Greenpeace frustrates Japanese whale slaughter
by Takver
Friday December 23, 2005 at 05:28 PM
For two days, December 21 and 22, activists from two Greenpeace ships, Arctic Sunrise and Esperanza, have hindered the Japanese whaling fleet of five ships in the Antarctic. Employing inflatables Greenpeace activists have positioned themselves in front of whales to deter the use of explosive harpoons in the slaughter of whales. The transferring of dead whales to the factory ship has also been hindered.
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Photo: Inflatable boats from the Greenpeace ships - the Arctic Sunrise and the Esperanza - hinder the transfer of a dead minke whale from the Japanese whaling fleet catcher ship Kyo Maru No.1 to the Nisshin Maru factory ship. © Greenpeace / Jeremy Sutton-Hibbert
The Japanese fleet are fishing in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary, established in 1994. The International Whaling Commission (IWC) voted to designate the Southern Ocean as a Whale Sanctuary by 23 votes to one, Japan objected and is the only country in the world which does not recognise the Sanctuary. In recent years the Japanese Fishing Agency has initiated a ‘vote consolidation programme’, where every year an increasing number of nations join to support an immediate resumption of commercial whaling. Some new members of the International Whaling Commission including Gambia, Mali, Togo, Benin, Gabon, Tuvalu and Nauru, who where recruited by and receive substantial aid from the Fisheries Agency of Japan.
This year Japan has doubled its self-awarded quota of minke whales to 935 and includes 10 fin whales for the first time. Fin whales are the second largest creatures on earth, after blue whales. The catch is labelled as scientific research, but after the whales are measured and weighed, they are butchered to be processed as whale meat for the Japanese restaurant market.
The Japanese fleet was first sighted on 20th December. Shane Rattenbury, expedition leader for Greenpeace delivered this statement over the radio:
This is Shane Rattenbury, expedition leader on behalf of the MY Arctic Sunrise and MY Esperanza.
Our two vessels and the crew aboard are here to protest your whaling program, and request that you return to Japan immediately.
The area in which you are hunting has been designated as the Antarctic Whale Sanctuary, designed to help whale populations recover after the devastating commercial whaling of the last century.
The whales in this Sanctuary are protected from commercial whaling. Your so-called scientific whaling has been repeatedly criticized by the International Whaling Commission, and is nothing more than commercial whaling in disguise.
The massive increase in quota this season simply underlines that this is an attempt to restart commercial whaling.
You also plan to hunt the endangered fin whale. There is simply no justification for targeting an endangered species.
We respectfully request that you immediately cease your whaling and leave this area. If you do leave now, we will leave with you. If you do not leave, we will have no option but to interfere with your whaling program.
Greenpeace is a non-violent organisation. We will do nothing to harm or endanger your vessels, your equipment or your crew. We will, however, use all peaceful means at our disposal to prevent you from killing whales.
We wish you safe sailing.
While shadowing the Japanese factory ship, a Japanese catcher ship, the Kyo Maru, rammed into the Esperanza attempting to nudge the Esperanza aside on December 21 in what was described by Greenpeace expedition leader, Shane Rattenbury, as "a violation of the rules of the sea by the Japanese". Andrew on board the Esparanza descibes it in his weblog:
Today, Frank parked the Esperanza right about where the hunter ship wanted to be - approximately 100 metres (roughly 100 yards) behind the factory ship. Close enough to wreck havoc with their transfer process, but far enough back to stay safe.
After pushing through our boats the Kyo came alongside the Esperanza from the stern, and very deliberately steered right into her. People on board the Esperanza tell me our whole ship shook at the bump, although I don't think it was intended to cause damage. While the crew of the Kyo turned their fire hoses on our ship, their helmsman backed off and came in again - most likely trying to push the Esperanza out of the way. But the Esperanza is quite a lot bigger and more solid than our rubber and plastic boats. The whaling ship couldn't move her. As he had during the entire incident, Frank steered a steady course.
The only comical aspect I have heard about this whole dangerous episode, was John's report of a lone Kyo deckhand, futilely running around with a fender, trying to cushion the impact.
Kisses from the Kyo Maru
By December 23 after two days of being hindered and frustrated in the whale hunt and slaughter, the whalers had decided to turn north. Further north the whale catching is much more difficult with less whales in rougher seas. But the rougher water may also make using the inflatables more difficult.
Greenpeace has also refused to cooperate and share information with the Sea Sheperd Conservation Society and their vessel, the Farley Mowat, also in Antarctic Waters. Captain Paul Watson, on board the Farley Mowat, has attempted to negotiate with Greenpeace for several months to co-ordinate the campaign.
"The problem has been that Greenpeace has been unable to stop the Japanese after a decade of campaigns where they have chased the Japanese ships displaying their protest banners," said Captain Watson. "You would think that after a decade of expensive campaigns that Greenpeace would have realized that the Japanese fleet does not give a damn about protests. Sea Shepherd is not down here to protest, we are down here to enforce international conservation law and to stop the illegal whaling operations of Japan."
Captain Paul Watson was a cofounder of Greenpeace Foundation, who resigned in 1977, over disagreements over tactics during a seal hunt.
The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society have called for the detention of a Japanese whaling ship due in to Hobart on December 24. The ship is carrying a crew member in need of medical attention and and is requesting permission to refuel. "This ship Kyo Maru #1 is a pirate whaler and has been illegally slaughtering whales in the Australian Antarctic Territory. It is a poacher – no different than the pirate fishing operations targeting Patagonian toothfish. Why is Australia discriminating as to which pirates are acceptable and which ones are not?," demanded Captain Paul Watson.
Watson says the whale slaughter is illegal under international law citing the International Whaling Commission (IWC) moratorium on commercial whaling; the targeting of endangered fin and humpback whales that are protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES); violation of the Australian laws protecting the Australian Antarctic Territorial waters; violating the Southern Ocean Sanctuary where whales are supposed to be safe.
Environment Minister Ian Campbell is refusing to act saying his government is powerless to stop them. "If the government cannot enforce the law then we must do so," said Captain Watson.
Sources:
Esparanza
by Takver
Friday December 23, 2005 at 05:28 PM
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Greenpeace ship the Esperanza witnesses the killing of whales in the Southern Ocean by the Japanese whaling fleet, and the transfer of the whales to the Nisshin Maru factory ship. The whaling fleet displays a sign saying "Greenpeace misleads you!"
© Greenpeace / Jeremy Sutton-Hibbert
Kyo Maru No.1 heads towards Esparanza
by Takver
Friday December 23, 2005 at 05:28 PM
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Japanese whaling fleet catcher ship Kyo Maru No.1 heads towards the Greenpeace ship Esperanza in the Southern Ocean.
© Greenpeace / Jeremy Sutton-Hibbert
Kyo Maru rubs against Esparanza
by Takver
Friday December 23, 2005 at 05:28 PM
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Japanese ship Kyo Maru No.1 rubs up against the Greenpeace ship Esperanza during a non violent direct action against whaling fleet operations in the Southern Ocean.
© Greenpeace / Jeremy Sutton-Hibbert
Science or Slaughter?
by Takver
Friday December 23, 2005 at 05:28 PM
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Minke whale undergoing so called "scientific testing" on the Nisshin Maru factory ship, Southern Ocean.
© Greenpeace / Jeremy Sutton-Hibbert
Minke whales awaiting processing
by Takver
Friday December 23, 2005 at 05:28 PM
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Two Minke whales in the Southern Ocean killed by the Japanese whaling fleet.
© Greenpeace / Jeremy Sutton-Hibbert
Witnessing the Whale slaughter
by Takver
Friday December 23, 2005 at 05:28 PM
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Greenpeace ship the Esperanza witnesses the killing of whales in the Southern Ocean by the Yushin Maru and the Kyo Maru No.1 ships of the Japanese whaling fleet, and the transfer of the whales to the Nisshin Maru factory ship.
© Greenpeace / J.Sutton-Hibbert
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