Protesters Say They Have Bugged Japanese Whalers
CANBERRA - Anti-whaling activists said on Monday they had chased the flagship of Japan’s whaling fleet out of waters near Antarctica after tracking it with high-tech bugs planted by two protesters who boarded the vessel last month.
Captain Paul Watson of the hardline Sea Shepherd group said he was confident the Japanese would not make even half their quota this year of almost 1,000 minke and fin whales after protesters tagged the fleet during a boarding at sea in January.
“This is the third day now they have not killed any whales. After next month they will not be able to continue and I’m pretty confident they have not taken more than 400 whales so far this year,” Watson told Reuters.
Watson said two crew from his protest ship Steve Irwin covertly planted tracking devices on the harpoon ship Yushin Maru No.2 when they boarded it mid-ocean on January 15, sparking a three-day standoff as they were held on board.
“They weren’t kept locked up, It seems strange, but they were able to move about the ship,” Watson said. He also hinted other homing devices had been planted on some or all of the six-ship fleet, either at sea on in port before leaving Japan.
“It’s not just the Yushin Maru, which they’re probably ripping to pieces right now,” he said. “We were able to do more than one. We’re pretty much able to track the entire fleet.”
Despite a moratorium on whaling, Japan is allowed an annual “scientific” hunt, arguing whaling is a cherished tradition and the hunt is necessary to study whales. Its fleet has killed 7,000 Antarctic minkes over the past 20 years.
But activists say the scientific hunt is a cover for commercial whaling and have vowed to stop the annual slaughter.
The Steve Irwin located the Japanese fleet in the vast Southern Ocean three days ago after being forced to abandon the chase for 10 days to refuel and switch crew in Australia.
The activists intercepted the whalers 80 miles north of the Shackleton Ice Shelf, inside Australia’s self-proclaimed southern whale sanctuary, which Japan does not recognize.
“They are not going to make their quota this year. We are more than half way through the season and they are running. There is a lot of ice and fog, a lot of sleet and snow,” Watson said.
Australian Benjamin Potts and Briton Giles Lane who boarded the harpoon ship were eventually taken off by an Australian customs vessel sent south to monitor the fleet and gather evidence for a possible international legal challenge by Canberra.
Australian police have warned Watson’s group against more boardings as the Steve Irwin was in turn tracked by an ocean going trawler, the Fukuyoshi Maru No.68, which Sea Shepherd says is carrying Japanese Coast Guard officers.
Editing by Sanjeev Miglani
© 2008 Reuters
“The Steve Irwin” what a great name for an anti-whaling ship; in honour of the late Steve Irwin a life long wildlife conservationist and adventurer…
Well Done…to Captain Paul Watson of the hardline Sea Shepherd group and to all the contributors to this most worthy cause…
Shame on the Japanese for their continued barbaric whale vandalism and slaughter in the name of scientific research [SIC]
Enough with the begging and pleading with Japan to do the right thing. Surely there must be some surplus torpedoes lying around somewhere.
When the aliens come looking for interesting flesh for their dinner tables we should direct them to …
I’ll be sending my checks to Greenpeace and the Sea Sherpherd. Good job Capt. Watson!
But why let them know about the bugs?
I am confused by this “…Japan is allowed an annual “scientific” hunt, arguing whaling is a cherished tradition and the hunt is necessary to study whales.” After “harvesting” 7000 whales, what is left to know about the Minke anatomy? Also, what is it that the Japanese hope to learn from this tradition of needless slaughter? We know the real question, how much can we make in $$$?. Let’s face it, those fleets are not cheap to operate. Please explain (scientifically, so to speak) the traditional ways, that put Japanese boats in the south POLAR seas? And,that ship doesn’t look very culturally based either. Hey, could they be lying? Weird arguments, as such, are usually wrong, or a cover (got kids?). Go Captain Watson and Shepards, sic’ um!!! (Note: www.icrwhale.org –on death ship,now that being a true hard liner)
I wish there was a whale whistle like the kind you put on cars for deer to stay out of the road. It would be nice to plant them all over the whaling fleets.
“Captain! We haven’t come close to one whale yet! Its like we have the whale plague and they know it!”
Great job green peace
“why let them know about the bugs?”
To leave the Japanese in ‘mode-conflict’. It’ll drive them crazy trying to work out if Shepherd did or not. Then they’ll sweep the entire fleet twice. Possibly thrice. And still not know if they’re still bugged.
Brilliant.
Let’s not confuse Sea Shepherd with Greenpeace. Captain Paul Watson is outspoken in his view that Greenpeace refused to supply coordinates of the Japanese whaling fleet:(23/01/08) “This refusal by Greenpeace to cooperate with Sea Shepherd is going to get a lot of whales killed and that is unconscionable. It’s a disgrace.”
Thank you Capt. Watson. A Job well done. I hope to volunteer with your organization in 3 years when I retire from my current job. Keep up the fight.
Yes, it should be really clear that Paul Watson is doing this work, Not his former Greenpeace. He’d be pretty pissed if he knew Greenpeace got money that was intended for his efforts confronting the japanese whalers head on. The Sea Shepherd Society is his current gig.
Thank you, Sea Shepherd.