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DEEP JOY!!!!!!
Posted: Wed Feb 16, 2011 3:46 am
by Gob
Japan's whaling fleet is believed to be quitting the Antarctic under heavy conservationist and diplomatic pressure, just halfway through its worst season.
The Japanese government has decided to cut short the season and the fleet is heading back to port, sources in Tokyo told the International Fund for Animal Welfare.
The sudden departure has raised hopes Japan may be moving to end its widely opposed, 23-year-old "scientific research" program, which has killed about 10,000 Antarctic whales.
Advertisement: Story continues below "Under pressure from all fronts, the Japanese whaling fleet is apparently withdrawing early this season from the internationally recognised sanctuary around Antarctica," said IFAW's global whales campaign director, Patrick Ramage.
"We hope this is a first sign of Japanese government decision makers recognising there is no future for whaling in the 21st century and that responsible whale watching, the only genuinely sustainable use of whales, is now the best way forward for a great nation like Japan," Mr Ramage said.
No immediate official confirmation was available from Japan. But the factory ship, Nisshin Maru, was today steaming towards Drake Passage, below South America, pursued by the Sea Shepherd group's vessel Bob Barker, having left its nominated whaling grounds 2000 nautical miles behind.
http://www.smh.com.au/environment/whale ... 1aw0k.html
Re: DEEP JOY!!!!!!
Posted: Wed Feb 16, 2011 7:33 pm
by Long Run
The tragedy of the commons. Why did it take so long for the memo to get to Japan.
Re: DEEP JOY!!!!!!
Posted: Wed Feb 16, 2011 8:49 pm
by Gob
Cos they're arrogant fuckers...
Re: DEEP JOY!!!!!!
Posted: Wed Feb 16, 2011 10:43 pm
by BoSoxGal
Ever see The Cove, Gob?
Re: DEEP JOY!!!!!!
Posted: Wed Feb 16, 2011 10:57 pm
by Big RR
Gob wrote:Cos they're arrogant fuckers...
Kind of like those Sea Shepherd people. some how I think if they weren't shadowing Japanese whalers they'd be throwing orange paint on old ladies in fur coats.
Re: DEEP JOY!!!!!!
Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2011 5:11 am
by loCAtek
Do whales have souls, or do you have compassion, Gob ol'mate?
Re: DEEP JOY!!!!!!
Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2011 5:41 am
by Sean
I suppose I'll be paying more for my whalemeat butties in future then...
Re: DEEP JOY!!!!!!
Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2011 10:20 am
by Andrew D
Au contraire,
Big RR. The heroism of Sea Shepherd is the principal reason that Japan has suspended its annual slaughter, and Japan itself has
said so:
Hirosh Kawamura, an official at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, said the hunt has been "temporarily suspended" since February 10 due to the actions of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society.
This is an example of good prevailing over evil, and we should celebrate it as such.
Re: DEEP JOY!!!!!!
Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2011 8:53 pm
by Gob
Hear Hear Andrew!!!
Re: DEEP JOY!!!!!!
Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2011 9:29 pm
by Big RR
Andrew D wrote:Au contraire,
Big RR. The heroism of Sea Shepherd is the principal reason that Japan has suspended its annual slaughter, and Japan itself has
said so:
Hirosh Kawamura, an official at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, said the hunt has been "temporarily suspended" since February 10 due to the actions of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society.
This is an example of good prevailing over evil, and we should celebrate it as such.
That may well be so, but those in the organization (at least the ones i've seen on Whale Wars), are still "arrogant fuckers." And asshole who does something good is still an asshole
Re: DEEP JOY!!!!!!
Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2011 10:23 pm
by Gob
Thank god for the good doing assholes then!
Re: DEEP JOY!!!!!!
Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2011 11:19 pm
by Big RR
Well Gob, does the end always justify the means? Many political movements are steered toward violence (albeit in pursuit of the good result) by good-doing assholes.
Re: DEEP JOY!!!!!!
Posted: Fri Feb 18, 2011 1:55 am
by Gob
Not always no.
And we weren't really discussing the means, more the perception of the persons "assholeness".
I feel the means they use are well justified, heroic even.
Re: DEEP JOY!!!!!!
Posted: Fri Feb 18, 2011 3:30 am
by Big RR
Agreed, we were discussing "assholeness", not means, but the two are often intertwined. The assholes will often push and/or take things too far.
and FWIW, I don't think the Sea shepherds have crossed that line yet (at least that I've seen or heard about), but I wouldn't be surprised if they do (anymore than I would be surprised if the Japanese do).
Re: DEEP JOY!!!!!!
Posted: Fri Feb 18, 2011 4:46 am
by Gob
Well they've got this season's hunt shut down, so good on them I say!
Japan's farm and fisheries minister Michihiko Kano said Japan would halt its Antarctic whaling mission for the rest of this season because of harassment by the US-based militant environmental group on the high seas.
Mr Kano said today that Japan would call its harpoon ships home "to ensure the safety of the whaling crew amid the continuing harassment by anti-whaling group Sea Shepherd", public broadcaster NHK said.
http://www.smh.com.au/environment/whale ... 1ayy8.html
We've got a Japanese exchange student staying with us sometime this year. If it's at the right time in the season, we'll take her whale watching, see if she drools....
If she does I'll push her overboard.
