Captain Paul Watson, leader of the controversial direct-action anti-whaling group Sea Shepherd, said in the first episode of Animal Planet’s Whale Wars that his organization disrupts whaling because governments refuse to enforce the International Whaling Commission’s guidelines on their own.
It looks like Sea Shepherd will be left to disrupt the Japanese without government assistance this whaling season yet again, which starts in about a month.
Australia, which has come out strongly against whaling and has allowed Sea Shepherd to dock on their soil, will likely not help document or block the Japanese whaling convoy this season, according to Environment Minister Peter Garrett.
Meanwhile, the Japanese could be bringing along a Coast Guard ship along with the whaling fleet next month to guard their fleet while they attempt to kill their quota of which has caused Greenpeace to cancel their annual voyage, during which they photograph and videotape the whale hunt. While Sea Shepherd and Greenpeace clearly do not get along based on the first episode of the Whale Wars series, it cannot be good news for the whales.
But Sea Shepherd isn’t changing their plans.
“I don’t care if they send the whole Japanese navy down there. We’re not going to be intimidated,” Watson said. Sea Shepherd has even announced that they’re bringing a second ship this year to use against the Coast Guard’s ship.
Personally, I hope they’ll be bringing along a film crew for Whale Wars Season 2.
Photo Credit: Animal Planet
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Alex Felsinger
Alex is primarily concerned with animal welfare, wildlife conservation, and environmental justice. As a freelance writer in San Francisco, he leads a deliberately simplistic and thrifty lifestyle, yet still can’t help gawking at the newest green gadgets and zero-emission concept cars.
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[...] covered Sea Shepherd and their new television show “Whale Wars” quite a bit the past couple months, and while we love the organization and the show, we must admit that we cringe every time they make [...]
[...] Watson, founder of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and star of Animal Planet’s Whale Wars, wrote a lengthy condemnation of the Canadian [...]