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
Is there anything regular people can do to help stop the Japanese whalers. ie: writing to senators or something of that nature? Thanks
As a New Zealander I object to Japanese whaling near our waters. If the japanese have a traditional whale hunt near Japan thats fine. I have no objection to that. But if they have killed all the whales near Japan so they have to come halfway around the world to fish in whale sanctuaries then you can understand people would object and take measures to enforce the UN mandates.
As for the discussion on veganism, partyless argument that killing other animals and cruelty is natural and so they have no problem with it. I find that argument horrible. Are you really arguing that we should take the natural world as a guide for our moral behavior? Animals kill and rape each other regularly, so do you advocate that we do that also?
I have to agree with Kiwi they can whale but only if they use traditional methods and only in their own waters.
But if they poach whales in international waters or worse yet preserves then they deserve no mercy.
If I had my way I’d leave the whalers to the sea after sinking their ship.
I say the penalty for whaling in protected waters such as Antarctica should be the same as it is for any other form of piracy.
They should be arrested and their ship sunk if the UN doesn’t want to do this then it will fall to people like seashepard.
Wiping out the whales would be a crime against nature
plus removing a key species could have terrible consequences on the ecology of the ocean fish stocks could crash causing about 2 billion people to loose their primary source of protein.
We do not understand how the ecology of the ocean operates but when you wipe out a species you are removing parts of the machinery.
It’s akin to being on an airplane or spaceship and just randomly breaking hardware with no knowledge as to what it does.
You may find smashing a part that was not directly connected to the engines brings it down.
YOU know what i think i would like to sinck there ship i am for the sea shiperd you know they can kill a whale but i they cant defeat god god bless
When are you people going to open your eyes and do something for the real victims here, DINOSAURS! none of you ever campaigned to save them from extinction, or had a fundraiser to save them, why not? are the DINOSAURS not good enough to be saved? oh yeah,they died off naturally just like all the animals including us will do overtime
I say the Japanese should protect their whaling operations with the few naval ships they posses, providing convoy escort against these clear acts of terrorism. Any attack (in this case physical and chemical attacks) on a nations shipping by a group such as this is piracy/terrorism. Animal Planet needs to be warned and forced to take the show down, or fined/seized. If these ecoterrorist ships still try to mount attacks on Japanese shipping, fire upon them and sink their ships. Then search for and capture/exterminate any survivors. Those captured then need to be deported, imprisoned or shot. It may sound brutal, but in these type of situations, brutality is needed.
Ah the intellectually and ethically indefensible arguments of the vegan/vegetarian zealots rear their ugly heads. Sophistry indeed!
Part of what distinguishes our species far and away above every single other species is our higher thinking that enables us to form complex societies with laws and moral codes. These laws and moral codes are what distinguish us from barbarians, or even other animals. While endangered animals should be protected, we shouldn’t devolve into acting like the very thing we’re trying to protect.
If what these whalers are doing is wrong or illegal, there is a mode of redress developed by our species to rectify it. If what they’re doing is legal, then these “Shepherds” are terrorists plain and simple. In either case, the “Shepherds” are nothing more than a barbarian, and nothing less than animals.
Well, regardless of your opinions on animal cruelty, veganism, etc, this situation is about human life. Noone has the right to endanger another person in a situation that does not represent imminent danger to an oter human. I fished offshore for 6 years, and believe me, when you are out there, you are OUT there, the ship becomes your world, and as anyone who has had close calls (i.e serious mechanical failure compunded by weather issues) can tell you, this is serious serious business. I don’t believe the “captain” of this ship is is full posession of his faculties. He is clueless about running a ship and his crew of idiots are a danger to themselves, if noone else. The fact that AP condones this activity and gives these criminals a platfrom for airing their self-righteous views is abhorrent. First of all lets get the facts straight. The research whaling being conducted by japanese scientists is legal and mandated by the IWC which is recognized byt the UN. The mandate the SS posses that people who support them refer to , is one that allows people to stop, or otherwise interfere with illegal whaling, ie whaling that is not permitted by ANY governing body. Next, “japanese whalers” do not exist. This is because whaling as an industry is illegal the world over. These are fishermen that are contracted to do the fishing, on boats that otherwise pursue other fisheries and species. So these people are terrorists and liars. I personally find killing whales for ANY reason very sad, and hope that the people doing this will eventually let it go. But the whales that they are collecting are very very common, and nowhere near endangered. The Fin whales are, that is why they are only permitted to take only a few each year. I also find the people who post here and condone the action of these pirates and potential murderers to be at the very least misguided. Has anyone ever heard of the principal that “two wrongs don’t make a right”? Even IF what the Japanese Scientists were doing was illegal, who gives these people the right to be judge jury and executioner? These idiots are putting peoples lives in danger when other methods would suffice, and in the end, they have no effect on this situation at all except to make it worse. I applaud the Japanese sailors for their restrant, when by law they are permitted to use lethel force to defend themselves against these clear acts of piracy, and i will not be surprised when they finally destroy the SS with all aboard and sail away. When does it stop? At what point do we say enough is enough? When someone dies? Capt Idiot would like nothing better. His or theirs, a dead crewman would be great for him, either for sympathy or for bragging rights n the terrorist circles he moves in.
Nitpick: Whale Wars hasn’t documented gunfire. The whole thing about “Captain” Watson being shot was a fraud.
It boils down to this:
The Japanese ships are taking lives.
The Sea Shepherd ship is saving lives.
Which is the real “terrorist”?