pro whaling country took the quotas Japan takes in the Southern Sanctuary under the thinly veiled guise of "research" under Article 8 of the the IWC, whaling popuations would be decimated. Where is the pro whaling logic in that?
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Jkanda
An independent unrelated party should interview atleast 10% of this population and ask them if they know what is being done with their money, and their knowledge about the whales. I can guess their answers
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Shrkb8
Jkanda,
I would think most who donate to Sea Shepherd understand very well what their money is going toward. I would think a poll of Japanese taxpayers would be less informed and supportive of the whale "research" costs.
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OssanAmerica
Until Australia can prove before the ICJ that Japan is "not" conducting research whaling, all the crying and whining about commercial whaling in disguise is meaningless. Of course if Australia has a good case, the US and New Zealand would have joined them. At this stage I not believe that Australia will withdraw it's complaint even before it actually goes to court. I also hink that Sea Shepherd's days are also numbered as more countruies, even if abnti-whaling, will want to distance themselves from them. Remember, legitimate conservation groups condem,n Sea Shepherd's behavior and tactics, and compete for the same contibution sources.
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space_monkey
Mr Dog, would you support China, India, and all of Africa and South Easy Asia recommencing Whale hunting along with Japan? How long do you think the whale populations will last?
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