Greenpeace packing more beef against whaling vessels

Kelgar · Post by **Kelgar** » January 12, 2007, 3:14 pm

http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/ ... 83880.html

Anti-whaling 'pirates' get more muscle for Antarctic skirmish

ANTI-WHALING forces closing on the Antarctic are gearing up for their most determined attempt yet made to halt the Japanese whaling fleet.

The activists of Sea Shepherd said their two ships, which aim to disable the whaling vessels, will reach Antarctic waters in about a week and begin to hunt the fleet.

Today they will unveil their new 1000-tonne ship Robert Hunter, which Sea Shepherd president Paul Watson said would be quick enough to match the factory ship Nisshin Maru.

Sea Shepherd's flagship, the Farley Mowat, now legally a pirate vessel, is claimed to have the means of putting the whaling ships out of action — a hydraulic "can opener" — as well as ways of repelling boarders.

Meanwhile, Greenpeace is preparing to campaign on its eighth voyage south, later in the whaling season than ever before.

Its fast ship Esperanza has arrived in Auckland with plans to head for the Ross Sea, where the whalers are expected to be operating in February.

Greenpeace will also try to build an anti-whaling campaign in Japan, bypassing traditional media and using the internet.

Japan has been whaling since mid-December in waters far south-east of Australia, har- pooning up to 935 minkes and 10 fin whales using the International Whaling Commission's scientific permit clause. Next summer it will add humpbacks to the list.

Captain Watson has put together Sea Shepherd's most ambitious campaign to attempt to halt the six-ship fleet.

"At the risk of sounding dramatic, my crew and I are prepared to die for these whales if need be," he said.

The Robert Hunter will be the key to finding and keeping pace with the Japanese fleet. It is expected to rendezvous in about a week's time with the Farley Mowat.

Engineers have fitted a solid steel hydraulic ram with a bulldozer-strength blade to the Farley Mowat. Captain Watson confirmed the "can opener" was far more effective than a version used last year to scrape the side of the Japanese resupply ship Oriental Bluebird.

He said its placement at deck level meant it could damage, but not endanger, the hull of another ship, forcing it to return to port.

The Sea Shepherd flagship is flying the organisation's version of the skull and crossbones — featuring a shepherd's crook and Neptune's trident instead of bones — but has been stripped of its registration in Belize.

According to Monash University lecturer Eric Wilson, a specialist in maritime law, by sailing without a national flag, Farley Mowat could be considered legally to be a pirate vessel.

"It can now be interdicted at will by a naval or other official vessel of any country," Dr Wilson said. "They can arrest the crew and sink it."

Japan Whaling Association president Keiichi Nakajima warned that if Captain Watson continued his violent campaign, he would be "risking everything".

"Sea Shepherd has many times rammed and sunk vessels before," Mr Nakajima said.

"There are serious concerns over the safety of the Japanese crew and researchers in the Antarctic when Sea Shepherd is present."

Good luck to them and Japan can seriously go fuck itself.

Cartalas · Post by **Cartalas** » January 12, 2007, 3:20 pm

Why dont they just mount 16 inch guns on the Whalers. Then let Greenpeace do whatever they want. Sooner or later they will run out of People and Money.

Leonaerd · Post by **Leonaerd** » January 12, 2007, 3:22 pm

My cursor changed to a crosshair for this post and this post alone.

freaky cool

Nick · Post by **Nick** » January 12, 2007, 3:25 pm

Cartalas wrote:Why dont they just mount 16 inch guns on the Whalers. Then let Greenpeace do whatever they want. Sooner or later they will run out of People and Money.

I translated this so people with a brain could understand:

hay guyz everyone whose cool wants other species to die out and their protectors to be mutilated amirite fuck man im a living genis did i say hay guyz already well i better do it again to make sure lol!

You're welcome.

Ashur · Post by **Ashur** » January 12, 2007, 5:31 pm

I only wonder if the ship will register with Burundi?

Post by **Sylvus** » January 12, 2007, 5:41 pm

This Burundi thing is getting out of hand. I'm reading threads and all I can see is "Burundi Burundi. Burundi Burundi Burundi."

It's like the "Malkovich Malkcovich" scene in Being John Malkovich.

Funkmasterr · Post by **Funkmasterr** » January 12, 2007, 6:10 pm

Nick wrote:
Cartalas wrote:Why dont they just mount 16 inch guns on the Whalers. Then let Greenpeace do whatever they want. Sooner or later they will run out of People and Money.
I translated this so people with a brain could understand:

hay guyz everyone whose cool wants other species to die out and their protectors to be mutilated amirite fuck man im a living genis did i say hay guyz already well i better do it again to make sure lol!
You're welcome.

Why am I not surprised that you are sticking up for greenpeace and the crazy violent things they do. You are a complete and total moron and a danger to those around you.

Funkmasterr · Post by **Funkmasterr** » January 12, 2007, 6:10 pm

Sylvus wrote:This Burundi thing is getting out of hand. I'm reading threads and all I can see is "Burundi Burundi. Burundi Burundi Burundi."

It's like the "Malkovich Malkcovich" scene in Being John Malkovich.

/agree

Winnow · Post by **Winnow** » January 12, 2007, 6:23 pm

Give them a Burundi Forum like Kwon's!

Nick · Post by **Nick** » January 12, 2007, 6:26 pm

Yes I'm a danger to those around me for mocking a guy on an internet forum who was cynical of those who don't think killing whales is cool.

Holy shit you are a poor dumb bastard. Almost as dumb as those mongoloid cross eyed pics of yours. I'm so glad people like you don't exist in Ireland - I think we'd all die laughing.

Edit: Burundi forum ftw tbh

Pherr the Dorf · Post by **Pherr the Dorf** » January 12, 2007, 6:32 pm

The Sea Shepherd is not Greenpeace, while entirely it's own entity it is more closely related in personel to "ecotopia now!"

Progression goes something like Greenpeace->sierra club-> earth first!-> ecotopia now!/ELF/Sea Shepherd

The First Shepherd boat was a blast to hang out on, it often pulled into Santa Cruz to restock and would take the many of us that were involved on bay tours. Those guys knew as much as your average marine biologist, then again there were 4 of those on board as crew. Like what they beleive in or not, these guys have a set of balls on them that requires a holster to do what they do. They actually get out and do something.

Funkmasterr · Post by **Funkmasterr** » January 12, 2007, 6:40 pm

Nick wrote:Yes I'm a danger to those around me for mocking a guy on an internet forum who was cynical of those who don't think killing whales is cool.

Holy shit you are a poor dumb bastard. Almost as dumb as those mongoloid cross eyed pics of yours. I'm so glad people like you don't exist in Ireland - I think we'd all die laughing.

Edit: Burundi forum ftw tbh

So you are honestly telling me that it is ok for a group of people to sink ships and possibly kill people because they don't like that they are killing whales? I cannot believe you don't see something wrong with that, it sickens me.

P.S. Isn't one of the few rules we have set out here to not make fun of personal pictures posted? If I am not incorrect about this, I would like appropriate action to be taken against said violator. Thank you.

*~*stragi*~* · Post by ***~*stragi*~*** » January 12, 2007, 7:40 pm

i hope they all die for the whales

Cartalas · Post by **Cartalas** » January 12, 2007, 7:56 pm

Funkmasterr wrote:
Nick wrote:Yes I'm a danger to those around me for mocking a guy on an internet forum who was cynical of those who don't think killing whales is cool.

Holy shit you are a poor dumb bastard. Almost as dumb as those mongoloid cross eyed pics of yours. I'm so glad people like you don't exist in Ireland - I think we'd all die laughing.

Edit: Burundi forum ftw tbh
So you are honestly telling me that it is ok for a group of people to sink ships and possibly kill people because they don't like that they are killing whales? I cannot believe you don't see something wrong with that, it sickens me.

P.S. Isn't one of the few rules we have set out here to not make fun of personal pictures posted? If I am not incorrect about this, I would like appropriate action to be taken against said violator. Thank you.

Nick you have posted your pics here trust me when I say this " Dont make fun of anyones pic" you look like fucking Gumby!!

And Funk is right, So its alright to ram the Whalers and not alright for the whalers to protect themselves. Your a funny man you maybe your beef is against the gov. of Japan not the whalers.

Lynks · Post by **Lynks** » January 12, 2007, 10:13 pm

Isn't the one rule we have here is not to make fun of anyone's apperance when they post pictures? Maybe I'm drunk right now.

Nick · Post by **Nick** » January 12, 2007, 10:27 pm

gumby lol

Boogahz · Post by **Boogahz** » January 13, 2007, 12:58 am

Lynks wrote:Isn't the one rule we have here is not to make fun of anyone's apperance when they post pictures? Maybe I'm drunk right now.

I don't know if you're drunk or not, but that is the "one rule."

Cartalas · Post by **Cartalas** » January 13, 2007, 1:17 am

Nick wrote:gumby lol

btw I think Gumby is cool

Zaelath · Post by **Zaelath** » January 13, 2007, 1:37 am

I dunno, all you neocon retards should be cheering on greenpeace for stopping the Japs stealing resources that rightfully belong to you (and me, and many other nations, but you get the idea)

kyoukan · Post by **kyoukan** » January 13, 2007, 3:31 am

So what happens when they disable a Japanese whaler and next year the Japanese whalers just protect their ships with a gunboat?

I don't agree with whaling, but there's nothing against the law about it, and attacking a ship flying the colors of a powerful nation is just going to get your ass killed.

Canelek · Post by **Canelek** » January 13, 2007, 3:41 am

Why am I not surprised that you are sticking up for greenpeace and the crazy violent things they do. You are a complete and total moron and a danger to those around you.

Actually, they are not that far gone--earth liberation front, etc are the deranged ones. And wtf are you getting all high and mighty, there hiphop? ffs

Tuddi2 · Post by **Tuddi2** » January 13, 2007, 11:30 am

some reseach outcome not funded by greenpeace/sea shepard etc, about the whaling population would be ideal.

and it can't be from people who think we shouldn't farm whales as we farm other things because they make cute sounds and they're smart and "noble creatures".

until then i'll call sea shepard terrorists and isn't there a war on terroism ?

Boogahz · Post by **Boogahz** » January 13, 2007, 12:12 pm

Tuddi2 wrote:some reseach outcome not funded by greenpeace/sea shepard etc, about the whaling population would be ideal.

and it can't be from people who think we shouldn't farm whales as we farm other things because they make cute sounds and they're smart and "noble creatures".

until then i'll call sea shepard terrorists and isn't there a war on terroism ?

and on Piracy!

dibit_eq · Post by **dibit_eq** » January 13, 2007, 12:43 pm

I think it's not so much that the whales are "cute" but that, if the do end up going after humpbacks, they'll be able to drive that particular species into extinction.

edit: just checked, the humpback whales have had an increase in population since last i heard. They've recently gone from Endangered to Vulnerable in the IUCN's threatened category. Guess it is about time the Japanese fixed that problem. Humpbacks on endangered status 4 lyf!

Pherr the Dorf · Post by **Pherr the Dorf** » January 13, 2007, 12:53 pm

kyoukan wrote:So what happens when they disable a Japanese whaler and next year the Japanese whalers just protect their ships with a gunboat?

I don't agree with whaling, but there's nothing against the law about it, and attacking a ship flying the colors of a powerful nation is just going to get your ass killed.

The Shepherd ships have sunk more then a dozen illegal whalers... and other then losing a secondary boat (which limped home) they are apparently the ass kickers, not kick-ees (some with the help of local provincial governments who want the illegal whalers out of their waters, others in port. While I don't agree with Paul on many fronts (the native whaling rights for example) he has shown he can hold his own on the high seas for over 20 years managing to put an end to many illegal whalers and the contracts of the people with whom they do business (ask unilever). He has yet to get his ass killed. Again I do not agree with some of Paul's more recent methods (I have gotten so much mellower as I have gotten older, sheesh) his crew is tough and salty as hell. Seeing as they lost their flag a few weeks ago, this winter will be interesting to see what happens. For 3 decades the Shepherd has operated and not one person, be it a whaler, at a whaling operation or a crew member, has been injured. The Farley Mowat's starboard side

Aabidano · Post by **Aabidano** » January 13, 2007, 12:55 pm

Actually, they are not that far gone--earth liberation front, etc are the deranged ones.

They're some serious whackos, just next to some of the other groups they (Greenpeace) look sane. By their methods they are terrorists IMO. I don't disagree with some of the less bizarre points they make but methods they use are unacceptable.

Japan does whaling "research" because they like to eat them. I don't agree with it at all, but it's legal. Change the law.

Trias · Post by **Trias** » January 13, 2007, 1:03 pm

eat meat and kill animals until all living things are dead.

Kryshade · Post by **Kryshade** » January 13, 2007, 2:33 pm

Fuck that, protection of whales, and any other endangered/vulnerable/whatever species should come before anything else. It's our fucked up beliefs that we own this planet that brings animals to the edge of extinction. If Japan wants to continue to hunt whales as a food source, then I am 110% behind anything that people can do to stop them. Guess what, it isn't NECESSARY or VITAL for the japanese people to eat whale. What happens when whale goes away? They eat something else... why push it that far?

People that think there is nothing wrong with continuing such a fucked up way of thinking need to come to some realization that although we may be the dominant life form on this planet, we should actually stop and think about the shit we do. The human race in general is a parasitic race. The few people in this world that do something to change that are to be commended in my opinion. If a few japanese whalers die from saving a species of whale in general, than I ask, what is a few dozen human lives to stop a species from becoming extinct forever?

kyoukan · Post by **kyoukan** » January 13, 2007, 4:06 pm

Pherr the Dorf wrote:The Shepherd ships have sunk more then a dozen illegal whalers... and other then losing a secondary boat (which limped home) they are apparently the ass kickers, not kick-ees (some with the help of local provincial governments who want the illegal whalers out of their waters, others in port. While I don't agree with Paul on many fronts (the native whaling rights for example) he has shown he can hold his own on the high seas for over 20 years managing to put an end to many illegal whalers and the contracts of the people with whom they do business (ask unilever). He has yet to get his ass killed.

Those were illegal whaling ships. The Japanese ones are perfectly legal and backed by a government that supports them.

Tuddi2 · Post by **Tuddi2** » January 13, 2007, 8:59 pm

kyoukan wrote:
Pherr the Dorf wrote:The Shepherd ships have sunk more then a dozen illegal whalers... and other then losing a secondary boat (which limped home) they are apparently the ass kickers, not kick-ees (some with the help of local provincial governments who want the illegal whalers out of their waters, others in port. While I don't agree with Paul on many fronts (the native whaling rights for example) he has shown he can hold his own on the high seas for over 20 years managing to put an end to many illegal whalers and the contracts of the people with whom they do business (ask unilever). He has yet to get his ass killed.
Those were illegal whaling ships. The Japanese ones are perfectly legal and backed by a government that supports them.

if you mean by "those" .. those stamps on the side of the ship in the picture then you're simply incorrect, and they didn't sink those ships via some can opener of a device or what have you. at the very least not all of them, saying this since i personally know how some of them were sunk and no other ship had anything to do with it.

it was vandalism, they broke the law in sinking those ships.

and to kryshade protection of endangered species should come before anything else?
but you do know that speces go extinct all the time, we dont do anything about it because trying to raise money to save an endangered fly in the brazilian rain forest isn't going to get a lot of funding.

nature wankers (and caring for nature and wanting it to not get raped by man isn't enough to be called a wanker imo, i'm talking sea shepard morons and their ilk) find something they can get funding for, then buy ships and think they're some heroes by destroying property and in doing so breaking the law.

if you want to save some species that is getting whiped out from direct hunting by man, you fight it legally or blocking trade to bully someone into doing the right thing, but first you have to be FUCKING SURE that it's the right thing, taking part in a parade in new york that has flying whales and buying a t-shirt doesn't make you an expert, you just take it as 100 % god's honest truth because some wanker says so. he's just looking for funding tbh. sure he may believe in some cause but people breaking the law to get theirs isn't someone i'd wanna place any trust on.

get legitimate unbiased studies done that show that species A has x-ish amount living atm, 10 years ago they were x-ish plus y-ish, and if we dont change things, they'll be x-ish, minus z-ish or even worse x-ish.

some guy in a t-shirt with the logo "save the whales", clueless about what's really going on in those fishing countries need to do something constructive with their sunday afternoon like watching another game of football and drinking some beer.

Kelshara · Post by **Kelshara** » January 13, 2007, 11:12 pm

Those 3 Norwegian ships were not illegal whaling ships. They were quite legal. Personally, I hope Watson chokes on a turnip and dies.

Pherr the Dorf · Post by **Pherr the Dorf** » January 14, 2007, 2:08 pm

no compromise

Kelgar · Post by **Kelgar** » January 15, 2007, 5:17 am

That any of these vessels might be legal (on paper) doesn't necessarily matter much if they still do shit illegally.
From an old article
http://www.earthtrust.org/dnapress27jan99.html:

Genetic Tracking of a Protected Whale
from Birth to Meatmarket

Earthtrust's forensic DNA program, invented and begun in 1993, had new results published in NATURE on 1/27/99 documenting the life and death of a whale from its birth in the North atlantic to its sale in an Osaka department store in 1993. This whale's story provides a valuable perspective on the realities of whaling.

In 1994 at the annual meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC), Earthtrust introduced the world to forensic DNA analysis of marketed whalemeat. While genetic technology had been theoretically available, treaty restriction had prevented outsiders from analyzing Japan's market.

This was addressed by Earthtrust's adaptation of existing techniques to send a small DNA-amplification "lab in a suitcase" and a scientific team into Japan to "clone" the DNA of purchased whalemeat samples. As the cloned sequences were then only "chemical snapshots" and not part of the whale, they could be exported without permission from Japanese authorities. Results showed humpback, blue, fin, and other theoretically "protected" whales being served up in Japan's marketplace, and shook up the dishonest world of illicit whale trade.

Earthtrust continued its testing across the ensuing years to determine trends in sales of protected species, but the whale now in the news was among the initial samples bought by Earthtrust agents in 1993. It has been possible to reconstruct the life, death, and ultimate fate of this whale; and the technology which tells this story is revolutionizing the monitoring of whaling infractions.

During the 1995 analysis trip to Japan, Earthtrust had its staff geneticist Frank Cipriano (author of the current NATURE story) re-sequence the '93 samples to extract additional data on these whales. Emerging from that work is the story of a unique whale, and how he died and became sushi while "protected".

Initial mitochondrial DNA analysis in 1993 showed that the whale was a Blue Whale; or at least that its mother was a blue whale. (mitochondrial DNA is inherited only from the mother). These sequences seemed to initially match those of a blue-fin hybrid whale harpooned near Iceland in 1989. Proving that it was the same whale required also sequencing the whale's nuclear DNA, which is inherited from both parents and which contains unique individual variations making "genetic fingerprinting" possible.

The results are irrefutable. The whale bought under plastic wrap from an upscale Osaka department store in 1993 was born in the North Atlantic in 1965 to a blue whale mother and a fin whale father. He was sterile. (Blue whale populations have been so decimated by whaling that they have trouble finding other blues for mating; contributing to a downward slide in populations even without whaling.) He was "protected" in 1986 with the IWC whaling moratorium. However, Iceland issued itself a whaling permit for "research" and harpooned him in 1989. At death, he was 21.5 meters (over 70 feet) long and 24 years old, and worth a lot of money in Japan's market.

His meat was presumably shipped to Japan in 1990 as part of 1,074 tons of whalemeat shipped by Iceland that year. Japan belongs to CITES which prohibits such trade, but it had "filed an exception" to this rule. Thus, although two international treaties protected this rare whale, these protections were neatly circumvented by Iceland and Japan.

Earthtrust's DNA initiative has revolutionized the monitoring of whaling infractions and altered the politics of whaling; and this case points to the value of "fingerprinting" individual whales to control illegal sales, as well as to the inadequacy of treaty alone to protect depleted populations. The IWC has now adopted resolutions for the genetic testing of whale products and "stockpiles" of whale meat as initially proposed by Earthtrust at the 1994 IWC meeting in Puerto Vallarta. At that meeting Norwegian delegates agreed verbally to make public a genetic database of whales killed in its whaling, which was begun in 1997. Yet there is a long way to go before credible multinational DNA market testing becomes the norm; and this must be the goal if whales are to survive while any commerce in whalemeat is still allowed.

The ET Whale DNA Initiative has uncovered a threat to dolphins as well. Genetic testing shows that fully a third of samples sold as "kujira" (whale) in Japan are - in reality - small cetacean meat. Moreover, at the prices paid by ET agents, this mislabeling can make individual dolphins worth US$3000 in the marketplace. ET data shows the relative percentage of "dolphin sold as whale" rising steadily. Dolphins are not afforded protection under the IWC, and this commerce could be disastrous.

It is potentially disastrous for Japanese consumers as well, for unlike antarctic whale meat, dolphin meat is heavily contaminated by heavy metals and other bioaccumulating toxins. Thus, Japanese consumers paying caviar prices for whalemeat are being simultaneously swindled and poisoned. Earthtrust has launched a positive public-awareness campaign seeking to alert the Japanese public to this mislabeling, to avert a public-health threat and end a dishonest commerce in dolphin flesh.

ET is continuing its efforts to adapt high technology to the saving of whales and dolphins.

Genetic sequencing has been done by Earthtrust staff, the University of Hawaii, the University of New Zealand, and Harvard University under arrangement with Earthtrust. The Harvard work is now financially supported by a Pew grant.

Kelgar · Post by **Kelgar** » January 15, 2007, 5:23 am

More illicit hunting by "legal" Japanese whaling vessels (and Koreans too).

http://www.dhushara.com/book/diversit/extra/whale.htm

DNA Tests Show Whale Slaughter Continues Despite Moratorium

May 98 NZ Herald (AP / Reuters)

Mexican humpbacks were among whale meat found in markets.

Taking surreptitious samples from sushi restaurants and supermarket freezers two sleuthing New Zealand scientists have uncovered strong evidence of an international black market in whale meat in Japan and South Korea. Tests conducted by the University of revealed that a wide variety of whale meat is still on sale in despite a 12-year-old moratorium on whale-hunting. A piece of meat from a Japanese fish market, for example, was found to be from a type of humpback whale found only in Mexican coastal waters. 'How can a Mexican whale turn up on a Japanese dinner plate? There is no evidence Mexican whales ever migrate into Japanese one of the scientists, Gina Lento.

...
...

kyoukan · Post by **kyoukan** » January 15, 2007, 7:53 am

a mexican humpback makes me think of a whale with a sombrero on his head and a handlebar moustache. I would sacrifice my very life itself to protect such a noble, majestic creature.

vn_Tanc · Post by **vn_Tanc** » January 15, 2007, 8:10 am

You people arguing for whales to be protected through legal means are laughable.

The legal fight has been happening for 30 years but as usual govt. and business interests find ways around these agreements, or throw up delaying tactics and all the while they continue to farm these creatures to the brink of oblivion and its utterly unnecessary.

Sea Shepherd came about exactly because of this. I applaud them.

Kelgar · Post by **Kelgar** » January 15, 2007, 12:49 pm

I'd much rather be one of those "nature wankers" or one of the "clueless" people wearing a "save the whales" T-shirt rather than any of these fuckers.

Truant · Post by **Truant** » January 15, 2007, 1:44 pm

Kelgar wrote:

I'd much rather be one of those "nature wankers" or one of the "clueless" people wearing a "save the whales" T-shirt rather than any of these fuckers.

Those are some compelling red x's!

Boogahz · Post by **Boogahz** » January 15, 2007, 1:46 pm

Truant wrote:
Kelgar wrote:

I'd much rather be one of those "nature wankers" or one of the "clueless" people wearing a "save the whales" T-shirt rather than any of these fuckers.
Those are some compelling red x's!

Are you saying that you want to be a X?

Aslanna · Post by **Aslanna** » January 15, 2007, 2:25 pm

but you do know that speces go extinct all the time, we dont do anything about it because trying to raise money to save an endangered fly in the brazilian rain forest isn't going to get a lot of funding.

'Species go extinct all the time' is one of the lamest arguments that people like you make. There's a difference between natural extinction and extinction due to overhunting or other human interference.

Arborealus · Post by **Arborealus** » January 15, 2007, 2:28 pm

Ahhhh the joys of the annual Bay of Fundy Kegger/Pilot Whale Slaughter...

Photos like that horrified me as a child...they still do.

Tuddi2 · Post by **Tuddi2** » January 15, 2007, 4:53 pm

Aslanna wrote:
but you do know that speces go extinct all the time, we dont do anything about it because trying to raise money to save an endangered fly in the brazilian rain forest isn't going to get a lot of funding.
'Species go extinct all the time' is one of the lamest arguments that people like you make. There's a difference between natural extinction and extinction due to overhunting or other human interference.

i did mention later on

if you want to save some species that is getting whiped out from direct hunting by man, you fight it legally or blocking trade to bully someone into doing the right thing

and i am quite aware of the difference. but point taken.

You people arguing for whales to be protected through legal means are laughable

not really no, i'm not sure how to feel about you thinking this.

but how about other issues that our goverments circumvent and dont let anyone know about, and when asked issue a "no comment" type of response.

is it ok to fight against things like that illegally also or is it only treehuggers (no disrespect btw, just can't think of another word to round up all those that spend huge chunks of their lives fighting for nature) that have that priviledge of breaking the law "when it's needed"?

the dont buy japanese produce will work, hopefully before they kill off too many for some of those whales to go extinct. which btw i am against, just because i want things done the proper way, like the war in iraq

, doesn't mean i'm gunning for the whiping out of whales from the planet.

pr rallys etc. when kept up will get the message across, and iceland and japan should really be fined for making that bullshit "research" clause when the obvious main reason was the selling of the very expensive produce to japan. sorta like oil in iraq

(i had to mention it again, i'm weak)

sea shepherd should do something more constructive and sink u.s. naval ships, to send the message that a large portion of the world is onto the real motivation of the war, and they wont stand it any longer. i'd fund them at that point.

Winnow · Post by **Winnow** » January 15, 2007, 8:32 pm

I'm for saving any animal with larger brains than humans...that includes:

http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/facts.html

giraffes, walrus, camels, and hippos don't quite make the cutoff. They can go!

Taking body mass into consideration, bottle-nosed dolphins should be tops on the list.

Pherr the Dorf · Post by **Pherr the Dorf** » January 15, 2007, 11:19 pm

Can the Hippo get a reprive for helping keeping the human population lower in africa than any other animal?

Pherr the Dorf · Post by **Pherr the Dorf** » February 15, 2007, 12:50 pm

Nisshin Maru processing deck in flames. Paul has made himself a true pirate now I think, he will probably be arrested at whichever port he pulls into.

Sionistic · Post by **Sionistic** » February 15, 2007, 2:04 pm

Wasnt him, paul was 3 days away from latest reports

masteen · Post by **masteen** » February 15, 2007, 5:57 pm

It's not like the Japs are in desperate need of any and all protien they can get anymore. And if they're going to use the argument that it's a traditional food source, then they should do the whaling in traditional seal skin kyaks using hand thrown harpoons with carved bone tips.

Post by **Sylvus** » February 15, 2007, 6:09 pm

masteen wrote:It's not like the Japs are in desperate need of any and all protien they can get anymore.

You're right about that!

(this is my winnow impression. what do you think?)

Funkmasterr · Post by **Funkmasterr** » February 15, 2007, 7:41 pm

So here is my question. If they can do this and get away with it like it's no big deal.. Could I get a ship and head out there, and blow these fucks heads off with a sniper rifle in order to defend the ships and people they are trying to sink and drown?

Shit for that matter the Japanese folk should just hire someone to do it from their ship. Maybe even arm themselves with some kind of torpedo system to sink the treehugger ship before its even in range?

Post by **pyrella** » February 15, 2007, 7:55 pm

No weapons allowed on the open seas except for military.

Also, while reading about the Nisshin Maru:

http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/ ... 98892.html

The Sea Shepherd ships have both been deregistered, making them pirate ships under maritime law. Captain Watson said that both were low on fuel.

"We're only probably good for the next few days," he said.

Unless anti-whaling governments such as Australia's took stronger action, he said, he might try to ram the stern of the Nisshin Maru in a final act.

"Do whale defenders have to die down here for the world to notice and take action against the criminal activities of the Japanese whalers?" he said. "For this reason it has been decided to stop the operations of the Japanese floating slaughterhouse, the Nisshin Maru, by ramming one of the ships up the slipway of that foul, sadistic piece of killing machinery."

Apparently the various groups have no qualms about attempts of disabling/defacing the whaling vessels - trying to tangle propellers, throwing smoke devices on decks while whalers are taking aim at whales, painting messages on the sides of the ships, etc.

Also local governments appear to not want to get involved one way or the other - Whaling ships are calling for help, and they don't respond. Activists groups call for enforcement of laws, and they don't respond, etc.

Pretty fucked up from both sides.