Sea Shepherd attempts to block whale transfer

At 1800 Hours the harpoon vessels Yushin Maru No. 1 and the Yushin Maru No.3 decided to run the Sea Shepherd blockade to transfer two dead whales to the flensing deck of the Nisshin Maru. The Sea Shepherd ship Steve Irwin was blocking the slipway to prevent the transfer in order to shut down the illegal Japanese whaling operations.

As the Nisshin Maru attempted to hook onto the dead whale, the Steve Irwin and the Yushin Maru No.3 collided with the forward starboard side of the Steve Irwin and the port stern side of the harpoon vessel coming together.

"We told them to not continue their illegal whaling operations and that we would be blocking the stern slipway of the factory ship," said Captain Paul Watson. "They decided to test our resolve and apparently expected us to retreat when they charged in ahead of us to make the transfer."

Captain Watson said that the Steve Irwin became difficult to control under a barrage of metal objects, blasts from the water cannons, and the disorientation caused by the LRAD acoustic weapons that the whalers were using on the conservationists.

"I was dazed by the sonic blasts being used on us at close range." said Captain Watson. "I have to admit it was difficult to concentrate with that devise being focused on us."

"I've never felt anything quite like it," said Emily Hunter from Toronto, Canada. "It penetrates the body and you can feel your muscles vibrating. It made me dizzy and left me somewhat dazed."

The Steve Irwin suffered no noticeable damage from the collision and no one was seriously injured. A few of the Sea Shepherd crew were struck by golf balls and pieces of metal. The crew of the Steve Irwin were unable to determine if there was any damage done to the harpoon hunter killer boat.

The two whales were transferred after the Steve Irwin shut down the operations of the fleet for twelve hours.

"We are trying to make this as difficult as possible for them to continue their illegal activities, "said Molly Kendall from Adelaide, South Australia. "It is difficult to see them murdering these whales and we are determined to do everything we possibly can to stop this horrific slaughter."

The Steve Irwin remains on the tail of the Nisshin Maru to attempt to obstruct any further transfers in an effort to stop the unlawful poaching of the whales by the Japanese whaling fleet.

"I wish we did not have to be down here in this dangerous situation," said Captain Watson. "I've said repeatedly that if Australia or New Zealand would agree to take Japan to the international court on this than we would back off. Because international law is not being enforced, we have no choice but to do what we can with the resources available to us to defend these endangered whales in this established international whale sanctuary."

http://worldagainstwhaling.webs.com/

http://www.seashepherd.org/

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• Sea
• Shepherd
• attempts
• to
• block
• whale
• transfer
• sea
• shepherd
• whaling
• whales
• japan
• australia
• iwc
• un
• antarctica
• nisshin
• maru
• yushin

[alejandra14anahi]

We know the black market of the japanese is not to "research" but to profit from innocent whales that make part of our everyday lifes by selling their body parts. Japanese whaling should be banned, and if they dont agree of this what REAL reasearh have they found ??? NONE!!! PROPS to the Sea Sheppards conserving our wild life in the ocean

[susumu07]

@info145

You said it. These idiots act like saving the whales or even having whales in the ocean is somehow a bad thing. The ecosystem needs whales - humans do NOT need their meat. The Whaling cartel in Japan is only being kept afloat through government funding & kickbacks, otherwise it would go bankrupt. Whale meat doesn't even make up 1% of the Japanese economy, and the market can't even absorb a fraction of the annual quota. So most of it is thrown away. It's about corruption, not science.

[info145]

What's so wrong about trying to save whales and promote a healthier ecology anyway? You'd swear some of the people posting on YouTube WANT animals to suffer and want the food chain to collapse. All the creeps keep calling them a "cult" for believing in something. Believing in helping and saving animals from suffering, instead of believing in nothing but money! Such indecency is staggering. They're NONviolent. If they used violence, the factory ship would be at the bottom!!!

[Floflyz]

It seems to me that because of the Asian cultures the world is gonna end :

Elephant ivory : China

Rhino Horns : China

Tiger products : China

Shark fins : China

Bluefin Tuna : Japan

Whales : Japan

Dolphins : Japan

...

Get a grip guys stop putting all of us in danger!!!

[JurisArcane]

@hoddo3006

Right, like anyone could get this sort of animal cruelty stopped through debate and smart videos, while there is as much profit to be made.

The crew of the Sea Shepherd are selfless, dedicated individuals, who are willing to give their lives for something they believe in. That's how some of the greatest developments of mankind have been born. Don't down play it, and certainly, don't try to understand it - someone like you, can't.

Sometimes causes are worth fighting for.

[cramtoro]

sunk all the fucking japanese fleet, they are killing all the oceans!!

[croc560]

Sea Shepherd Awarded Coveted 4-Star Charity Rating by Leading Charity Evaluator

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Sea Shepherd Awarded Coveted 4-Star Charity Rating by Leading Charity Evaluator

Charity Navigator Sea Shepherd Outperforms many U.S. Charities and Achieves Charity Navigator 4-Star Rating for Sound Fiscal Management

[croc560]

Whalers are violating the AAT, EEPBC Act, CITES, UNCLOS, United Nations convention, Antarctic Treaty, Australian Federal Law, committing Fraud under the IWC, and violating the IWC's Scientific Committee.

[croc560]

In the entire history over three decades SS has never caused a serious injury or a death to any1. The acts carried out by the Whalers have killed 3 people. It is the actions of the Whalers that have caused human death, and taken 3 lives and are mass-poisoning thousands of Japanese families & children and the whale killers are also smuggling whalemeat in violation of Federal Law into the USA becuz it wont sell and they cant get rid of it in Japan resulting in damage to untold numbers of Americans

[unc7480]

Japanese should bring a warship with them next time, and ram SS with THAT. Laugh and point while the SS goofs swim.