The Rocky Whaling Fleet Horror Show

[Barrett808]

The Rocky Whaling Fleet Horror Show
Commentary by Captain Paul Watson
On Board the Sea Shepherd ship Steve Irwin

Killing endangered whales in a whale sanctuary is no different then walking onto the plains of the Serengeti and gunning down 50 rhinos or marching into Kruger National Park to blow away a thousand elephants. Why do we condemn poor Africans for killing Mountain Gorillas for bush meat yet allow the wealthy Japanese to slaughter the aquatic equivalent of bush meat without the same level of outrage and indignation?

First they took a step to the West then a jump to the North then a leap to the East and now a hop to the West. The Japanese whaling fleet is all over the charts down here in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary.

The good news is that they have not killed a single whale for at least 16 days and it does not look like whaling will resume for the next few days as they continue to run, burning up fuel without profit. The Japanese whalers are reporting that they are “terrified” of the Sea Shepherd “vegan eco-terrorist pirates.”

It’s amazing what a few well placed stink bombs can do. The big brave whale killing samurai cetacean serial killers run like little Japanese school girls at the approach of the black hulled Steve Irwin.

This year the Japanese whalers are finding that the vast Southern Ocean is not as vast as they have been used to. Whale defenders have become as seasoned in these remote waters as the whale killers and with the Greenpeace ship Esperanza’s teeth sunk firmly into the hind quarters of the Nisshin Maru and Sea Shepherd’s ship Steve Irwin constantly biting the heels of the catcher boats, the dogs of protest are screaming havoc and the pursuit has transformed the normally efficient Japanese whale killing machines into a chaotic bunch of keystone whalers scampering over the swells and stumbling around icebergs in a scattered and senseless panic.

The Japanese Prime Minister is crying woe in the Diet. New Zealand’s Prime Minister is crying foul as the whalers scurried briefly towards the Ross Sea. The Prime Minister of Australia is somewhat rudderless in his directions on the issue but at least the government ship Oceanic Viking is taking pictures of ---- fleeing whalers. Hundreds of people turned out to protest a Japanese government ship docking in Bermuda, there have been protests in New York, in Budapest, in Rome and all over the planet. Toyota sales are down, Japanese Embassies are being besieged by petitions and protests, the Australian courts have slapped the Japanese on the wrists and barred them from killing whales off the coast of the Australian Antarctic Territory. And in London a 14 year old girl and her father were arrested by the Japanese for refusing to leave the Japanese Embassy and are facing 6 months in prison.

How far is this going to go before the Japanese government sees the writing on the wall and does the right thing? I don’t know what Japan is paying out in public relations. I understand it is a great deal of money but they have to be asking themselves just what are they getting for their investment? Japan’s international reputation is sinking fast in a sea of whale and dolphin blood.

(more)

http://seashepherd.org/editorials/editorial_080126_1.html

[The Traveler]

1. Hoist the Jolly Roger, me hearties!

"It’s amazing what a few well placed stink bombs can do. The big brave whale killing samurai cetacean serial killers run like little Japanese school girls at the approach of the black hulled Steve Irwin."

By the Gods, Steve Irwin must be laughing deeply from the belly from his comfy chair in Valhalla.

Give 'em hell, my Captain.

[ladjf]

2. The Japanese whalers are thieves, plain and simple.

What is their obsession with stealing the whales?

[Warren Stupidity]

3. K&R: they have not killed a single whale for at least 16 days

'nuff said.

[GliderGuider]

4. Stay on them, Paul

No more. No more.

[Barrett808]

5. Now that Greenpeace has retired from the field, it's up to Sea Shepherd

Unless Greenpeace decides to refuel and return. Why wouldn't they? Well, they have enough footage for another year of fundraising...