Whalers Fend Off Sea Shepherd with Hi-Tech Acoustic Weapons
Sea Shepherd, the controversial direct-action anti-whaling group featured on Animal Planet’s Whale Wars, is currently facing retaliation from the Japanese whaling ships in the form of what Sea Shepherd calls a “military grade weapon system that sends out mid to high frequency sound waves designed to disorient and possibly incapacitate personnel.”
If their description is accurate, the Japanese are acting out of accordance with international law by deploying military weapons in the Antarctic Treaty Zone. But breaking international law wouldn’t be anything new for the whalers, who by some interpretations should not even be in the Antarctic at all.
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Sea Shepherd found the Japanese whaling fleet for the second time this seaon earlier today. The group’s ship, called the Steve Irwin, had to return to dock for refueling and had not engaged with the Japanese in over a month.
“We are 7 miles from the fleet and approaching. We see the Nisshin Maru and two harpoon vessels the Yushin Maru #1 and the Yushin Maru #2,” said Captain Paul Watson earlier today. “They appear to be whaling and are not moving. If we don’t catch up with them before they begin to move, we are close enough now that we will not lose the Nisshin Maru.”
Sea Shepherd believes that three ships in the Japanese whaling fleet are equipped with Long Range Acoustical Devices (LRAD).
In adition to the acoustic attacks, Captain Paul Watson said that one Sea Shepherd crew member was injurred after being fired upon with a water cannon and that the Japanese had also been throwing solid lead weights into their inflatable boats, presumably in an attempt to sink them.
Photo Credit: Sea Shepherd
Yeah, I have to agree that the Captain of the Sea Shepherd may be lying about being shot, but somewhere else, somebody brought up the point that at the time flash grenades were being used, and a piece of shrapnel may have been what hit the captain…
All the same, the results of the Sea Shepherd is what matters, the Japanese whaling company brought in less than half of its quota, not THAT is an accomplishment.
I am for what the Sea Shepherd is doing and applaud them.
The most incompent morons, wilson and brown.These eco-terrorists are going to be responsibe for the injury or death of irwin crew or the people they are terrorizing. It seems there is always a loophole and the Japanase are explloiting it. If the people of the world feel so strongly about the laws being exploited by the Japanase then they should change the laws so the loopholes are no longer able to be exploited by the Japanase. Morons such as wilson who was kicked out of greenpeace (eco-terrorists) and his side kick brown are an extreme hazard to all involved. The crew of the irwin are young naiave idealists with the exception of the helicopter pilot and need to be protected from preadators like wilson and brown. The comment; i’ll die for a whale from wilson and brown is garbage however, they would let the crew. That is only one of the numerous reasons why the crew needs protection. Also I hope Australia raises the moorage fees to 10,000 per day and no more fuel. They shame the Dutch who has a long and hororable history sailing. I hope the Dutch deregister the steve irwin.
watson was kicked out of greenpeace (eco-terrorists) and the idiot side kick brown are a pair of morons. The fake bullet in the vest, only watson was wearing one, imagine that. The misguided crew members have been injured needlessly. watson and brown state they would die for a whale, not likely. Has anyone seen those two do anything other than use oxegen, lie to the media or make dangerous situations? (ramming Japanese ships) The Dutch goverment can deregister the steve irwin and I hope they do. When the steve irwin is in port high moorage fees can and should be imposed and the crew ordered not to come ashore. The Maritime Association can close the loophole so the Japanese can no longer hide behind false reseach. When one whale is worth 250K to 1Mil it could encourage sone to call what they are doing any number of things. The bottom line is watson needs to be stopped, brown no longer matters since he is no longer part of the criminal enterprise watson has made in the name of activism.
You are all a bunch of idiots! It is against international law to whale and the japanese ignore it. There is no one else in the world trying to enforce it except sea shepherd.
At least someone is willing to do something instead of sitting on their ass watching tv and criticizing.
Anyone who thinks that what the japanese does is ok should be shot with a harpoon gun and dragged onto a ship to die an agonizing death. Something tells me your perception might change.
The whaling vessels should have the right to protect temselves againt the attacks of such morons as the Sea Shepherd ecoterrorists. I’m not for the senseless slaughter of whales, but I, as a sailor, have great respect for maritime law. If they aren’t careful, one of the whaling ships will start firing harpoons at the Sea Shepherd people, and I bet those whaling crews are deadly accurate with those things.
Hey Kevin,
Did you have too much coolaid this morning? Is the sugar rush getting to your brain?
None of the comments I’ve read say they agree with the Japanese whaling. What we are saying is that the Morons on the Sea Shepherd boats are causing more problems than they prevent. The captain of the “Irwin” has boasted of sinking ships, ramming ships, and causing significant damage to ships on the open sea. In any of these cases, did he stop to render assistance to any of the vessels he damaged? Causing (or witnissing) an “incident” at sea, then leaving the vicinity is tantamount to murder. I’ve beeen aboard a vessel that collided with a submerged cargo container that fell off a freighter. The impact didn’t cause any immediate problem, it was a few hours later that the vessel opened a seam and started taking on water. Luckily the pumps kept ahead of it until repairs could be made. My point is that a collision at sea can have unexpected consequences. What would happen if the Sea Shepherd managed to damage the props on a whaler by rear-ending her. The bow bulb on the nose of a vessel like the Irwin could allow the bow to actually slide under the stern of the whaler. Once the whaler is disabled, she would be vulnerable to the prevailing conditions at that time.
I agree with the mission of the Steve Irwin. I do not agree with taking on inexperienced crew members and putting them in zodiacs in the middle of the ocean,allowing them to take the helm and doing ship to ship transfers of people. Too dangerous. Get experienced crew members instead of kids looking to spice up their summer vacations.
The Sea Shepherd Society is a volunteer based group of people who protect the marine wildlife of this world. Their main ship the Steve Erwin was recently in Antartica trying to put an end to illegal and down right inhuman whaling by the Japanese. Pretty much the whaling industry represents what I hate most in life corporate greed, and the lack of respect for wildlife, and for life altogether. The horrible nature in which they kill these beautiful creatures purely for profit is sickening. The Sea Shepherd Society also has campaigns against the Canadian seal hunts and the dolphin hunts in Japan. I think it would be a rewarding and life changing experience to volunteer for them, especially on their mothership the Steve Erwin.
While I believe that the Japanese are in the wrong in their whaling, and there is no need for any whaling to continue, the comic antics of the 3 stooges + on the Sea Shepard are really quite entertaining.
Cpt’n Watson is an obviously not much of a captain. He obviously has no leadership skills, command skills and can’t even drive a boat.
Brown as 1st idiot is great at talking a great game but I have not yet seen him get into an inflatable.
If these guys were serious about what they are doing their tactics would be a little more sofistacated and much better planned than driving around dropping rope in the water and throwing stink bombs.
I would think that the ramming incident should require in inquiry into Watson’s ability to keep a Captain’s license and it should be revoked. It is quite obvious that he did cause the incident.
These guys are a joke and do nothing to furhter the cause they think they are fighting for.
Watson has no Captains License. He is a Captain only in his own mind. The “Steve Irwin” is classed as a “yacht” and the crew are his unpaid friends, so no License is required. It’s like this on all the vessels he has been “Master and Commander” of. (what a joke!)