Voice from the Deep!

The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society ship Steve Irwin arrived in Hobart, Tasmania at 1700 Hours on February 20th. The ship was met at dockside by a party of Federal Australian Police officers who boarded the Steve Irwin with a warrant.

The Australia Federal Police seized a log book and video footage from the ship when it docked in Hobart on Friday.

Although the AFP will not confirm what the offences listed in the search warrant were, AFP Commissioner Mick Keelty has told a Senate committee the allegations relate to endangering the Japanese ship, the Yushin Maru III.

“On the 17th of February the referral [came] from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade,” he said.

“But it was, when I say referral, it was simply onforwarding to us the allegations made in Japan by the director-general of the Japanese fishing agency.”

The warrant authorized the seizing of “all edited and raw video footage, all edited and raw audio recordings, all still photographs, producer’s notes, interview transcripts, production meeting minutes, post production meeting minutes as well as the ship’s log books, global positioning system records, automatic radar plotting aid, purchase records, receipts, financial transaction records, voyage information and navigational plotted charts.”

The Animal Planet series Whale Wars was very embarrassing to the Japanese government and the Japanese whaling industry in 2008. Japan does not wish to see the airing of the second season of Whale Wars and is putting as much diplomatic pressure on Australia as they possibly can to prevent further exposure of their illegal whaling operations in the Southern Ocean.

I does indeed look like the Australia Government has given in to pressure from Japan with regards the embarrasment that the first series of “Whale Wars” caused.

“I wish that the Australian government would apply the same “diplomatic” pressure on Japan to end their illegal whaling operations,” said Captain Paul Watson. “The Rudd government was elected on a promise to take the Japanese whaling industry to court for their illegal whaling activities. Now they seem to be more interested in taking Sea Shepherd to court for our efforts to intervene against illegal whaling operations.”

Captain Paul Watson said he would welcome a trial.
“We have to start somewhere so it may as well be by taking me to court. Let us get the evidence on the table and although a trial against Sea Shepherd and myself may not allow the introduction of evidence about Japan’s illegal whaling operations, it at least will give us the forum to present our evidence. Let’s see the Australian government bring the Japanese whale killers to Australia to bear witness against Sea Shepherd and Animal Planet and let’s see them appear as witnesses for the government of Australia that professes to be against whaling.”

“It’s a very one-sided affair,” continued Captain Watson. “The Japanese ships have not been boarded by the Australian Federal Police; they have not had their video and navigational data confiscated. They have not been questioned nor will they be, yet they violently attacked my ship and crew in the Southern Ocean. Does the law only go to bat for those who destroy nature’s creation? Are we about to see the ultimate kangaroo court where Sea Shepherd will be legally crucified because the Australian government has not lived up to their promise of taking the whale killers to court? The truth is that we would not have to be in the Southern Ocean defending the whales if the governments of the world would simply enforce the international conservation treaties they once so proudly signed into law. Without enforcement there is no law – just ecological anarchy.”

Captain Watson said he had no complaints about the Australian Federal Police.
“They were very professional and polite and they were doing their job in carrying out the orders of the government.”
“We have quite the year ahead of us,” continued Captain Watson. “We need to repair damages to the Steve Irwin, we need to secure a second and faster vessel, and we need to be prepared to return to the Southern Ocean again at the end of the year to defend whales. If need be we will be in court to answer to charges of defending endangered whales in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary and to this we proudly plead guilty.”

At least the people of Tasmania are behind Sea Shepherd even if the Australian Government are toeing the Japanese line… Continue Reading »

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The Sea Shepherd vessel, the Steve Irwin, has started the voyage back to Hobart, Australia. They have vowed to return next year with a better, faster ship to continue the harrassment.

They had enough fuel to carry on the harrassment of the Japanese whaling fleet but have decided to return slightly earlier to avoid a military style confrontation with the Japanese.

The Steve Irwin is now being hunted by the Taiyo Maru No 38, a swift and manoeuvrable 49m boat that has accompanied the Japanese fleet. Watson believes the boat contains a consignment of security personnel who are ready to board the Steve Irwin and confiscate any video footage that their activists and a separate film crew from the Discovery Channel have been gathering throughout the winter. This action would amount to piracy on the high seas.

“We cannot allow this documentation to be captured by Japan,” said Captain Watson.

Sea Shepherd contacts in Fiji had informed Paul Watson that the Taiyo Maru #38 left there a few weeks ago and had taken on extra security personnel before heading back towards the Antarctic. Before Christmas the ship had been used to transport three Japanese sailors who had been injured in a search for a crewmate who had been tragically swept over board and lost at sea. They tried docking in New Zealand before heading to Fiji.

The hunter has now become the hunted… If they find the Steve Irwin, getting aboard is going to be pretty difficult as I doubt Captain Paul Watson will just “heave to” and let them aboard.

Paul Watson, founder of the U.S.-based Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, said in a statement that the group’s flagship vessel, the Steve Irwin, was operating at a disadvantage against three Japanese harpoon boats that are superior in speed and maneuverability.

‘‘We need to block those deadly harpoons and we need to outrun these hunter-killer ships, and to do that, I need a ship that is as fast as they are and I intend to get one and I intend to return next year,’’ Watson said.

‘‘We will never stop intervening against their illegal whaling operations and we will never stop harassing them, blockading them and costing them money,’’ he added.

‘‘I intend to be their ongoing nightmare every year until they stop their horrific and unlawful slaughter of the great whales in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary,’’ he said, referring to a sanctuary established by the International Whaling Commission in 1994.

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The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society is calling for a boycott in the United Kingdom of the following merchants in the campaign to boycott all Icelandic products to protect the whales.

A company owned by Icelandic Banks called Baugur owns 100% of the following retail chains:

• Karen Millen and French Connection clothing retailers – Don’t wear clothing that supports the slaughter of endangered whales.
• Iceland Frozen Seafoods – Boycotting this chain is a natural of course
• Hamleys (Large Toy Retailer) – Children love whales and children would not want to have a toy made by a company that supports the killing of whales.
• The House of Fraser (Department Store) – Not Scottish but 100% Icelandic and patronizing this chain is supporting Iceland’s program to slaughter Fin and Minke whales.

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Update from the Steve Irwin
1045 Hours (Sydney time, February 2nd)

The weather is getting worse as the Japanese fleet continues to flee westward at full speed with the Sea Shepherd ship Steve Irwin in pursuit.

The Japanese whaling ships have been jamming Sea Shepherd communications and have been deploying a long range acoustic weapon device to repel Sea Shepherd boats. The sound waves cause disorientation and nausea.
The deployment of military weapon systems in the Antarctic Treaty Zone is a violation of international law.

The whalers are becoming increasingly violent in defense of their illegal activities.

“It is a very dramatic scene out here as ships zig zag back and forth in thick ice and heavy swells,” said Captain Paul Watson. “The whalers are deploying water cannons, concussion grenades, acoustic weapons, and throwing solid brass and lead balls at Sea Shepherd crewmembers. If we were to do any of the things these thugs are doing, we would be denounced as eco-terrorists. There certainly is a double standard where whale killers can use violence without fear of condemnation from their government and we can’t even defend ourselves without condemnation from our governments. What is important however is that despite the violence from the whalers, no whales are being killed. They can’t get away from us and if we keep on their tail they can’t kill whales.”
 
Japanese whalers aim long range acoustic device, a military class weapon at the crew of the Sea Shepherd ship Steve Irwin. This LRAD emits mid to high frequency sound waves that can disorient, confuse, cause nausea and vomiting and temporary sometimes permanent deafness.

It is illegal for a military type weapon to be deployed by civilians against civilians in the waters of the Southern Ocean.

What is LRAD?

The long range acoustic device (LRAD) is a crowd-control and hailing device developed by American Technology Corporation.

LRAD as used in the US Navy

 LRAD Facts

Range: 300 meters (984 feet or about 3 city blocks) over land or 500 meters (1640 feet) over water, depending on environmental conditions

Beam width: About 30 degrees

Size: 33-inch diameter by 5-inch thickness

Weight: 45 lbs

Input: Microphone, laptop, MP3 player, CD player, Phraselator translation device

Maximum Volume: 120 dB at 1 meter in normal operation, 146 dB sustained or 151 dB burst at 1 meter with override.

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