dysnomia.us

sea shepherd calls it a season

I’ve been slacking on the Sea Shepherd front, so here’s a summary of the season’s campaign:

Japanese sailor disappears overboard. Whalers and Sea Shepherd argue over whether Sea Shepherd is assisting or interfering with rescue. But there’s no one found to rescue- it’s thought to be a suicide. Sea Shepherd leaves to refuel, comes back and mayhem ensues. Sea Shepherd is aggressive as always, but now whalers are aggressive too. They target Sea Shepherd with long range acoustical device. There are at least two “collisions”- neither side admits it rammed the other.

It looks like the Sea Shepherd’s MV Steve Irwin is outclassed against a more aggressive opponent, because Sea Shepherd is calling off the campaign four days early:

• Sea Shepherd Returns From the Whale Wars

“I have said always said that we would do everything we can short of hurting people to end illegal whaling in the Antarctic Whale Sanctuary,” said Captain Paul Watson. “We have done everything we could with the resources available to us this year. We have shut down their illegal operations for over a month in total. We have cost them money and we have saved the lives of a good many whales. And although we are willing to take the risks required, even to our own lives, I am not prepared to do to the Japanese whalers what they do to the whales and the escalating violence by the whalers will result in some serious injuries and possibly fatalities if this confrontation continues to escalate.”

This season’s campaign was recorded, like last year’s, for Animal Planet’s Whale Wars. Could protecting the footage be another reason for getting out now?

On January 31st, the Japanese government dispatched a security vessel called the Taiyo Maru #38 from Fiji to intercept the Steve Irwin. The ship is believed to be carrying a special boarding unit and has orders to seize the ship and all video evidence, according to a source in Fiji. The ship is expected to arrive in the Ross Sea within days.

“We cannot allow this documentation to be captured by Japan,” said Captain Watson.

Watson’s talking about going back next year with a bigger faster ship. I’ll be sure to let you know when the fundraising begins.