Breaking news from the whale wars

[Sas]

To conclusively say the Ady Gil planned this in advance is pretty confrontational given the limited video evidence we are all working with. It is however not confrontational to say the Captain of the Whaler vessel acted illegally because the video evidence we are all working with is pretty damn conclusive with that regard.

They did plan it in advance. SS have a long history of doing stuff like this and putting the lives of the whalers in danger. There is a book called The Whale Warrior about a guy who went with SS for a season to see what they were like. There is a section in there where they are discussing whether it would be worth dying to save whales. I.e. if someone was killed, would that cause such a scandal that Japan would be forced to give up whaling. That is the mentality you are dealing with in SS.

Like it or not, whaling is legal. It is done in the Australian Antarctic Territory at the moment, which is only recognised by four countries - none of them are Japan. Also the IWC is voluntary and their resolutions are not binding or enforceable. Japan has not left as the US would cause problems for them if they did.

Basically prohibition never works. The only solution here is for Japan to have not been screwed over in the 80s, been giving a small quota of whales to kill and then left in peace. A bunch of protesters is only going to make the government want to whale more and they are doing so - I mean they have stockpiles of whale meat because they can't sell it. But I know I wouldn't give up if someone was doing what SS is doing to Japan's whaling operators. SS in the long run are going to be responsible for FAR MORE whale deaths than would have otherwise occured, had this been resolved diplomatically. Their idioicy and lack of knowledge about the best way to achieve their aims never ceases to amaze me. What also never ceases to amaze me is the hypocrasy of so many Australians (and perhaps people in other countries but I don't live there - whaling protesting is huge here). They scoff tonnes and tonnes of meat and seafood, yet complain when Japan kills a few whales.

I think as long as whaling is done sustainably there should be no issue with it.

 

[laguna230diver]

no matter who was at fault... the japanese also blasted a hose on them after they were hit... SINKING
any comments on that?

 

[mikemill]

no matter who was at fault... the japanese also blasted a hose on them after they were hit... SINKING
any comments on that?

They need better aim with those things

 

[Geoff_H]

no matter who was at fault... the japanese also blasted a hose on them after they were hit... SINKING
any comments on that?

Yes, it was an unmanned water cannon that did not change the trajectory the whole incident. You can clearly see this from the video footage. Hence this was not a deliberate act to target a crippled boat.

The Ady Gil should never have got close enough to be in range of the canon in the first place.

 

[wardric]

The SS should focus their efforts on poachers and truly endangered species, not only on cute, cudly or loveable ones.

 

[wardric]

I wish the SS would try to do the same stupid piracy stuff with US navy ships killing whales because of their sonar. I wonder what would be the response...

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

Numerous illegal acts? Laughing out loud. The Ady Gil was the one performing numerous illegal acts, not the SM2. Let's try to keep to the facts please!

The whaler vessel that rammed the Ady Gil made a series of course corrections to facilitate an attack heading that brought it illegally close to the Ady Gil. Those course corrections leading up to and including the impact constitute numerous illegal acts. He will face numerous charges, possibly including attempted murder. It is very funny when anyone here asks to keep to the facts.

 

[Geoff_H]

The whaler vessel that rammed the Ady Gil made a series of course corrections to facilitate an attack heading that brought it illegally close to the Ady Gil.

You have no way of knowing this - the course deviation may not have been response to helm commands, it might just have have well been the action of ploughing through waves. Don't let the facts stand in the way of your argument though.

The Those course corrections leading up to and including the impact constitute numerous illegal acts.

See above. Don't let the facts stand in the way of your argument though.

He will face numerous charges, possibly including attempted murder. It is very funny when anyone here asks to keep to the facts.

Face charges where? Don't let the facts stand in the way of your argument though.

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

"Evidently many regulating bodies"? You're just making this up as you go along halemano.

If there is any regulating body (even including Japan ) that has charged the Sea Shepherds with endangering human life in the Antarctic skirmishes I have not been able to find any information of those charges.

Since it seems there are possibly at least 4 regulating bodies that might bring such charges, probably more, then it seems "evident" many regulating bodies do consider the ramming of the Ady Gil to be the first aggressive human endangerment in this conflict.

 

[Sas]

If there is any regulating body (even including Japan ) that has charged the Sea Shepherds with endangering human life in the Antarctic skirmishes I have not been able to find any information of those charges.

Yes, Paul Watson has, as well as other SS members, a number of times.

1993, charged in Canada for actions against fishing boats.
1997, he was tried and convicted and sentenced to 120 days in Norway on charges of attempting to sink a fishing/whaling ship (but it was in absentia).
In Costa Rica (not sure what year) they charged him and another SS mate with seven charges of attempted murder - they fled to escape the charges.

This took me all of two minutes to find the exact details (though I had heard of this before). You clearly have not been trying hard to take a look at SS's actual practices.