Enviromentalists, especially those against whaling or even the maiming of whales, literally had escalating sea battles with Japan’s fleets of whaling boats in international waters. Enviromental activists from Sea Sheperd, an agency for the conservation of the population of whales, have used a substance of butter or butyric acid against the decks of Japanese whaling boats and have shot paint balls at the ships as well. Japanese whaling ships after being interrupted in their business, had equipped water cannons in order to drive off anti-whaling activists.
Sea Sheperd has a long history of famous activism, most prominently ramming a Portugese whaler in the 1970′s. Its activists are known to be highly dedicated to their work to felicitate the population of whales, this can be seen from the incident two years ago when activists hand-cuffed themselves to a Japanese whaling ship and refused to leave.
Today, the ‘whale wars’ took a new turn as New Zealander Peter Bethune was accused of trespassing onto a Japanese whaling ship named Shonan Maru 2 from a jet ski, after his boat in collision with the whaling ship sank, and declaring a citizen’s arrest of the crew. As of now, Peter Bethune is entitled to meet with a lawyer and a New Zealand diplomat. It remains to be seen if this can legally be considered a trespass. Japanese media have pounced on this latest news and public popularity of the anti-whaling activist is not at all positive. Japan insists that whaling is an important and cultural tradition which was brought on by Commodore’s Perry’s entry into Japan marking a significant moment in the Meiji Restoration.
In addition to the charges of accusation, the Japanese Institute of Cetacean Research (Official branch of Japan’s Department of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries) further blamed such activists and their agencies such as Sea Sheperd to be obstructing important whale research.
Peter Bethune, the 44 year old New Zealander is currently being held under arrest in Japan on the charges of trespassing onto a Japanese whaling ship in international waters.
Commercial whale hunting or “whaling” was suspended by the International Whaling Commission in 1986. However, there was a loophole in which the Japanese government could easily use: whaling is allowed if done for scientific research. This loophole proves to be deadly for as many as 1,000 whales every year, when Japanese fleets of whaling ships hunt “for science”. The Japanese government has set up a scientific facade in order to hunt whales legally, it is obvious enough that 1,000 dead whales of an endangered species aren’t needed every year to conduct simple research. Whaling has been long used in history to gather blubber of kinds for oil and other whale parts, the ships used were/are considered to be one of the most unproductive and hazardous ‘tools’ to garner resources as crews toss over “unneeded” parts of dead whales into the sea.
Dolphins, whales, tuna and Toyota, what’s next? Now is the time to boycott Japanese products, since all they seem to understand is profit and loss.
Totally agree. I want to know why the Japanese feel the need to kill the whales in the first place! It's not like they need the blubber for oil lamps!!! And RESEARCH!!! BS! Research what. America does research with cameras and love for the whales. They are an important part of our ecosystem. How dare they. I love Whale wars and the cahonies the captain and crew have!
Well, Peter Bethune DID board the Shounann-Maru illegally and DID harass/injure workers with chemical stuffed bottles.
He totally deserved it.
This whole whaling issue should be taken in a court.
Now the real story!!!
Revealing the Truth about the ramming of the SSCS Earth Race
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRNFnHVss_I&feature=player_embedded
Oh, that's awesome! I'm glad I know the truth now, from YOUTUBE! LOL! Moron… I bet you believe everything you see on Wikipedia too eh?
We need to stop all the kill in this world God put us on this earth to be happy he did not put us here to kill thing like people or whales yes we need to eat but we do not need to be wastful..
The trespass charge doesn’t remain to be seen. The prior SSCS boarding you incorrectly described made Japan pass a new law it is absolutely illegal to board a Japanese flagged vessel with out permission now. BTW, the two SSCS boarders you mention never handcuffed themselves to anything you can watch their whole concocted story in the first season of Whale Wars. They boarded the vessel and were immediately detained by the research vessel’s crew. They unlike Bethune were released because Japan didn’t have a law at the time to deal with incarcerating boarders now they do. Japan has a 99.8% conviction rate and it seems they intend to make an example of Bethune.
And the Japanese don’t kill 1000 endangered species. 95% of the whales culled are the plentiful Minke whale.
cull this word is for the over educated (wasted money in your case)
the entire world views the "culling of whales" illegal even if they are "plentiful"
please explain cull as i see it that would mean a humane death from the videos
i have seen their is nothing humane in whale KILLING oops culling
Endangered or not. Plentiful or not. Whales are not needed. Whales traditionally were not killed in the centuries past in their thousands with modern means like they are now. Regardless of all of that, killing a whale is torturous, cruel, inhumane and unethical compared to how animals should be killed and even then other domesticated animals are still killed inhumanely. Stop whaling now!
Jason, I think that you mean to say that “Whales are not needed” ‘on anyone’s dinner plate” or some such. I agree it is totally unacceptable they way the are killed and in the numbers they are killed under the guise of research.
Actually Southern Minke are DATA DEFICIENT. This means that no one knows (not even the IUCN) if they are endangered or not. There is mounting evidence that the population has crashed from around 670,000 to only 340,000 in under 20 years! This is a drastic decline in population and the fact Japanese whalers are gutshooting mostly pregnant females and baby Minke IS NOT HELPING!!
Piracy!.for starters.. Why should he get away with it.
I hope the intention was to pay the 3 million back to the N.Z. public who paid for the vessle which was illegally renamed and sold. Where did the money go. Who is accountable for that.
How can the Pot possibly call the kettle Black.?????What hypacrites.
What do the somalies have to say about it??? Arrogant act of stupidity indeed.
Krill the rhales!!!
The japanese have raped all the waters off their coast and now they are hell bent on raping the rest of the world's oceans. Bluefin Tuna, dolphins, and whales are screwed.
any one person doing these thing killing whales would be jailed for animal cruelty
from what i have seen there is nothing humane about it therefore charges for animal cruelty
should be brought against all persons who take part in the killing and processing of whales
shane victoria canada