Japan Accuses Animal Planet of EcoTerrorism Prior to “Whale Wars” Premiere
Prior to Friday’s premiere of the new Animal Planet series Whale Wars, Japan’s Institute of Cetacean Research has accused Animal Planet of ecoterrorism.
The show will chronicle the exploits of an anti-whaling group who takes their quest directly to the front lines, trying to stop Japanese whaling vessels from succeeding in killing whales.
Planetsave editor and contributor Alex Felsinger recently previewed the exciting series. In short, it chronicles how the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society stopped Japanese whalers from killing at least 300 whales last winter by using harsh, combative tactics.
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The Society is not afraid to unleash their fury. The show depicts hostage situations, gunfire, the attempted destruction of whaling boats, and the throwing of powerful smoke bombs on board ships. It’s not surprising given that the leader of the group, Captain Paul Watson, co-founded Greenpeace. Supposedly Watson left Greenpeace because they weren’t aggressive enough for his tastes, although other sources claim he was kicked out.
So whether or not Animal Planet is being rightly accused of supporting eco-terrorists is unclear. In addition to accusing Animal Planet of supporting ecoterrorism, the Institute of Cetacean Research has also accused them of helping the crew of the Sea Shepherd to “stage” an attack on the crew’s boat with gunfire, an event they claim never really occurred.
Personally, I find Japan’s defiance and disregard of the international whaling ban to be the true crime. They claim that they do whaling for scientific purposes, even though whale meat is sold and consumed in Japan as a delicacy, even in schools. This occurs despite recent evidence that whale meat contains toxic mercury levels.
Japan doesn’t even want to play nice after other countries tried to do so at this year’s annual meeting of the International Whaling Commission. Their response after other countries tried not to take any offensive actions was to say: “We are witnessing the death of the International Whaling Commission.”
If you are reading Planetsave, then you are probably as fired up as we are to watch the premiere of Whale Wars. Feel free to leave your thoughts about the show in our comments section.
Photo Credit: Animal Planet
One word comes to my mind when I think about how I would deal with ecoterrorists. Torpedo!
seem like terrorists to me (the yanks and aussies)
Japan is has a very rich natural resources. Animals and plants are well protected. They think that its better to deplete other country’s resources than their own. Why hunt in the antartic? japanese people are stupid!!!!
I watched this show last night. I consider myself on the side of the Law when it is moral, the show left me with many questions and concerns which I wish Animal Planet would report.
Is the Whale hunting being done by Japan illegal(should it be, are these Whales endangered?)
Are the actions of the Sea Shepard and its crew illegal?
Who funds their activities?
I find myself trying to be an intelligent judge of what I saw.
Comments anyone?
So in the future when I take my family out to eat at a restaurant, I should expect protest groups to throw smoke bombs and other things at us because we plan to ordered chicken mcnuggets (from enslaved chickens) or get a milkshake (milk taken fron enslaved cows).
How about bombing hardware stores for selling lawn mowers because it forces people to step on ants while they are cutting the grass.
Stopping Whale hunting is important but if it means killing people to accomplish that goal then I’d rather not be known as a murderer. And yes I do value a persons life more than an animals life.
The show is very well done and I enjoy it.
But these so-called “Sea Shepherds” are terrorists, plain and simple, and should be dealt with as such.
Their self-righteous and messianic delusions, and clearly criminal tactics, have me rooting for the Japanese, no matter how reprehensible their whaling may be.
The French knew how to properly deal with ecoterrorists like the “Sea Shepherds”.
I believe that this show should be taken off the air for a multitude of reasons.
As someone who is ethnically and culturally Japanese but an American national, I find that this show does little else except perpetuate and encourage bigotry. I have watched this show with both fascination and disgust. The show never makes the distinction between the Japanese companies who are doing the questionable research, and the Japanese people as a whole. Furthermore, there is no proof, whatsoever, that the research the Japanese scientists are doing is unethical or unnecessary. Just because the excess parts of the whales are being used for commercial purposes does not mean the research is useless or should be stopped. Moreover, the actions of the Sea Shepards are extremely offensive, and extremely dangerous. They are terrorists. Such acts should not be condoned and the fact that a television show is broadcasting this filth makes me ashamed to be an American.
I have mixed feelings as to whether or not the scientists should continue their work. I would love to know more about how the whales are being tested, and how that information has helped us as a human race. Perhaps the research is even helping us cultivate a better understanding of the whales? But, to return to my main argument, this show promotes bigotry and hate. Japanese people are not stupid, nor are they inferior. The Japanese country, as a whole, is much more proactive and eco-minded than the US. I hope that people decided to boycott this show, to write letters to the show and to Animal Planet urging them cancel this show and formally condemn the SS and their actions. If we want to change something, anything, we should do it by legal, positive means. Violence is not, and never will be, the answer.
Post: they are not “Japanese Whalers” they are scientists.
What next? Will you now go to Philippines because they eat dogs. Will you go to Peru because they eat chickens? Will you go to China because they eat monkey? Will you got to Alaska because they hunt for the King Crab?
Is the Japanese government doing the whaling or is it a Japanese company? I take exception to the whalers continually being refered to as THE Japanese. If the whale meat is a “delicacy” then I doubt it would be served to school children. No profits there. Are they exceeding the established quotas for whaling? It is very easy for people from a large country with sufficient land mass per capita to grow abundant crops and raise cattle to pass judgement on those who are dependent on the ocean for their food. I remember paying 45 dollars for a box of grapes in 1982…I wonder how much worse it is now.
The crew of this ship do not know what there doing. They are going to really screw up and hurt them selves or others. If the whaling was illegal wouldnt the UN do something. Oh yeah, and when they throw the stuff to ruin the whale meat, dont they realize they can just throw that one over and get another for there research. There are boats out there that drag nets destroying the sea floor and lots of fish that get throw back into the ocean after being crushed in the nets. where are they then?