Sea Shepherd has chased Japanese Whalers out of Antarctic waters day 3

[Annces]

Australian anti-whaling campaigners say they're prepared to do whatever it takes to interfere with the Japanese whaling mission. Protest leader Paul Watson says the volunteers are prepared to be hauled back to Japan, to protest the illegal whale slaughter.

Seventeen Australian volunteers are among a crew of 33 on board the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society vessel Steve Irwin, which is tailing Japanese harpoon vessels three-and-a-half-thousand kilometres south of Fremantle.

Captain Watson says the Japanese have successfully been chased out of Australian Antarctic territorial waters, and a boarding party is being prepared to deliver new protest papers to the Japanese crew of the Yushin Maru No 2. But he says Japan's Fukuyoshi Maru No.68, is carrying armed Japanese coast guard officers who're ready to intercept and detain the protesters.

Captain Watson says it would be very embarrassing for the Australian and Japanese governments if Australian nationals are captured and taken back to Japan but it's a risk they're prepared to take. He says they have an Australian federal court order stating the Japanese are not allowed to take any whales and are in violation of international law.





http://www.livenews.com.au/Articles/2008/02/25/Antiwhaling_volunteers_prepared_to_do_what_it_takes



Go Sea Shepherd - a thing of beauty.

[ailsagirl]

1. I love the Sea Shepherd people-- angels! Thanks for posting

:hi:

[The Stranger]

2. Recommend it if you appreciate it.

[flvegan]

3. Japanese Coast Guard officers

without any jurisdiction there to take anyone "back to Japan", I don't believe.

[Annces]

5. Interesting game of checkers

or chess? The Japanese do not want to get bad publicity. The Japanese would like Australia to stop Sea Shepherd, when it is Japan that is violating Australian law.

[Kajsa]

10. Japan's Coast Guard has jurisdiction

in the waters of Antarctica?

Since when?

[Truthiness08]

4. How can they enforce Japanesse law in international waters anyway?

[Kajsa]

7. Good question.

n/t

[Kajsa]

6. Go Sea Shepherd!

Safe journey and bless all of you!

:grouphug:

[gristd2]

8. awesome aussies. three cheers!

This is actually the first i heard about this issue (which is surprising since I frequent animal related political websites), but after reading it I'm shocked at how much of a fight there is against the Australians in this situation. People tend to put animals on a much lower level than humans, which is the first and biggest problem. In America we have similar circumstances. While it isn't as blatant as hunters trying to catch whales, it's a little more predominant.

How many times have you seen a stray roaming your streets? dodging the 70MPH cars and having absolutely no access to catchable food. They're animals, and we're manipulating their situation. We allow them to overproduce, would rather buy from breeders instead of orphanages, and therefore put down a certain number of pets that could have been avoided by simply spaying or neutering your pet.

it's realy quite *beep* up, and I'm glad PETA is trying to do something about it with this. Their new campaign to end animal homelessness (http://getactive.peta.org/campaign/end_animal_homelessn... ) is one of the most significant issues i've been exposed to lately. The media rat race for presidency has blinded the general public of what's actually going on, as is expected

[Annces]

9. This is different that cats and dogs

This is not in the same category of animal rights. This is conservation. Whale populations have plummented and they cannot be hunted without it making things even more hopeless. From my own point of view though, they are a treasured species, awe inspiring and that they are being eaten by the Japanese still is just mind boggling.

Watson compares hunting whales in similar fashion as poachers hunting lions and elephants, and gorillas who are endangered.

www.seashepherd.org