2009-02-02 Sea Shepherd Relocates the Japanese Whaling Fleet

After almost a week of battling dense fog and heavy winds and swells the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society ship Steve Irwin has once more found the Japanese whaling fleet.

The fleet was located at 0930 Hours at the position of 67 Degrees 18 Minutes South and 163 Degrees 52 Minutes West.

"We are 7 miles from the fleet and approaching. We see the Nisshin Maru and two harpoon vessels the Yushin Maru #1 and the Yushin Maru #2," said Captain Paul Watson. "They appear to be whaling and are not moving. If we don't catch up with them before they begin to move, we are close enough now that we will not lose the Nisshin Maru."

There is a lot of loose ice and moderate patches of fog. The winds are at forty knots which means the helicopter cannot be deployed.

The Steve Irwin is now in close pursuit of the Japanese whaling fleet.

A crewmember from the Steve Irwin was slightly injured after being struck by a high pressure water cannon fired from the Japanese whaling factory ship Nisshin Maru. One of the cameramen on one of the Steve Irwin's inflatable boats was cut and bruised above the eye when a high pressure blast of water knocked him off his feet while he was filming.

A second crew member was also injured in the confrontation with the whalers. Laurens De Groot of the Netherlands was slightly injured when struck in the face by a metal ball thrown by whalers. Whalers onboard the Yushin Maru #3 threw solid brass and lead balls at crewmembers on one of the Steve Irwin's inflatable boats.

The Sea Shepherd crew also discovered that the Japanese whaling fleet is deploying a new weapon in defence of their illegal whaling activities.

The factory ship the Nisshin Maru and the two harpoon vessels in the fleet are equipped with Long Range Acoustical Devices (LRAD). This is a military grade weapon system that sends out mid to high frequency sound waves designed to disorient and possibly incapacitate personnel. It is basically an anti-personnel weapons system.

http://www.seashepherd.org/

２００９年２月１日

環境保護団体シーシェパード　スティーブ・アーウィン号からの報告

およそ一週間続いた悪天候の後、環境保護団体シーシェパードが所有するスティーブ・ア ーウィン号はついに日本捕鯨船団を発見した。

シドニー時間午前９時３０分、捕鯨船団は南緯６７度１８分　西経１６３度５２分に位置していた。タスマニアのホバート南東２１００海里、ロス海に いる。

「我々は捕鯨船団から７海里離れていて徐々に接近している。日進丸とハプーン船二隻、 勇新丸と第三勇新丸が見える」とキャプテンポール・ワトソンは述べた。「彼らは捕鯨活 動を行っている様子であった。我々が近づくにつれて全速力で氷の開けた大海に進んでい った。スティーブ・アーウィン号は両エンジンを稼動させ徐々に捕鯨船との距離を縮めて いる」。

現在位置にはたくさんの氷山と適度の霧が広がる。また４０ノットの強風が続くため、ス ティーブ・アーウィン号はヘリコプターを配備出来ない。

スティーブ・アーウィン号は今もなお日本捕鯨船団の追跡を続けている。

スティーブ・アーウィン号の乗組員一人が日本捕鯨船団の工船日進丸が放つ高圧放水銃に よって軽傷を負った。またスティーブ・アーウィン号の所有するゴムボートに乗船してい たカメラマンの一人も撮影中に高圧放水銃よって打撲傷を負った。

シーシェパードの乗組員は日本捕鯨船団が違法捕鯨活動を防御するために新鋭の武器を配 備しているのを発見した。

工船日進丸と二隻のハプーン船は「長距離聴覚装置（Long Range Acoustical Devices；LRAD)」を装備している。これは中～高周波数の音響を放つ軍用機 器であり人間の方向感覚を狂わせ、時には健康に害を与える。地上兵士殺傷用の武器であ る。

スティーブ・アーウィン号は日本捕鯨船団を２４時間に渡って全速力で追跡している。ま ばらに氷山が広がり天候の変りやすいロス海の先端から３００マイル西方に向かって航海 している。

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• Sea
• Shepherd
• Relocates
• Japanese
• Whaling
• Fleet
• australia
• iwc
• illegal
• whale
• fin
• minke
• antarctica

[info145]

The IWC does allow a certain number of Whales to be killed for scientific research but the IWC also declared that particular part of the ocean to be a marine sanctuary for Whales. The japanese use one IWC ruling as an excuse to hunt Whales, but dispute the other IWC ruling as "not binding". They pick and choose the laws they wish to follow. The Sea Shepherds try to prevent the whaling under UN GA RES 37/7: World Charter for Nature which specifically allows persons or associations to take action

[USFullOfLies]

She Sheperd are money makers.

Eco-terrorists.

[sinkingrob11]

@smiloveba what are you saying?

[lovingxxxlin]

AustKorea!!

Its nice!

[smiloveba]

Anti-whaling is a hypocrite.

Vegetarian excluded it.

Australia is called AustKorea.

(Korea + Australia = AustKorea)

[TornChaines]

We need something like operation Atalanta to stop these eco-pirates.

[CallOfDutyForMe]

OMG ! They must be stopped ! Watch out though they looked like tey had weapons !

[anitivacterialrobot]

Shame on you Aussie! This demonstration is for your funding. Sea Shepard abuse the whale problem for own's sake.

[antiseashepherd2]

Fanatic Whale madness in fascistic head.

[commentjapan]

AssHole