New Zealand protests Japanese whaler violating maritime zone
Source: Reuters
New Zealand protests Japanese whaler violating maritime zone
Source: Reuters - Mon, 10 Feb 2014 04:56 AM
WELLINGTON, Feb 10 (Reuters) - New Zealand summoned Japan's ambassador on Monday to protest the entry of a Japanese whaling ship into its exclusive economic zone (EEZ), after clashes earlier between whalers and vessels from the Sea Shepherd conservationist group.
New Zealand had asked Japan last week to order its whalers to steer clear of its maritime zone after vessels from both sides had collided in international waters.
Regardless of the warning, one whaler, the Shonun Maru No. 2, breached New Zealand's EEZ, which ranges up to 200 nautical miles offshore, as it shadowed a protest vessel, the Steve Irwin, on its way to refuel at the southern port of Dunedin.
"The New Zealand Embassy in Tokyo last week made it very clear we did not want members of the Japanese whaling fleet entering our EEZ," McCully said in a statement. "Today's meeting with the Ambassador served to further reiterate how deeply disrespectful the vessel's entry into our EEZ was."
Read more: http://www.trust.org/item/20140210043638-s190q/
Suich
(10,642 posts)This is good news, isn't it?
Judi Lynn
(160,598 posts)Antarctica whaling ship collision
10 February 2014
A Japanese whaling ship and an anti-whaling protest boat collided in the remote, icy seas off Antarctica, with both sides blaming each other for the crash.
No one was injured, though both ships received minor damage in yesterday's collision - the latest drama in an annual battle between the conservationists and the whalers.
Sea Shepherd, which each year tries to harass the whaling fleet into ending its hunt, said they were the victims of a lengthy attack by the whalers.
The protest group said the whaling vessels spent hours dragging steel cables across the bows of the Sea Shepherd's ships in a bid to damage the rudders and propellers.
More:
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/world-news/antarctica-whaling-ship-collision-29994955.html
DRoseDARs
(6,810 posts)The Japanese are engaging in illegal activities and entering NZ waters to conduct those activities threatens NZ economic resources. People enjoy whale watching in NZ, not watching the Japanese illegally butcher whales.
hack89
(39,171 posts)So what they did was a capital crime? Because we know it was not an act of war.
DRoseDARs
(6,810 posts)And yes, attacking the economic resources of a country is an act of war if the victim chooses to view it as such.
hack89
(39,171 posts)it was a security vessel following the Sea Shepard ship. Free passage through economic zones is guaranteed by international law - it would have been different if they were actively whaling in NZ waters but they were not. They were following another ship - which is perfectly legal.
NZ is not stupid. They are not going to provoke their fourth largest trading partner.