Whale Wars: Sea Shepherd lodges piracy charge against Japanese whalers
Paul Watson and his Sea Shepherd Conservation Society allege piracy following the collision between the antiwhaling ship Ady Gil and Japan's Shonan Maru Number 2 earlier this week.
This photo provided by the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society shows the sheared off bow of the Ady Gil, after a collision with a Japanese whaling ship in the frigid waters of Antarctica on Wednesday. The conservation group said its ship was deliberately rammed by the Shonan Maru, a Japanese whaling vessel, near Commonwealth Bay.
JoAnne McArthur/Sea Shepherd Conservation Society/AP
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By Dan Murphy Staff writer / January 8, 2010
Boston —
Paul Watson and his antiwhaling Sea Shepherd Conservation Society are keeping up the pressure after the collision earlier this week between their high-tech speedboat the Ady Gil and a larger vessel pulling security for a Japanese whaling fleet in the Southern Ocean.
Blog: Sea Shepherd and Japan escalate annual whaling war Blog: The aggressive tactics of Sea Shepherd Paul Watson Blog: Whale Wars: Investigation into the sinking of Sea Shepherd Ady Gil Blog: How Bob Barker joined Sea Shepherd Paul Watson and the whale wars On Friday, Sea Shepherd filed a legal complaint against the Japanese whaling fleet in the Netherlands, where Mr. Watson's flagship, the Steve Irwin, is registered. "We filed a complaint for criminal prosecution with our prosecutor, requesting the start of an investigation into what we consider to be a crime -- piracy, actually -- committing violence on the high seas," Liesbeth Zegveld, a legal adviser for the group, told Reuters.
Also on Friday, the group announced that it had abandoned efforts to tow the Gil, which had its bow sheered off in the collision, to port. The vessel, which was built for $2.5 million under the moniker Earthrace and circled the globe in a world record 60 days, was donated to Sea Shepherd last year. The boat, which had been currently valued at $1.5 million by Watson, sank after its tow line snapped.
Earlier this week, authorities in New Zealand, where the Gil was registered, and in Australia, which has responsibility for search and rescue operations in the area of the Southern Ocean where the collision took place, said they would investigate the incident. For its part, Japan's Institute for Cetacean Research (ICR), the government-funded body that finances and oversees the country's annual whale hunt, accused Sea Shepherd of "extremist" and illegal behavior.
Will legal charges stick? What does the video indicate?
But it's far from certain that legal filings will lead anywhere, and legal analysts say a charge of piracy against the Maru, which had been consistently harassed by the smaller Gil, is unlikely to stick.
There are two videos of the collision, one from the Japanese ship and one from the larger Sea Shepherd ship, the Bob Barker.
Supporters of Watson's Sea Shepherds say the collision was a result of deliberate action by the Maru. Critics of the group have charged that the Gil's actions made a collision unavoidable.
To this observer, the video is inconclusive.
But the consensus of experienced mariners and sea captains who have e-mailed me is that, while it's the responsibility of all vessels at sea to take every precaution to avoid a collision, and so to a certain extent there is blame to be spread around, that smaller, more maneuverable boats like the Gil are generally expected to have more responsibility for avoiding collisions, since they can turn faster.
"Under the long established international rules of maritime navigation, the smaller, more agile vessel is expected to remain clear of and not impede the operations or navigation of the larger, less nimble vessel," is how one former mariner put it.
Bob Barker, Steve Irwin both OK--Ady Gil Damaged
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Bob Barker, Steve Irwin both OK--Ady Gil Damaged
The Whale Wars heat up again:
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Re: Bob Barker, Steve Irwin both OK--Ady Gil Damaged
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Re: Bob Barker, Steve Irwin both OK--Ady Gil Damaged
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Re: Bob Barker, Steve Irwin both OK--Ady Gil Damaged
First Pearl Harbour and now this:
Saturday, Jan. 9, 2010
Ship collision coverage exposes media bias
By NATSUKO FUKUE
Staff writer
This week's collision in which a Japanese whaling ship chopped off the bow of an antiwhaling boat off Antarctica not only highlights the international tussle over the contentious hunt but has also led to a clash between Japanese and Western media as well.
The environmental group Sea Shepherd said its high-tech antiwhaling boat, the Ady Gil, was deliberately rammed by the Japanese whaling vessel Shonan Maru No. 2, while Japanese officials claim the collision couldn't be avoided because the activists' boat slowed suddenly in its path. The Ady Gil was hit on the port bow.
Six crew members from the Ady Gil were reportedly rescued and Sea Shepherd members said the damaged boat eventually sank Friday while being towed toward a French base in Antarctica. One crewman reportedly suffered broken ribs.
How the incident unfolded depends on whom you ask.
The Australian Broadcasting Corp., the country's public broadcaster, reported the accident with the headline "Whalers hit Sea Shepherd boat" on its Web site. In the article, it quoted a Sea Shepherd spokesman saying the Japanese vessel perpetrated "completely and absolutely a willful act."
The report said the Fisheries Agency in Tokyo is investigating the incident, but did not mention that the agency also claimed the activists slowed suddenly, thus causing the collision.
London-based Reuters published a story from Canberra headlined: "Japan whalers sink boat." Its initial report Wednesday quoted only the activists.
An article titled "Japanese cut in half antiwhaling ship Ady Gil" by the Australian tabloid The Daily Telegraph also failed to mention the Japanese government's contention that the vessel could not avoid the collision.
It also said "the Japanese refused to respond to mayday calls and fled the scene," quoting Sea Shepherd leader Paul Watson, who was aboard the Ady Gil.
The Sydney Morning Herald gave space to the Japanese angle. Its article "Japan criticizes NZ over collision" mentioned the Japanese government has lodged a complaint with New Zealand over Wednesday's clash between the protest boat Ady Gil and the Shonan Maru No. 2.
The reporter also mentioned that most Japanese are not interested in the whaling issue as very few eat whale meat regularly.
Japanese newspapers had a different take on the incident, with most calling it a collision between two ships. The Sankei Shimbun ran a front-page story Thursday claiming the Ady Gil had sailed too close to the Japanese vessel and suddenly slowed down, based on statements from the Fisheries Agency.
Although the article stated that Sea Shepherd members said they were suddenly rammed while idling, it also pointed out that the Nisshin Maru, another Japanese whaling boat, was harassed by the activists. The Asahi Shimbun's headline on the story referred to "a collision with an antiwhaling boat," and described the Ady Gil trailing a line from its stern in an attempt to snag the Japanese vessel's rudder and propeller earlier. It said "the Ady Gil did not send out a distress call after the collision," contradicting Sea Shepherd's claim.
The Yomiuri Shimbun's headline was worded more strongly. "Sea Shepherd boat cuts into the path of a patrol vessel," it said, and the article stated "the Japanese vessels repeatedly warned the Ady Gil, but it did not stop approaching."
When it comes to media coverage of international disputes that touch on value-laden cultural issues, truth, like beauty, seems to be in the eye of the beholder.
Aviation Pilot, Author, Genius
Re: Bob Barker, Steve Irwin both OK--Ady Gil Damaged
Isn't it a bit of ironing that a high speed flotation device (don't know if you can call it a boat) sporting a Jolly Roger insignia is filing a piracy charges against a ship trying to defend itself from an attack? What next? Somalis filing piracy charges against various navies escorting the cargo ships?Whale Wars: Sea Shepherd lodges piracy charge against Japanese whalers
Re: Bob Barker, Steve Irwin both OK--Ady Gil Damaged
Save the wales... the Norwegian need more of them.
Re: Bob Barker, Steve Irwin both OK--Ady Gil Damaged
Yeah, much as I support the cause, the way these guys go about what they do I'm almost on the whalers side on this. I saw the footage of the ramming, and it very much looked to me that the Ady Gil, rather than having its engines astern to try and avoid a collision actually accellerated toward the japanese in the seconds before the crash. If they were seeking publicity, they got it. As to the bloke who donated his boat - if it were me I'd be furious that the Ady Gil was at the bottom of the sea. Good luck, Sea Shepherds in getting further donations...Isn't it a bit of ironing that a high speed flotation device (don't know if you can call it a boat) sporting a Jolly Roger insignia is filing a piracy charges against a ship trying to defend itself from an attack? What next? Somalis filing piracy charges against various navies escorting the cargo ships?Whale Wars: Sea Shepherd lodges piracy charge against Japanese whalers
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Re: Bob Barker, Steve Irwin both OK--Ady Gil Damaged
Not really, since we can't export we have enough for domestic use, but please ship me that piece of blobber Paul Watson. I'd love to play games with him in the snow. Red snow.Save the wales... the Norwegian need more of them.
Per
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Re: Bob Barker, Steve Irwin both OK--Ady Gil Damaged
Forget about the navigation rules, when a piece of pleasure-plastic circles around a working vessel with the intent of harassing or damaging her the rules simply don't apply. You support the cause ? Why, you're Australian aren't you? I've never considered you guys the tree hugging, feely-touchy types. Aussies kills endangered species, some whale species are not endangered and they're the ones killed for food. What's the problem then, don't like the Japanese?
Yeah, much as I support the cause, the way these guys go about what they do I'm almost on the whalers side on this. I saw the footage of the ramming, and it very much looked to me that the Ady Gil, rather than having its engines astern to try and avoid a collision actually accellerated toward the japanese in the seconds before the crash. If they were seeking publicity, they got it. As to the bloke who donated his boat - if it were me I'd be furious that the Ady Gil was at the bottom of the sea. Good luck, Sea Shepherds in getting further donations...
Per
Re: Bob Barker, Steve Irwin both OK--Ady Gil Damaged
Depends on the species. The Japanese claim they have limits of certain species - however as nobody is there to monitor them, I'm just a tad worried those buggers are taking Blue, Sperm and other more endangered species. I'm not anti whaling per se, if the whales can be SUSTAINABLY fished and killed humanely, I see no difference between eathing Cow, Kangaroo or fish. BTW, whch endangered species do we now kill?Forget about the navigation rules, when a piece of pleasure-plastic circles around a working vessel with the intent of harassing or damaging her the rules simply don't apply. You support the cause ? Why, you're Australian aren't you? I've never considered you guys the tree hugging, feely-touchy types. Aussies kills endangered species, some whale species are not endangered and they're the ones killed for food. What's the problem then, don't like the Japanese?
Yeah, much as I support the cause, the way these guys go about what they do I'm almost on the whalers side on this. I saw the footage of the ramming, and it very much looked to me that the Ady Gil, rather than having its engines astern to try and avoid a collision actually accellerated toward the japanese in the seconds before the crash. If they were seeking publicity, they got it. As to the bloke who donated his boat - if it were me I'd be furious that the Ady Gil was at the bottom of the sea. Good luck, Sea Shepherds in getting further donations...
Per
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Re: Bob Barker, Steve Irwin both OK--Ady Gil Damaged
If the Whaling Commission hadn't banned whaling altogether they could have monitored the Japanese. In Norway we have one Government Inspector on board each vessel to check the hunt, the killing and to collect data from each whale caught.Depends on the species. The Japanese claim they have limits of certain species - however as nobody is there to monitor them, I'm just a tad worried those buggers are taking Blue, Sperm and other more endangered species. I'm not anti whaling per se, if the whales can be SUSTAINABLY fished and killed humanely, I see no difference between eathing Cow, Kangaroo or fish. BTW, whch endangered species do we now kill?
Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders hunt dugongs and I believe there are more examples.
Per
Oh, and one does not fish whales, one hunts them and kills them.
Re: Bob Barker, Steve Irwin both OK--Ady Gil Damaged
Special situation - 'endangered species' hunts endangered species. Wouldn't matter if we were down to the last breeding pair of dugong on earth - the kid gloves approach our government takes toward anything Aboriginal means the government would possibly ask the Aboriginal community very nicely not to kill them, but then if the Aboriginal's didn't agree, provide someone to help hold the spear. Just to avoid being labelled 'racist'.Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders hunt dugongs and I believe there are more examples.
Same situation as the Canadian and US governments with the Inuit - if its 'traditional food' - its fine.
Re: Bob Barker, Steve Irwin both OK--Ady Gil Damaged
In all fairness, there's a difference between living in the remote arctic and in a warm, southern region. There's not a lot of food up north to begin with, and sending food and other supplies is expensive, especially when many communities rely on ice roads and the ilk in the winter to supply them for most of the year. And while it is a traditional hunt amongst the Inuit, it is also a means for their survival, especially considering that most people up north can't exactly afford to go spend $15 for a carton of milk and other exceptionally inflated prices for modern day amenities that we take for granted.Same situation as the Canadian and US governments with the Inuit - if its 'traditional food' - its fine.
Not to mention that seals themselves are over populated and pose a serious threat to east coast cod fishing industries, which, so happens to be another way of life for people living in the maritime provinces.
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Re: Bob Barker, Steve Irwin both OK--Ady Gil Damaged
Of course then there's the dugong-ing fleet ships the Torres Strait Islanders use, thousands of nautical miles away from their own territorial waters.
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Re: Bob Barker, Steve Irwin both OK--Ady Gil Damaged
Not really, what the Inuits, Norwegians and Japanese are harvesting are not endangered species. There are seals and Minke whales aplenty. Regulations are however required to maintain this situation.Special situation - 'endangered species' hunts endangered species. Wouldn't matter if we were down to the last breeding pair of dugong on earth - the kid gloves approach our government takes toward anything Aboriginal means the government would possibly ask the Aboriginal community very nicely not to kill them, but then if the Aboriginal's didn't agree, provide someone to help hold the spear. Just to avoid being labelled 'racist'.Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders hunt dugongs and I believe there are more examples.
Same situation as the Canadian and US governments with the Inuit - if its 'traditional food' - its fine.
Per
Last edited by Ancient Mariner on Tue Jan 12, 2010 6:55 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Bob Barker, Steve Irwin both OK--Ady Gil Damaged
How does where and how matter? If they are endangered, running them over with a bus on Manhattan would be a bad thing. If you want to hunt you have to find the prey. If they are in international waters why should it concern you unless they break the law?Of course then there's the dugong-ing fleet ships the Torres Strait Islanders use, thousands of nautical miles away from their own territorial waters.
Per
Re: Bob Barker, Steve Irwin both OK--Ady Gil Damaged
If the Japanese were fishing the whales in a sustainable manner then they would be catching the whales off the coast of Japan.How does where and how matter? If they are endangered, running them over with a bus on Manhattan would be a bad thing. If you want to hunt you have to find the prey. If they are in international waters why should it concern you unless they break the law?Of course then there's the dugong-ing fleet ships the Torres Strait Islanders use, thousands of nautical miles away from their own territorial waters.
Per
Local rumours are that the Ady Gil was attempting to lay a rope in front of the trawler so as to foul the prop.
Re: Bob Barker, Steve Irwin both OK--Ady Gil Damaged
You brought up the Torres Strait Islanders as a foil for the Japanese whaling endeavours, my point is using that comparison to try & bring moral equivalence to the two scenarios is apples & oranges.How does where and how matter? If they are endangered, running them over with a bus on Manhattan would be a bad thing. If you want to hunt you have to find the prey. If they are in international waters why should it concern you unless they break the law?
Per
It's all ideological anyways, you think whaling is fine, others don't.
And ne'er the twain shall meet.
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Re: Bob Barker, Steve Irwin both OK--Ady Gil Damaged
I brought it up since there seems to be a public outcry in Australia over the Japanese whaling. I agree it is apples and oranges as one is hunting a non-endangered species and the other is. I have no problem with sustainable harvest of ANY natural resources, the key word is sustainable. I may not eat that particular animal or plant myself, but I can't be bothered if others does. When big brown eyes, communication, white fur, doped-out-of-their-mind-celebrities, he-saw-me-the-eye encounters and animal intelligence enter the equation it all goes down the drain and logic takes the back seat. By all means, let's spend a fortune on feeding and grooming domestic pets and give them all a decent burial. That should balance our guilt.You brought up the Torres Strait Islanders as a foil for the Japanese whaling endeavours, my point is using that comparison to try & bring moral equivalence to the two scenarios is apples & oranges.How does where and how matter? If they are endangered, running them over with a bus on Manhattan would be a bad thing. If you want to hunt you have to find the prey. If they are in international waters why should it concern you unless they break the law?
Per
It's all ideological anyways, you think whaling is fine, others don't.
And ne'er the twain shall meet.
Per
Re: Bob Barker, Steve Irwin both OK--Ady Gil Damaged
Again, that's nothing more than your viewpoint.I brought it up since there seems to be a public outcry in Australia over the Japanese whaling. I agree it is apples and oranges as one is hunting a non-endangered species and the other is. I have no problem with sustainable harvest of ANY natural resources, the key word is sustainable. I may not eat that particular animal or plant myself, but I can't be bothered if others does. When big brown eyes, communication, white fur, doped-out-of-their-mind-celebrities, he-saw-me-the-eye encounters and animal intelligence enter the equation it all goes down the drain and logic takes the back seat. By all means, let's spend a fortune on feeding and grooming domestic pets and give them all a decent burial. That should balance our guilt.
Per
If someone burying their pet is wrong, so is the slaughter of whales.
Perspective is a bitch.
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Re: Bob Barker, Steve Irwin both OK--Ady Gil Damaged
Of course it is my viewpoint, what else could it be? I didn't say that burying pets are wrong did I? I said it should balance the guilt.
Again, that's nothing more than your viewpoint.
If someone burying their pet is wrong, so is the slaughter of whales.
Perspective is a bitch.
And may I quote you? "And ne'er the twain shall meet"
Per
If you are against whaling, DeskFlyer, may I ask why?
Re: Bob Barker, Steve Irwin both OK--Ady Gil Damaged
I don't understand what you meant about balancing the guilt.Of course it is my viewpoint, what else could it be? I didn't say that burying pets are wrong did I? I said it should balance the guilt.
And may I quote you? "And ne'er the twain shall meet"
Per
If you are against whaling, DeskFlyer, may I ask why?
But when you started the sentence about pets with 'By all means, ' I assume you're ironing & you actually think what you're describing is excessive/unnecessary.
So that's how I saw what you said - I don't know if understanding the guilt part changes the context any for me.
Of course you can ask. The short is that I just don't think it's right. And I don't claim that I'm necessarily right either, just that if it were up to me, that's how I'd roll. Which I know has hypocritical elements in it regarding eating whale meat as I'm no vegetarian ("but....I'm off my chops!"), so it's then where do you draw the line at what you can kill for food, which is going to have so many varying cultural norms anyway. And then that all blurs with what you need to kill for food given your means, cultural attachments that I don't understand and my own long term personal experiences (though we never dated) with the smaller cetaceans that influence how I feel about it all.
Just another viewpoint.
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Re: Bob Barker, Steve Irwin both OK--Ady Gil Damaged
Guilt, we treat domesticated animals like crap in order to get cheap, sanitized food on our tables, then we spend fortunes on pets. Balancing the guilt.I don't understand what you meant about balancing the guilt.Of course it is my viewpoint, what else could it be? I didn't say that burying pets are wrong did I? I said it should balance the guilt.
And may I quote you? "And ne'er the twain shall meet"
Per
If you are against whaling, DeskFlyer, may I ask why?
But when you started the sentence about pets with 'By all means, ' I assume you're ironing & you actually think what you're describing is excessive/unnecessary.
So that's how I saw what you said - I don't know if understanding the guilt part changes the context any for me.
Of course you can ask. The short is that I just don't think it's right. And I don't claim that I'm necessarily right either, just that if it were up to me, that's how I'd roll. Which I know has hypocritical elements in it regarding eating whale meat as I'm no vegetarian ("but....I'm off my chops!"), so it's then where do you draw the line at what you can kill for food, which is going to have so many varying cultural norms anyway. And then that all blurs with what you need to kill for food given your means, cultural attachments that I don't understand and my own long term personal experiences (though we never dated) with the smaller cetaceans that influence how I feel about it all.
Just another viewpoint.
As a kid I spent many summers of farms belonging to family and played with lambs, calves and goat kids, all free roaming, and never had any sentimental misconceptions about what was going to happen to some of them come autumn and all of them eventually. I still prefer to buy ecological food if possible and we also use game (to which I include whale and seal). Happy food tastes better.
And since I feel no guilt, we have no pets.
I suppose we have to agree to disagree.
Per
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Re: Bob Barker, Steve Irwin both OK--Ady Gil Damaged
For some inexplicable reason, I'm hungry for a shrimp po'boy.
Re: Bob Barker, Steve Irwin both OK--Ady Gil Damaged
I had walnuts today. I feel guilty now.
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