Whaling

Skye Bortoli of Australian Teens Against Whaling has described the 60th International Whaling Commission meeting in Chile as pathetic saying “this body will be known in the future as a small group of ecologically arrogant people who are condemning the world’s whales to agony and oblivion for petty politics and a few lousy bucks.”

UK Indymedia Feature | Sea Shepherd

Tokyo, May 15th 2008: Following this morning's revelation by Greenpeace
of large-scale corruption within the Japanese government-sponsored
Southern Ocean whaling programme, the environmental group delivered a
complaint to the Tokyo district Public Prosecutor's Office, who gave
assurance that the details of the case will be reviewed, pending a
decision to mount a criminal investigation.

Reports
from the International Whaling Commission 3 day intercessional meeting
in London say that commercial whaling may be allowed but the scientific
loophole which has allowed Japan to whale in the Antarctic may be
closed. This would allow Japan to whale commercially in the north
Pacific regulated by the IWC. The meeting also rebuked Sea Shepherd
over "Safety at Sea".

Related: Japanese Coast Guard shoots Paul Watson, injures Sea Shepherd crew

Captain Paul Watson was shot in the chest during an engagement between the Sea Shepherd vessel Steve Irwin and the Japanese whaling ship, Nisshin Maru on March 7. The Japanese Foreign Ministry and Institute for Cetecean Research have denied guns were used at all during the engagement in contradiction to advice given to Australian embassy officials in Japan and the reports from Sea Shepherd.

* More Butyric Acid (rotten butter) thrown onto whaling factory ship Nisshin Maru * Japanese Coast Guard respond with flash grenades and Captain Paul Watson shot in chest * Three activists injured in attack by Japanese Coast Guard * Japanese Foreign Ministry and Director of ICR denies any shots fired * Australian embassy advised "warning shots" fired

Related: Sea Shepherd Video: Japanese Coast Guard attack, injure Sea Shepherd crew | UK IMC: Sea Shepherd Activists Injured As Japanese Military Open Fire

Anti-whaling activists from Sea Shepherd
have confronted the whaling factory ship, Nisshin Maru in the Southern
Ocean Whale Sanctuary between 0800 and 1000 Hours on March 3, 175 miles
off the Antarctic Banzare Coast inside the Australian Economic
Exclusion Zone. During the confrontation the Sea Shepherd crew threw
bottles of rotten butter (Butyric acid) and a 'slippery chemical' onto
the decks of the whaling ship. (Sea Shepherd Video report)

The Australian Attorney General's office is refusing to release photographic and video evidence on Japanese whaling gathered by the Australian Patrol ship Oceanic Viking to Humane Society international (HSI) to use for contempt of court action against the Japanese whalers.

The Sea Shepherd ship Steve Irwin arrived in Melbourne early Saturday afternoon to an enthusiastic crowd of about 150 people to greet the ship. Captain Paul Watson vowed to refuel and be ready to sail back to the Southern Ocean in 7 to 10 days time. The Whalers are expected to continue whaling for another 2 months.

Related: Audio Interview | Photos | Whale Slaughter Resumes | Australian Government Refuses to release Whale Slaughter Photos | Poll: How far would you be prepared to go to stop the killing of whales?