Japanese whalers leave for slaughter mission

[FernBell]

The Japanese whaling fleet is leaving for the Antarctic under closer control of its Government, in a toughening of its stance ahead of this summer's battle with environmentalists.

The factory ship Nisshin Maru and three chasers are due to leave Shimonoseki in southern Japan later today on an expedition to kill up to 935 minke whales and 10 fins, environmentalists said.

They sail south for the first time after the fleet's holding company, Kyodo Senpaku Kaisha, was shifted from Japanese fishing corporations to the Government's Institute for Cetacean Research (ICR).

The move is said to emphasise Tokyo's commitment to whaling, and might mean a harder line against Sea Shepherd and Greenpeace in what is shaping as the fiercest contest yet between their forces.



http://www.smh.com.au/news/whale-watch/japanese-whalers-leave-for-slaughter-mission/2006/11/15/1163266591669.html

[OneBlueSky]

1. must every non-human species be a "harvestable resource?" . . .

can't humanity put profit aside even for these most majestic of creatures, and just leave them the hell alone? . . .

[Kiouni]

2. This was a while back but

did anyone see the scientific american article on the ocean fish hatcheries. I know Time just ran an article on how the oceans will soon become empty due to over-harvesting but scientist proposed a giant underwater net enclosed structure that floated on booies in the ocean. In these you had hatcheries to produce a more abundant fish source. What ever happened to this idea?


and secondly whaling's just stupid.

[carlydenise]

3. aahh, hopefully the earthquake will cancel it........

hopefully they will take this as an omen, don't mess with the whales........
Carly

[flvegan]

4. Stock up on life boats, and wear your protective gear...Leviathan is coming for you.

“Our objective is to place ourselves in harm’s way to protect these gentle, intelligent, and socially complex sentient beings,” said Founder and President of Sea Shepherd Captain Paul Watson. “I have a courageous crew willing to sacrifice their holidays away from their families and willing to risk their lives in one of the most hostile regions on this planet against one of the most ruthless adversaries on this planet.”

Antigua's govt, fuckwads that they are, may have stifled one sale of one ship, but I'll be the first to not count SSCS down.

http://www.seashepherd.org/leviathan/

[Nihil]

5. Go Sea-Shepherd!

Sink the Nisshin Maru for the sake of the planet.

[MindPilot]

6. Where are those republican sub skippers when you need 'em? n/t

n/t

[Barrett808]

9. Sea Shepherd site:

Antarctic Whale Defense Campaign

In order to save piked (Minke) whales and endangered fins and humpback whales from illegal Japanese whaling, Sea Shepherd plans to return to the Antarctic Whale Sanctuary in December 2006.

Sea Shepherd is about to embark on the most ambitious, most dangerous, most costly, and probably the most important campaign in the history of our organization. We are calling it Operation Leviathan.

Operation Leviathan is our priority campaign for the second year in a row. We are investing a great deal of time and resources to this mission.

(more)

http://seashepherd.org/whales

[Coventina]

7. The good people of Japan need to speak out against this.

From what I understand, the Japanese gov't is unable to sell the whale meat that it "harvests" anyway, because the Japanese no longer eat it.

WHERE ARE THE VOICES OF DISSENT FROM THE JAPANESE PEOPLE?!?!?!

[Omaha Steve]

8. Why doesn't the NRA arm the whales?

That would end the hunt real damn quick!