Ady Gil Loses Bow to Japanese Whaling Vessel

[Eye In The Sky]

Takes all kinds, doesn't it?  ;D

 

[Retired AF Guy]

Out of simple curiousity I watched a few episodes of "Whale Wars" I was not left with the feeling that it's a very safe thing to do: capsizing FRC because of miscommunication, lack of training on simple safety systems and procedures, sailing a non ice rated vessel into pack ice - to name but a few.

Regardless of anyone's views on the right and wrong of whaling, seal hunts, whatever - protesting with a death wish is just plain stupid and I believe that Sea Shepherd preys on youthful exuberence and ignorance of these factors to crew their ships. I think it's a shame.

Never watched the show because I consider the Sea Shepard group to be a bunch of idiots, but after reading your remarks I will try to watch the show if it comes back in re-runs.

 

[Larkvall]

Never watched the show because I consider the Sea Shepard group to be a bunch of idiots, but after reading your remarks I will try to watch the show if it comes back in re-runs.

Well this video gives a taste of what they do.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6yfV_kCD6E

 

[Fishbone Jones]

If I was a Japanese whaler and intent on ramming these idiots, I wouldn't have clipped the nose of their Bat boat. I would have gone at them like a destroyer would to surfaced sub in those old war movies. Full steam ahead, prepare for ramming and run right over the middle of these stupid bastards. Then just carry on as if they were so much flotsam.

However, I'm neither Japanese nor a whaler.

 

[Thompson_JM]

If I was a Japanese whaler and intent on ramming these idiots, I wouldn't have clipped the nose of their Bat boat. I would have gone at them like a destroyer would to surfaced sub in those old war movies. Full steam ahead, prepare for ramming and run right over the middle of these stupid bastards. Then just carry on as if they were so much flotsam.

However, I'm neither Japanese nor a whaler.

+1

Sea Crapherd are a bunch of hippie idiots.....

Someone should tell them the Japanese are whaling off the coast of somalia.....

Sea Shepherd vs Somali Pirates... now THERE's some sweet Prime Time TV worth watching!

 

[larry Strong]

I wonder how much their morale was affected, considering the fact that their new toy got destroyed at the start of the season .

 

[BearPusher]

Watching that clip reminded me of the closing sequence of Captain Ron "They'll get out of our way. I learned that on the "Saratoga" while in a power boat. 
Although it's sad to see such a fine boat lost to such idiocy.

 

[FDO]

Supidity does not stop at these guys. People who are supposed to know what they are doing are just as bad.

This past summer on Lake Ontario just south of Toronto Island I heard a 35 ft sailboat hail a Freighter and ask it's intentions. When the sailboat got the reply he actually said for the Freighter to alter course as the sailboat had the right away.

In a technical way he did. They were in "open" water. However, all boaters know of the "gross tonnage" rule. This rule states that the biggest boat has the right away. I shudder to think what would have happened if this 35 ft plastic sailboat would have looked like after the couple of hundred foot steel freighter had had a problem stopping.

The Greenpeace guys do not need a licience to operate the craft in international waters. In Canada you do if the craft meets a couple of size requiriments. IMHO everyone who operates a craft on the water needs to be certified.

On the up side stunts like this tends to clear out the shallow end of the gene pool!

 

[PMedMoe]

Protesters fire acid at whalers

SYDNEY, Australia - Three crew members of a Japanese whaling vessel suffered face and eye injuries from acid fired by anti-whaling protesters during their latest clash in the Antarctic Ocean, their Japanese employers said Friday.

The Sea Shepherd protesters said they shot butyric acid, produced from stinking rancid butter, which they often aim at the whalers to try to disrupt the annual Japanese hunt. The activists maintain that butyric acid is nontoxic.

The injuries Thursday were the first to Japanese whalers this year during confrontations with Sea Shepherd, although there have been two ship collisions that each side blamed on the other.

Japanese Fisheries Minister Hirotaka Akamatsu lashed out at the activists on Friday, telling reporters: "I am full of rage. I could not believe they did such a thing."

Glenn Inwood, spokesman for Japan's Institute of Cetacean Research, which sponsors the hunt, said the injuries were not serious, but he cautioned that butyric acid can cause temporary blindness.

The injuries occurred during a several-hour confrontation between two Sea Shepherd boats - the Steve Irwin and the Bob Barker - and four Japanese vessels.

More on link

From the MSDS for Butyric acid

Potential Acute Health Effects:
Very hazardous in case of skin contact (irritant), of ingestion. Hazardous in case of eye contact (irritant), of inhalation. Slightly hazardous in case of skin contact (corrosive, permeator). Liquid or spray mist may produce tissue damage particularly on mucous membranes of eyes, mouth and respiratory tract. Skin contact may produce burns. Inhalation of the spray mist may produce severe irritation of respiratory tract, characterized by coughing, choking, or shortness of breath.

Potential Chronic Health Effects:
CARCINOGENIC EFFECTS: Not available.
MUTAGENIC EFFECTS: Not available.
TERATOGENIC EFFECTS: Not available.
DEVELOPMENTAL TOXICITY: Not available.
The substance is toxic to lungs, the nervous system, mucous membranes.
Repeated or prolonged exposure to the substance can produce target organs damage. Repeated or prolonged contact with spray mist may produce chronic eye irritation and severe skin irritation. Repeated or prolonged exposure to spray mist may produce respiratory tract irritation leading to frequent attacks of bronchial infection.

I am against whaling, at least the way it's being done and the fact that near-extinct species are being killed, however, the tactics used by these "activists" are nuts!

 

[infantryian]

I am against whaling, at least the way it's being done and the fact that near-extinct species are being killed, however, the tactics used by these "activists" are nuts!

Agreed. I like whales, and they havent really done anything all that bad to me, but to risk lives and ram ships is just plain insane. The Sea Sheppard group getting themselves killed won't change a darn thing.

 

[bdave]

the fact that near-extinct species are being killed, however, the tactics used by these "activists" are nuts!

Do you have anything to back up these claims?

Apparently the japanese hunt minke whales, which supposedly number in the millions. Their conservation status (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conservation_status) is at "least concerned". This is as far as a rating from extinction as you can get (on the conservation scale).
They hunt some sperm( and other types of) whales but it's not even close to the number of minke whales they hunt.
Minke whales are so plentiful, that they are actually becoming a hazard to other types of whales, who compete for the same food in the same waters.

I am going off of wikipedia here, which is not the most reliable source but I honestly think this issue has been blown out of the water (hur hur).

What I don't understand is why people care.
How does this effect us in any way?
If the Japanese bring about the extinction of the whales in their vicinity, then they won't be able to whale anymore. I don't think they'd let that happen. In any case, as long as they don't tread in our waters, what is the big deal?

 

[Loachman]

The Sea Sheppard group getting themselves killed won't change a darn thing.

Sure it will.

They'll be a lot quieter.

 

[bullitt]

I am going off of wikipedia here, which is not the most reliable source

Not a good start

What I don't understand is why people care.
How does this effect us in any way?
If the Japanese bring about the extinction of the whales in their vicinity, then they won't be able to whale anymore. I don't think they'd let that happen. In any case, as long as they don't tread in our waters, what is the big deal?

Really........
Well first it's not the Japanese's vicinity there are hunting in, it's Antarctica! Second whales don’t just stay in a single area of the ocean; they travel between hunting and breeding grounds, hence the whale watching seasons in Canadian waters off the West and East coasts! The big deal is the extinction of these whales and the way they are being killed. Harpooned dragged and then when exhausted from trying to get away they are shot over and over with a rifle until a major organ is hit. Does it affect you personally, maybe not but one day I would like to go see them off one of our beautiful coast. Can't really do that if we follow your master plan! Are the sea Shepherds idiots at sea, probably, but your attitude of who cares is just as stupid as their sea going knowledge…. No offence, and just my opinion.

 

[PMedMoe]

Since a precedent has been set for using Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whaling_in_Japan

During the 2009-10 season, the Japanese fleet included a factory ship, four harpoon ships and two security patrol vessels. The Japanese quota includes 935 minke, 50 fin and 50 humpback whales per season.

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/whales/species/Humpbackwhale.shtml

POPULATION COUNT
It is estimated that there are over 10,000-15,000 humpback whales world-wide. Humpback whales are an endangered species.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fin_Whale

Like all other large whales, the fin whale was heavily hunted during the twentieth century and is an endangered species. Almost 750,000 fin whales were taken from the Southern Hemisphere alone between 1904 and 1979 and less than 3,000 currently remain in that region.  The International Whaling Commission (IWC) has issued a moratorium on commercial hunting of this whale, although Iceland and Japan have announced intentions to resume hunting, the latter stating it will kill 50 whales for the 2008 season.

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/whales/species/Spermwhale.shtml

POPULATION COUNT
It is estimated that there are about 200,000 sperm whales world-wide. Sperm whales are considered an endangered species. These whales (and many other large whales) were over-hunted for many years, since their meat, oil, and other body parts are very valuable.

Good enough? 

 

[bdave]

Apparently the japanese hunt minke whales,. [...]their conservation status (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conservation_status) is at "least concerned". This is as far as a rating from extinction as you can get (on the conservation scale).
They hunt some sperm( and other types of) whales but it's not even close to the number of minke whales they hunt.
Minke whales are so plentiful, that they are actually becoming a hazard to other types of whales, who compete for the same food in the same waters.

Minke whales.

Well first it's not the Japanese's vicinity there are hunting in, it's Antarctica! Second whales don’t just stay in a single area of the ocean; they travel between hunting and breeding grounds, hence the whale watching seasons in Canadian waters off the West and East coasts! The big deal is the extinction of these whales and the way they are being killed. Harpooned dragged and then when exhausted from trying to get away they are shot over and over with a rifle until a major organ is hit. Does it affect you personally, maybe not but one day I would like to go see them off one of our beautiful coast. Can't really do that if we follow your master plan! Are the sea Shepherds idiots at sea, probably, but your attitude of who cares is just as stupid as their sea going knowledge…. No offence, and just my opinion.

Why would it be stupid? Hundreds of thousands of animals go extinct every year.
Your reason for banning whaling; an industry which feeds many people both figuratively and literally, is so you could one day go see them...maybe.


In all cases, i REPEAT.
THEY MOSTLY HUNT MINKE WHALES.

http://wildwhales.org/?page_id=42

These whales happen to not be extinct.
The other whales, while endangered, are not close to extinction.
"POPULATION COUNT
It is estimated that there are over 10,000-15,000 humpback whales world-wide. "
"The Japanese quota includes 935 minke, 50 fin and 50 humpback whales per season."

50/10000 = 0.5 percent of the entire humpback whale population.
Hardly a dent in their numbers.



Anyway, I am sorry for going off topic.
Sea Sheppard people are dumb.

 

[Michael OLeary]

http://www.seashepherd.org/news-and-media/news-100215-2.html

Sea Shepherd News

Monday, February 15, 2010

Update: Sea Shepherd Captain Detained Onboard Japanese Whaling Vessel

At 0630 Hours, Sea Shepherd Captain Peter Bethune of the vessel Ady Gil, which was sunk by the Japanese security ship Shonan Maru 2, boarded the whaling ship to conduct a citizen’s arrest of the skipper of the Shonan Maru 2.

Captain Bethune boarded the whaling ship under cover of darkness from a Jet Ski as the Shonan Maru 2 was travelling at 14 knots in the Southern Ocean. His first attempt failed when he fell into the frigid waters, but despite this the crew of the Shonan Maru 2 failed to see him and he successfully boarded the whaler without detection.

Captain Bethune’s breaching the security of the whaling fleet security vessel remained undetected for one and a half hours.

At 0800 Hours, once the sun had risen, Captain Bethune calmly knocked on the bridge wing door, entered the wheelhouse, and presented himself to the Captain of Shonan Maru 2 where he informed the skipper that he was under arrest for the sinking of the Sea Shepherd ship Ady Gil on January 6th, 2010.

All radio communications with Peter Bethune ceased at 0805. The Shonan Maru 2 did acknowledge that Bethune was onboard.

The Sea Shepherd ships Steve Irwin and Bob Barker continue to pursue the Japanese whaling ship Nisshin Maru eastward across the Southern Ocean. The ships are presently south of Australia’s Heard Island.

 

[Loachman]

I sense another South Park episode forthcoming.

 

[bullitt]

Minke whales.
Why would it be stupid? Hundreds of thousands of animals go extinct every year.

WOW really! This must be another of your Wikipedia sources again! Hundreds of thousands eh! Can you even name 1000 animals period? I'm guessing you will need Wikipedia for that one too! OHH they feed their starving people with the whale meat, I guess those fifty whales really made a world of difference keeping the population of Japan well nourished and full!!!  If you took the time to read you would see that my problem is the way they kill these animals, and that it does affect other people; not just Japan!

 

[Fusaki]

F**k whales.

 

[Loachman]

Pass, thanks.