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 #2sitting 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 the full press release HERE.
Why do you uncritically repost a press release from a sabotage/vandalism organization that persists in risking lives and property at sea?
Guess they should also post the press release of the Japanese “researchers” for our consideration? Just to be “fair and balanced,” eh?
Regardless of one’s views of Japanese whaling, the underway obstruction tactics and operations of the Sea Shepherd Society’s vessels have demonstrated that the organization has no regard for the safety of life at sea — on their own vessels as well as the Japanese.
The society’s leaders are quick to characterize this reckless behavior as evidence of their commitment to their cause, but as a professional mariner, I find it contemptible.
Nothing but ‘eco’ terrorists….they should all be arrested and the ships impounded and scuttled.
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