The Chase Continues - Day Eight: Pouncing on the Japanese Slaughterhouse in the Frozen Southern Mist

[Barrett808]

The Chase Continues - Day Eight: Pouncing on the Japanese Slaughterhouse in the Frozen Southern Mist
Commentary by Captain Paul Watson
On Board the Sea Shepherd ship Steve Irwin

Penetrating deep into the Southern Ocean, we passed the 65 degree south line and continued onwards. All of the ships officers and crew were very much aware of the danger we were moving towards.

The weather has been getting increasingly nasty, each day nastier than the day before. The ice floes filling most of Porpoise Bay are fast, solid, and steadily sending out assaults of bergs and growlers. At the speed we need to maintain to pursue the whalers, hitting one of those solid cobalt blue chunks of iron hard ice could punch a hole into our steel hull. It happened to a tourist ship a few months ago, and they were in waters less dangerous than this. Its like a minefield of frozen horror with these bergy bits bobbing up and down, sometimes visible and sometimes not, and especially now that night has returned to these parts.

Not that the days are much better. Fog, sleet, frozen rain, hail, and sea spray make observations very difficult, and the chunks of ice are everywhere, only this time invisible. Our years of experience navigating the ice floes off Eastern Canada to protect seals were now paying off with the voyages down in the Southern Oceans. But still, the entrance to Porpoise Bay looked forbidding and all the signs screamed stay away.

But the Yushin Maru was in there, and that was where we headed. Into the frozen maw of hell, on the eighth day of our pursuit of the Japanese whaling fleet since we relocated them on February 23rd. And as we approached the ice sheet of Porpoise Bay, there they were! First, we spotted the Yushin Maru, and she tried to lead us north. We ignored her and continued south, and finally there on the radar was the moving target we were looking for - the Nishin Maru, the Cetacean Death Star, the worlds largest floating slaughterhouse, the most evil and bloody cruel ship on all the worlds oceans.

The dense fog parted and there she was, like an evil wraith silently moving amongst massive icebergs, quiet, efficient and deadly.

The rest of the fleet, at least four other vessels, scattered in different directions, but we remained focused on the Nishin Maru. If they had any thoughts of whaling today or tomorrow, we have ruined their plans. And like the cowards they are, they began to run and once again we began to chase but this time we had them in our sights.

My only regret is that we don't have our helicopter and pilot Chris Aultman onboard. Without a hanger onboard, we could not risk taking the helicopter out a second time. I'm hoping we can construct a new helicopter deck with a hanger before we are forced to return to these waters at the end of this year again.

I have to admit it, I do get weary of returning to these waters each year but we have the satisfaction of knowing that we get stronger and more effective with each season. And as long as these ruthless killers keep coming down here to slay defenseless whales, we will continue to come down here to stop them. We will never surrender the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary to the killers of whales - never!

Ahead of us is the stern of the Nishin Maru, cowardly fleeing through the maze of bergs. Flocks of giant petrels are flying alongside and ahead of us, and the whales in these waters need not fear the harpoon today. The shepherds of the sea are here with and amongst them, and the killers remain on the run.

http://seashepherd.org/editorials/editorial_080301_1.html

[Number9Dream]

1. Keep "the killers on the run" - K&R

Most of the world sees through the "research" lies. Only the "Steve Irwin" is doing something about it. Bless all those on the Steve Irwin. K&R.
Hope to hear from flvegan.

[kristopher]

2. Here is where the lies lie.

Here is what the Japanese agreed to. Now tell me who is "lying".

INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION FOR THE REGULATION OF WHALING

WASHINGTON, 2ND DECEMBER, 1946

The Governments whose duly authorised representatives have subscribed hereto,

Recognizing the interest of the nations of the world in safeguarding for future generations the great natural resources represented by the whale stocks;

Considering that the history of whaling has seen over-fishing of one area after another and of one species of whale after another to such a degree that it is essential to protect all species of whales from further over-fishing;

Recognizing that the whale stocks are susceptible of natural increases if whaling is properly regulated, and that increases in the size of whale stocks will permit increases in the number of whales which may be captured without endangering these natural resources;

Recognizing that it is in the common interest to achieve the optimum level of whale stocks as rapidly as possible without causing widespread economic and nutritional distress;

Recognizing that in the course of achieving these objectives, whaling operations should be confined to those species best able to sustain exploitation in order to give an interval for recovery to certain species of whales now depleted in numbers;

Desiring to establish a system of international regulation for the whale fisheries to ensure proper and effective conservation and development of whale stocks on the basis of the principles embodied in the provisions of the International Agreement for the Regulation of Whaling, signed in London on 8th June, 1937, and the protocols to that Agreement signed in London on 24th June, 1938, and 26th November, 1945; and

Having decided to conclude a convention to provide for the proper conservation of whale stocks and thus make possible the orderly development of the whaling industry

How many places here does it make clear that there is NOTHING ABOUT BANNING WHALING!!!

Your arrogance and dishonesty are staggering.

[Nihil]

7. I think most people can see "where the lies lie".

> Considering that the history of whaling has seen over-fishing of one area
> after another and of one species of whale after another to such a degree
> that it is essential to protect all species of whales from further
> over-fishing;

Let me guess: You will now say that if the whalers can find something to
kill then they are proving "scientifically" that particular species has
not been over-fished? Of course, killing mothers & calves doesn't impact
the viability of whales at all ...

> Your arrogance and dishonesty are staggering.

Pot? Meet kettle.
:eyes:

[GliderGuider]

3. The master of the black ship and the purple prose!

Paul Watson, :yourock:

[losthills]

4. "When the Steve Irwin shows up..."

"The killing stops."

[kristopher]

5. No, it doesn't

The time and place of the killing simply shifts.

What are they going to do if Japan resigns from the IWC and resumes commercial whaling. Seriously, please answer that question. Iceland already has. Will you feel then that you have succeeded? Will you recognize your individual responsibility for the outcome of actions you have cheered on?

ICELAND AND COMMERCIAL WHALING

This page has been produced in response to a number of queries received by the IWC Secretariat. The IWC has not expressed a formal view on the issue of Iceland’s resumption of commercial whaling. The Commission comprises over 70 countries and only expresses its view as a body through meetings of the Commission. The information provided below is intended to provide a factual background to this particular issue, not to express a view on it. Individual member nations can be contacted for their views.

ICELAND’S MEMBERSHIP

In 1982, the Commission took a decision, which came into force for the 1986 and 1985/86 seasons, that catch limits for all commercial whaling would be set to zero (i.e. the commercial whaling moratorium). A number of countries, but not Iceland, objected to this decision. Iceland left the IWC in 1992. By 1994 the Scientific Committee had developed and the Commission adopted the Revised Management Procedure (RMP) for commercial whaling; this is a scientifically robust method for calculating safe catch limits. This has not been implemented, awaiting agreement from the Commission on the Revised Management Scheme (RMS) which comprises additional non-scientific matters including inspection and observation.

Iceland re-adhered to the 1946 International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling on 10 October 2002. Its instrument of adherence included a reservation to the commercial whaling moratorium. The text of the reservation is as follows:

‘Notwithstanding this, the Government of Iceland will not authorise whaling for commercial purposes by Icelandic vessels before 2006 and, thereafter, will not authorise such whaling while progress is being made in negotiations within the IWC on the RMS. This does not apply, however, in case of the so-called moratorium on whaling for commercial purposes, contained in paragraph 10(e) of the Schedule not being lifted within a reasonable time after the completion of the RMS. Under no circumstances will whaling for commercial purposes be authorised without a sound scientific basis and an effective management and enforcement scheme.’

The reservation was not acceptable to all IWC member governments, although at a Special Meeting of the Commission in Cambridge, UK on 14 October 2002, a majority of governments voted to accept Iceland as a member. Further details of Iceland’s re-adherence can be found HERE.

PRESENT STATUS OF RMS DISCUSSIONS

The Commission, while adopting the RMP, agreed not to lift the commercial whaling moratorium until an RMS is in place to ensure that agreed catch limits are not exceeded1. The Commission has been working on such a regime for many years but has not yet reached agreement. At the Commission’s 58th Annual Meeting in St. Kitts and Nevis in June 2006, the Commission confirmed its view that discussions on the RMS remain at an impasse and no further collective work was scheduled. It was understood, however, that this does not prevent individual governments or groups of governments working together on the RMS if they so choose.

IUCN CATEGORIES AND THE FIN WHALE

The IWC is not directly involved in the IUCN Red List process although some members of its Scientific Committee participate directly or indirectly in providing advice. Given the recent increase in queries over the classification of fin whales, the following summary is intended to provide the interested reader with some factual background.

A detailed description of the Red List process can be found on the IUCN website.

The first thing to note is that at present, the classification of fin whales applies to the species worldwide (called ‘populations’ in the very specific IUCN terminology) not to ocean areas or ‘populations’ in the traditional biological sense. The IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria were designed for global taxon assessments. When applied at national or regional levels, IUCN notes that ‘it must be recognized that a global category may not be the same as a national or regional category for a particular taxon’, thus regional populations may be either more or less threatened than the global assessment.

The fin whale species as a whole was classified as ‘Endangered’ under the IUCN system in 1996 using their 1994 criteria. The classification of Endangered can be made on the basis that the species fulfils at least one of five major and wide ranging criteria. Its definition is:

‘A taxon is Endangered when it is not Critically Endangered but is facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future, as defined by any of the criteria ….’

It was noted2 that the current status of fin whales ‘is poorly known in most areas outside the North Atlantic’. The global categorisation of ‘Endangered’ was made on the basis of one of the criteria, namely ‘an estimated decline of at least 50% worldwide over the last three generations (assumed generation time 20-25 years)…..the greatest decline was in the Southern Hemisphere, which had the largest original population’. It should be noted that there will be a major review of the IUCN Cetacean Red List in January 2007, although this will again be at the global level.

MOST RECENT ABUNDANCE ESTIMATES OF COMMON MINKE AND FIN WHALES AROUND ICELAND

The most recent (2001) abundance estimate of common minke whales in Icelandic coastal waters is 43,600 (approx 95% confidence intervals of 30,100 – 63,100). This abundance estimate was agreed by the IWC’s Scientific Committee at its Annual Meeting in 2003.

The most recent (2001) estimate of abundance of fin whales for the area off west Iceland (the ‘East Greenland Iceland stock’) was 25,800 (approx 95% confidence intervals of 20,200 - 33,000). This abundance estimate was first agreed at a joint NAMMCO/IWC Workshop in early 2006 and confirmed by the IWC Scientific Committee at its Annual Meeting in 2006.
NOTE 1: The commercial whaling moratorium sets commercial catch limits on all whale species in all areas to zero. The practical consequence of removing the paragraph that instigated the commercial whaling moratorium is that commercial whaling catch limits would remain at zero until the Commission decides otherwise. The setting of catch limits other than zero would require three-quarter majority support. If an RMS was introduced today and the moratorium lifted, the Scientific Committee’s work on implementing the RMP would only allow it to make recommendations on safe removal limits for some stocks of common minke whale (in the North Atlantic and North Pacific). It is in the process of completing work on western North Pacific Bryde’s whales and it will begin the final two years of work on North Atlantic fin whales next year.
NOTE 2: Reeves, R., Smith, B.D., Crespo, E.A. and Notarbartolo di Sciara, G. (compilers). 2003. Dolphins, Whales and Porpoises: 2002-2010 Conservation Action Plan for the World’s Cetaceans. IUCN/SSC Cetacean Specialist Group, IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK. Xi+139pp.

[losthills]

6. Didn't we just go through this?

Whatever is the nature of your vendetta against Sea Shepherd, it obviously is not rational and no rational response will be listened to.

So knock yourself out and carry on with your slander. Meanwhile, Watson and the Steve Irwin just saved more whales.

[Number9Dream]

8. Sir Anthony Hopkins speaks out for whales

Though it is for Greenpeace, at least we're on the same side.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ViCNl6vLH1g