TRAILER: Whale Wars - Viking Shores

Official series webpage with more information:
http://press.discovery.com/ekits/whale-wars-viking-shores



Series Premieres Friday, April 27 at 8 PM (et/pt).

In the North Atlantic, between Iceland and Scotland, lays a chain of islands with picturesque beaches and rolling green hills. The Faroe Islands are a self-governing Danish Territory of 50,000 people - descendants of Vikings, bound by proud tradition who have fished these waters for thousands of years. But there is a dark shadow over this beautiful land. Every year, Faroese people gather to herd pilot whales to their shallow shores to be killed for their meat, which is a food source.

WHALE WARS: VIKING SHORES, a new five-part series, documents "Operation Ferocious Islands," Sea Shepherd Conservation Society's whale defense campaign as they set sail to end this ancient tradition known as "The Grind" - Faroese for "whale drive" - that takes place every summer. With over 20 killing beaches spread across 18 islands, stopping this hunt won't be easy. For the first time in the history of the WHALE WARS saga, the Sea Shepherds are not only at sea but also deploying a covert team to patrol the streets, interact with locals and carry out undercover missions. Each one-hour episode follows the Sea Shepherd's land-air-sea campaign led by Paul Watson as they try to find the whales before the locals do. A hunt can happen at any moment, and the Sea Shepherds are vastly outnumbered in a new kind of face-to-face battle.

http://press.discovery.com/us/apl/programs/whale-wars-viking-shores/

Amazon bans the sale of whale and dolphin meat

Thanks to the work of several organizations such as Sea Shepherd, the EIA and the pressure of many thousands of people, Amazon finally banned the cruel business of whale and dolphin meat sale.



http://edition.cnn.com/video/?/video/bestoftv/2012/03/19/exp-jvm-dolphins-japan.hln

WHALE WARS - New series to start in 2012.

Videos:

More videos:
http://www.discoveryuk.com/web/whale-wars/video/
http://animal.discovery.com/videos/the-making-of-whale-wars-reflections.html

WHALE WARS - VIKING SHORES (NEW):

Series Premieres Friday, April 27 at 8 PM (et/pt).

In the North Atlantic, between Iceland and Scotland, lays a chain of islands with picturesque beaches and rolling green hills. The Faroe Islands are a self-governing Danish Territory of 50,000 people - descendants of Vikings, bound by proud tradition who have fished these waters for thousands of years. But there is a dark shadow over this beautiful land. Every year, Faroese people gather to herd pilot whales to their shallow shores to be killed for their meat, which is a food source.

WHALE WARS: VIKING SHORES, a new five-part series, documents "Operation Ferocious Islands," Sea Shepherd Conservation Society's whale defense campaign as they set sail to end this ancient tradition known as "The Grind" - Faroese for "whale drive" - that takes place every summer. With over 20 killing beaches spread across 18 islands, stopping this hunt won't be easy. For the first time in the history of the WHALE WARS saga, the Sea Shepherds are not only at sea but also deploying a covert team to patrol the streets, interact with locals and carry out undercover missions. Each one-hour episode follows the Sea Shepherd's land-air-sea campaign led by Paul Watson as they try to find the whales before the locals do. A hunt can happen at any moment, and the Sea Shepherds are vastly outnumbered in a new kind of face-to-face battle.

http://press.discovery.com/us/apl/programs/whale-wars-viking-shores/



WHALE WARS - NEW SEASON (for the UK):

A brand new series of Whale Wars begins Friday 30th March at 9pm only on Discovery channel.

When the Japanese whale meat processing ship — the Nisshin Maru — turned around and set its course back to its home port in mid-February, Captain Paul Watson and the Sea Shepherds declared a cautious victory. Watson and his international conservationist group have been hell bent on stopping the whaling industry for nearly a decade, harassing them and making international headlines in the process. Perhaps the Sea Shepherds' tactics finally had taken their toll... The whalers' actions not only signaled a possible victory for the Sea Shepherds, it also meant hundreds of whales' lives in the Antarctic would be spared this year through an unprecedented cancellation of an entire nation's whale hunt. But was it a final victory or just a temporary conquest?

The Emmy®-nominated Whale Wars returns for a capitvating fourth series with 10 exhilarating episodes documenting the Sea Shepherds' dramatic campaign on the Antarctic high seas. The series has enthralled audiences who have witnessed the dangerous cat-and-mouse game at the far end of the globe between the Sea Shepherds and the whalers. For years, Captain Paul Watson and his Sea Shepherd Conservation Society crew have taken to the high seas in an attempt to stop Japanese ships from hunting whales in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary. Whale Wars documents the ongoing battles in the icy Antarctic waters as the conflict between Sea Shepherds and the whalers grows more intense with each engagement — each pushing the other to the limit to fight for their beliefs.

Brand new series of Whale Wars begins Friday 30th March at 9pm only on Discovery

This new season is full of the drama that viewers have come to expect from the Sea Shepherds' campaigns, including new equipment in their arsenal — a new vessel that's almost as fast but far bigger than the boat destroyed last year, a helicopter with a greater range, secret GPS devices, and more. Aside from the Sea Shepherds' new tactics, there are harrowing experiences unlike any viewers will have seen before, including a crew stranded overnight in freezing conditions and a tragic mayday call. Captain Alex Cornelissen joins the campaign to helm the Bob Barker, and Captain Lockhart Maclean takes command of the Sea Shepherds' newest small vessel, the Gojira.

As Watson has said, "In order to save the whales, people have to be willing to risk their lives." And, before this campaign, when a reporter asked pointedly if he really couldn't stop whaling, he vehemently responded, "We can't stop whaling? That's what they once said about slavery, but it was stopped. So yes, we can stop whaling."

The third season of Whale Wars averaged nearly 1.4 million viewers, 29% above the season two average. In 2009, the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences recognized Whale Wars with a Television Academy Honor identifying it as "Television with a Conscience" for exploring issues of concern to society in a compelling, emotional and insightful way. The series has been nominated for a Primetime Emmy® for Outstanding Cinematography in a Non-Fiction Series (twice) and Outstanding Picture Editing for a Non-Fiction Series.

http://www.discoveryuk.com/web/whale-wars/about/

THE WHALE DEBATE:

When Whaling Was Accepted

Not long ago, whaling was more or less universally accepted. Whale oil lit lamps and kept machines running smoothly in industrial nations. Whalebone, or baleen, was used in parasol ribs and women's dresses. Whales were seen as resources to be exploited rather than thinking, feeling animals with their own intrinsic value. Whale stocks were considered limitless, or nearly so — that is, until these great animals began to disappear.

A Long History of Exploitation

Those who oppose a return to commercial whaling point to a long history of unsustainable exploitation and mismanagement of whale stocks, one that led to the endangerment and near-extinction of many whale species.

For decades, annual catch limits established by the IWC were more than whale populations could bear. Likewise, secret and illegal whaling activity — most notably by the Soviet Union between 1951 and 1972 (according to evidence of falsified reports revealed in the early 1990's) — played a major role in nearly wiping out many whales that are still endangered to this day. Would a resumption of commercial whaling inevitably lead to a repeat of history?

The Intrinsic Value of Whales

In the 1960's, when whale stocks were crashing and undersea exploration was on the rise, a new breed of scientists began to express concern for whales. Instead of simply warning about the depletion of a natural resource, these scientists spoke about the intrinsic value of whales, something that made many of their peers uncomfortable. As whales were increasingly watched, filmed and studied, their high intelligence, rich social lives, and ability to feel emotion and experience pain became apparent. These revelations galvanized activists like Paul Watson, who helped start the anti-whaling movement in the 1970's. They also influenced scientists, policy makers, the public — in fact, entire nations — leading to an international moratorium on commercial whaling in 1986.

No Reason to Hunt Whales?

Those opposed to whaling say there is no longer any reason to hunt whales in a world where petroleum has replaced whale oil, whale meat is no longer necessary for survival and we know so much about the intelligence and complex social lives of whales. We know that, when not killed instantly, it often takes 10 to 35 minutes for a whale to die once harpooned, and that they suffer. In Japan, a 2006 Gallup poll found that 83 percent of Japanese had not eaten whale in long time, or never. As evidenced by the booming whale-watching industry, millions would rather see whales alive than dead. And the IWC continues to oppose a return to commercial whaling.

Why do we still hunt whales?

Human beings have hunted whales for thousands of years. Evidence of whale-hunting activity in Japan dates back to at least 10,000 B.C., but the modern controversy over whaling really began at the beginning of the 20th century with the advent of steam ships and explosive harpoons. Until quite recently, whaling was accepted as a legitimate source of food, oil and bone products in many countries; in Japan, for example, whale meat was an important food source during and after World War 2, and still accounted for almost half the nation’s protein in 1947.

This history is an important part of why the Japanese continue to hunt whales. Attempts to stop the nation's whaling are perceived by many as a threat to Japanese culture. According to its defenders, eating whale meat is an old and impenetrable Japanese tradition. "No one has the right to criticize the food culture of another people," said Matayuki Komatsu of Japan's Fisheries Agency.

A sense of pride also fuels Japan's commitment to whaling. To some, the words and actions of those who oppose Japanese whaling are "culturally arrogant" and unnecessarily harsh. This only serves to strengthen the country's resolve to maintain its whaling, according to some.

Widespread opposition to whaling began in the 1960s and 1970s, when whales were shown to be highly intelligent and social animals that could feel pain and experience emotion. The methods used to kill whales were seen as excessively cruel, often causing them considerable suffering before death. Whaling opponents also pointed out that petroleum-based products had replaced whale oil as a fuel source for lamps, and that farming now provided abundant protein from more sustainable sources. With support from scientists and governments, the International Whaling Commission (IWC) passed a moratorium on commercial whaling in 1982. By 1986, most nations had completely stopped their whaling activities.

Whaling in the 21st century

Today, the UK and many other countries still strongly oppose commercial whaling of any kind, both on grounds of cruelty and conservation. But a small number of countries say that whaling is an important part of their cultural heritage and defend their right to kill whales for food and sustenance. Whales are still hunted on a small, localised scale in the USA, Denmark, Russia and St Vincent and the Grenadines, where IWC rules still allow subsistence whaling by aboriginal peoples such as Alaska's Inuits.

Despite widespread objection, commercial whaling is still conducted by three countries; Iceland, Norway and Japan. Iceland and Norway, in particular, have long objected to the IWC moratorium and have recently resumed their whaling activities. Japan notionally adheres to the commercial ban but instead hunts whales under a loophole in IWC regulations, which allows a certain number of animals to be killed for scientific research. Japan currently kills around 1,000 minke whales for so-called scientific purposes every year, as well as about 100 endangered fin and humpback whales.

The British government has repeatedly urged the Japanese, Icelandic and Norwegian governments to stop whaling activities, claiming that populations are too low to support commercial whaling of any species and that killing of even small numbers threatens their long-term survival. Many critics also point out that in countries such as Iceland, whaling damages sustainable, profitable tourism industries such as whale-watching. But the whaling countries vigorously defend their actions. Iceland insists that its economy is highly dependent on using all of its marine resources; while Japan says that its scientific research shows that minke whale populations in particular are large enough to support a return to commercial whaling.

http://www.discoveryuk.com/web/whale-wars/about/the-whale-debate/

THE ARGUMENT AGAINST WHALING:

In Defence of the Great Whales
by Captain Paul Watson

The situation with Japanese whaling is quite simply that the activities of the Japanese whaling fleet are illegal under international conservation law.

Japanese whalers are targeting protected and endangered whales in an established international whale sanctuary in violation of a global moratorium on commercial whaling. In so doing, they are in violation of the regulations of the International Whaling Commission (IWC), the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), and the Antarctic Treaty which specifically prohibits commercial activity in Antarctic waters. The refuelling of the whaling ships south of sixty degrees is also a violation of the Antarctic Treaty. In addition, the Japanese whalers are in contempt of a Federal Australian Court ruling that in January 2008 specifically prohibited whaling activities in the Australian Antarctic Territory.

Japanese claims that they are doing “research” whaling are bogus. This so called research began in 1986, the year the commercial moratorium was imposed. There is no provision to do “research” whaling in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary and the Japanese whalers have not been given CITES permits to kill endangered Fin whales.

The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society is not protesting Japanese whaling. We are an anti-poaching organization and we are intervening in accordance with the principles of the United Nation World Charter for Nature, ratified by the United Nation General Assembly in 1982 that allows for non-governmental organizations to uphold international conservation law.

Since the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society was established in 1977, the organization has consistently intervened against illegal activities that exploit marine life and habitats. The Society has never been convicted of any felony crimes arising out of our interventions and no person has ever been injured in a Sea Shepherd campaign. We have an unblemished record of non-violence although we refer to our approach as aggressive non-violence because we have no hesitation in destroying equipment that is illegally used to violate international conservation law.

The strategy of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society is to undermine the profits of the Japanese whaling industry. Our objective is to sink the Japanese whaling fleet – economically. For three years in a row we have negated whaling profits and cut their quotas in half. They are in debt and losing money every year they return. We will continue to oppose and intervene against their illegal activities until we bankrupt their industry.

The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society is an international marine conservation organization funded by private donations and our ships are staffed by dedicated volunteer men and women from around the world. What we do is legal, effective, educational and makes for a compelling television series illustrating how average people can successfully defend our planet in the most remote and hostile area of the world against a powerful, wealthy yet viciously violent criminal opposition.

My crew and I risk our lives in defence of defending life in our oceans. This is the ultimate reality show – because nothing is more real than risking all to defend this planet.

www.discoveryuk.com/web/whale-wars/about/the-argument-against-whaling/

THE SEA SHEPHERD CONSERVATION SOCIETY:

Know more and help at:

http://www.seashepherd.org

http://www.seashepherd.org/whales/

http://www.seashepherd.org/whales/whale-wars.html

The Cove | A Enseada

ENGLISH: Academy Award Winner for Best Documentary of 2009, THE COVE follows an elite team of activists, filmmakers and freedivers as they embark on a covert mission to penetrate a remote and hidden cove in Taiji, Japan, shining a light on a dark and deadly secret. Utilizing state-of-the-art techniques, including hidden microphones and cameras in fake rocks, the team uncovers how this small seaside village serves as a horrifying microcosm of massive ecological crimes happening worldwide. The result is a provocative mix of investigative journalism, eco-adventure and arresting imagery, adding up to an unforgettable story that has inspired audiences worldwide to action. THE COVE is directed by Louie Psihoyos and produced by Paula DuPré Pesmen and Fisher Stevens. The film is written by Mark Monroe. The executive producer is Jim Clark and the co-producer is Olivia Ahnemann.


PORTUGUÊS: Vencedor do Óscar para melhor documentário de 2009. Documentário que expõe a matança dos golfinhos no Japão, onde cerca de 23 mil são mortos anualmente e muitos outros são capturados para serem enviados para parques de diversões. O filme mostra Taiji, uma pequena cidade do Japão que parece ser dedicada às maravilhas e mistérios dos elegantes e brincalhões golfinhos e baleias que nadam ao largo das suas costas oceânicas. Mas, em uma remota enseada cercada por arame farpado e placas de “afaste-se”, é onde os pescadores de Taiji, impulsionados por uma multi-bilionária indústria do entretenimento com golfinhos e um mercado clandestino de sua carne, participam de uma caçada invisível..

Defenders Of The Wild: Ocean Raider

On the high seas, beyond the reach of the law, the ships that illegally kill whales, dolphins and seals can do so with little fear of punishment. But there is one sight that they have learnt to dread: the black pirate flag of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. 'Set a pirate to catch a pirate', is founder Captain Paul Watson's motto and for twenty-five years he has put those words into action. This film follows the exploits of Watson and the crew of two of Sea Shepherd's vessels, as they sails thousands of miles across the North Pacific to confront the drift-netting fleets of Taiwan, Japan and South Korea.

The voyage culminates in a dramatic dawn attack on Japanese drift netters and bring the armed intervention of US Coastguard cutters and patrol aircraft. Watson is rightly proud that, in all their actions, no-one has ever been injured. But can he justify putting fishermen and whalers out of work? The films tracks the controversial career of this Greenpeace founder (membership card number 007), survivor of the siege at Wounded Knee and dozens of attacks on whalers.

'Ocean Raider', won a Best Film and four Merit Awards at The International Wildlife Film Festival, 1994 .

WATCH FULL DOCUMENTARY:

Sea Shepherd Brazil - Videos list

Videos list from Sea Shepherd Brazil (English with Portuguese subtitles)

Lista de vídeos da Sea Shepherd Brasil (Inglês e legendado em Português)



More | Mais:
http://www.youtube.com/user/SeaShepherdBrasil

FOOD INC - You will never look at food the same way

An important documentary presenting about how food is produce and its consequences for people, animals and nature.

Hungry for Change

In Food, Inc., filmmaker Robert Kenner lifts the veil on our nation's food industry, exposing the highly mechanized underbelly that has been hidden from the American consumer with the consent of our government's regulatory agencies, USDA and FDA. Our nation's food supply is now controlled by a handful of corporations that often put profit ahead of consumer health, the livelihood of the American farmer, the safety of workers and our own environment. We have bigger-breasted chickens, the perfect pork chop, herbicide-resistant soybean seeds, even tomatoes that won't go bad, but we also have new strains of E. coli—the harmful bacteria that causes illness for an estimated 73,000 Americans annually. We are riddled with widespread obesity, particularly among children, and an epidemic level of diabetes among adults.

Featuring interviews with such experts as Eric Schlosser (Fast Food Nation), Michael Pollan (The Omnivore's Dilemma, In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto) along with forward thinking social entrepreneurs like Stonyfield's Gary Hirshberg and Polyface Farms' Joel Salatin, Food, Inc. reveals surprising—and often shocking truths—about what we eat, how it's produced, who we have become as a nation and where we are going from here.

Take action: http://www.takepart.com/foodinc

 

Right click on the image for a larger version

Sea Shepherd - Bob Barker crew welcomed into Hobart

Tasmanian Greens Environment spokesperson Cassy O'Connor MP welcoming the crew of the Sea Shepherd's Bob Barker into Hobart, following the group's successful Operation Divine WInd campaign in the Southern Ocean, which saved the lives of nearly 700 whales.

Captain Peter Hammarstedt discusses what he says was one of the group's most difficult campaigns yet, battling an increasingly desperate Japanese whaling industry.

SSCS hopes financial losses will kill Japanese whaling

Video - Captain Peter Hammarstedt speaks to ABC news.http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-03-14/20120314-anti-whaling-ship-returns/3888404

Activists hope financial losses will kill Japanese whaling
March 14, 2012

Conservationists are pinning their hopes of an end to Antarctic whaling to growing financial losses sustained by Japan's fleet. The whalers killed less than one-third of their quota this season under Sea Shepherd pressure, as the fleet left the Antarctic weeks earlier than most previous years.

They harpooned 266 minkes and one fin whale in almost three months of hunting, the Fisheries Agency of Japan said. The tally is the second lowest for many seasons, after the whalers were forced out of the Antarctic last year by Sea Shepherd harassment, having taken 172 whales.

The FAJ said the whaling ships left the far south "as scheduled", but the end to their hunt came just a day after the Sea Shepherd ship Bob Barker finally caught up with the factory ship Nisshin Maru. The Bob Barker today docked in Hobart, where its captain, Peter Hammarstedt, said at some point the whaling fleet would have to reach a tipping point where economic losses were too great to sustain.

"Given this is the second year where they didn't get anywhere near their quota, we're cautiously optimistic they won't return next year."

The Japanese government has given no indication it is prepared to end the controversial hunt. Instead last year it found $28 million in a tsunami relief mini-budget to pay the Institute of Cetacean Research's debts and provide fleet security, Mr Hammarstedt, at age 27 a veteran of seven Antarctic campaigns, said his next task for Sea Shepherd would be to assist in the search for a fourth ship for the group, fast enough to match the speedy harpoon ships.

"We are absolutely 100 per cent committed to intervening against the Japanese whaling fleet if it decides to return," he said.

In Fremantle, costly repairs to the group's damaged scout ship, Brigitte Bardot, are nearing completion. Tougher bracing has been fixed to the vessel's hull, which was badly damaged in a Southern Ocean storm. It is expected to be relaunched next month.

Meanwhile the Australian government is studying Japan's lengthy counter-memorial, its response to Australia's case against "research whaling" in the International Court of Justice. The counter-memorial was given to the government last weekend, and a second round of confidential written submissions may be lodged with the court before any oral hearing of the case in open court. No decision is expected in the case before the next Antarctic whaling season is due to begin in December.

The shadow environment minister, Greg Hunt, has renewed calls to shift legal action to the much faster route of the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea. He said a Coalition government would also seek to engage Japanese people by sending youth ambassadors to speak of deep concerns Australians have about whaling.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/environment/whale-watch/activists-hope-financial-losses-will-kill-japanese-whaling-20120314-1uziu.html#ixzz1p6t3UF1d

SSCS Vegan cooking: How to make a vegan bread

The first cooking segment aboard The Bob Barker with the ship chef, William.

SSCS keeps the crew members healthy and strong during the intense (and cold!) months at sea. All food in SSCS is 100% vegan and all meals are prepared inside the galley. Watch this video and find out what it's like to prepare food on a ship and learn how to make delicious vegan bread!

I am a cove guardian - Help save dolphins in Taiji

Know more informations and what you can do to help at:
http://www.seashepherd.org/cove-guardians

Whale Wars - Silent Seas: A song for Sea Shepherd

SILENT SEAS

Let's protect the whales from the harpoons of
Japan, Norway and Iceland
We should save the whales for the seven seas
Need the giants of the deep

See them glide and dive oh so gracefully
The keepers of the ocean
Don't let killers win. We must take a stand
For the giants of the deep

Tell them how you feel. That it's time to stop
The murder of cetaceans
Tell the killing fleets 'Quit your false research'
On the giants of the deep

Hear the humpback sing like a diva, so
Don't let the seas fall silent
Feel your spirit soar when Sea Shepherd's there
For the giants of the deep

I've nothing against these nations
I just wish they would see the light
But I swear in the days we've left
We'll make the oceans safe
We'll make the oceans safe

As the years go past will you want to see
An empty, whale-free ocean?
Or a safe haven where the whales are free
To be giants of the deep

Let's protect the whales from the harpoons of
Japan, Norway and Iceland
We should save the whales for the seven seas
Need the giants of the deep

Save the giants of the deep
Save the giants of the deep

Copyright © Pete Sandford 2008

SUCCESS - Operation Divine Wind is over: Whalers head back to Japan

The Whalers Head Home!The Bob Barker making its way through the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary. Photo: Carolina A. Castr

The Japanese Whaling Fleet Leaves the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary 

Operation Divine Wind is over! The Japanese whalers are going home!

The Japanese whaling fleet has left the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary and they are heading home.  “Once Captain Peter Hammerstedt and his crew on the Bob Barker closed in on the Nisshin Maru on March 5th, the whaling season was effectively over for the season,” said Captain Paul Watson on the Sea Shepherd flagship Steve Irwin recently returned and now berthed in Williamstown, Victoria, Australia.

Since March 1st, the Bob Barker has followed the Nisshin Maru as they headed steadily northwestward. The Japanese harpoon vessels have stopped tailing the Bob Barker. The fleet has left the waters of the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary, according to Captain Peter Hammarstedt. The Japanese government security vessel, Shonan Maru #2, has been spotted by fishing vessels at thirty degrees South, which is due east of Brisbane, Australia indicating that the vessel is well on its way back to Japan.

A Minke Whale swims freely, as it should, in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary. Photo: Billy DangerIt has been a long and difficult campaign and although handicapped by the temporary loss of the scout vessel the Brigitte Bardot, the Steve Irwin and the Bob Barker were able to chase the Japanese whaling fleet for more than 17,000 miles, giving them little time to kill whales. In addition, two of the three harpoon vessels spent more time tailing the two Sea Shepherd ships than killing whales.

“The kill figures will not be released by Japan until April, but in my opinion they will not get over 50% for certain and my prediction is it will not be above 30%. Not as good as last season, but much better than all the previous years.”  Said Captain Paul Watson. “It has been a successful campaign. There are hundreds of whales swimming free in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary that would now be dead if we had not been down there for the last three months. That makes us very happy indeed."

The Bob Barker will return to Hobart, Tasmania, the Brigitte Bardot is completing repairs in Fremantle, and the Steve Irwin is now berthed in Williamstown.
In December 2012, if the Japanese whaling fleet returns to the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society will launch Operation Cetacean Justice with four ships, two helicopters, four UAV (drones), and 120 volunteers.

“If the Japanese whalers return, Sea Shepherd will return. We are committed to the defense of the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary.” Said Captain Paul Watson. “No matter how long it takes, no matter how risky or expensive. The word “sanctuary” actually means something to us and that something is worth fighting for.”

The frigid Antarctic waters begin to freeze as the Bob Barker heads home. Photo: Carolina A. Castro

Visit our Operation Divine Wind site for information about our 2011-12 Antarctic Whale Defense Campaign

http://www.seashepherd.org/news-and-media/2012/03/08/the-whalers-head-home-1352

Nisshin impossible: Japanese whalers quit

The Nisshin Maru was far from its whaling grounds last night.

THE Japanese whaling fleet is said to have called off its Antarctic hunt early after the factory ship Nisshin Maru was tracked down by Sea Shepherd conservationists.
Sea Shepherd's leader, Paul Watson, said the Nisshin Maru was steaming north last night, far from its whaling grounds, weeks before the usual season's end.
Fleet security ships had dropped away from the group's long-range ship, Bob Barker, and were also headed back to Japan, Mr Watson said.

''What with the bad weather they've been having, too, they certainly lost the whole of March,'' he said.

It would be the second year in a row that the Japanese government had ended the hunt early under conservationist pressure, although this year the Nisshin Maru was able to stay ahead of the anti-whaling activists for longer.
Under constant pressure from the fleet's security ships, the activists finally came within sight of the factory ship only last Monday at Commonwealth Bay, in Australian Antarctic waters south of Hobart.

Japanese security ships tried to blockade the Bob Barker in what the Institute of Cetacean Research said was a ''containment measure'' to head off the pursuit of the Nisshin Maru.

The activists said the harassment kept the Nisshin Maru moving, and with unusually bad weather, reduced the number of whales taken. Mr Watson estimated the whalers were likely to have taken only around 30 per cent of their quota.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/environment/whale-watch/nisshin-impossible-japanese-whalers-quit-20120308-1un8f.html#ixzz1oZIlpnOA

A talk with Paul Watson

Byron Vibe caught up with Paul Watson from Sea Shepherd for a quick chat during his recent fund raising trip to Byron Bay.

The Night Attack of the Yushins

A crew member of the Bob Barker watches as one of the Yushins tries to prop-foul the Sea Shepherd vessel. Photo: Carolina A. CaAs the Bob Barker was closing in on the fleeing Nisshin Maru, the floating Japanese abattoir illegally hunting whales in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary, two harpoon vessels Yushin Maru No. 2 and Yushin Maru No. 3, turned and headed straight for the Sea Shepherd ship, Bob Barker, which was under the command of Swedish captain Peter Hammarstedt. Darkness was rapidly closing in and snow was beginning to fall, when in a desperate move to throw the Bob Barker off the back of the Nisshin Maru, the two harpoon vessels began passing dangerously across the bow of the Bob Barker dragging 300 meter long, thick cables to foul the prop of the Bob Barker.

The harpoon ships trained their spotlights on the bridge of the Bob Barker, in an effort to blind the crew but backed off when the Bob Barker crew retaliated with lasers. Flares were fired and angry radio messages exchanged in Japanese and English.
The Yushin harpoon vessels illegally turned off their running lights during the incidents contributing to the danger of their reckless maneuvers.

The Yushins, much faster and more maneuverable than the Bob Barker harried the Sea Shepherd crew at close quarters for hours in their effort to prevent the Bob Barker from pursuing the Nisshin Maru.
Captain Peter Hammarstedt (27), a veteran of numerous Sea Shepherd campaigns deftly avoided the fouling lines as he kept the pressure on the Nisshin Maru.

There were no injuries on any of the ships involved and the Bob Barker continues to pursue the Nisshin Maru, having totally disrupted their illegal whaling activities.
With only a few weeks left in the whaling season the Japanese are determined to kill as many whales as possible and the Sea Shepherd crew are equally as determined to stop them.

“The Bob Barker is 1600 miles south of Tasmania,” said Captain Paul Watson on board the Steve Irwin, presently approaching the Bass Strait and due to arrive in Melbourne within twenty-four hours. “Captain Hammarstedt and his crew are bravely taking on the entire whaling fleet and keeping them on the run. There is no question that this is an exceedingly dangerous conflict but there is also no doubt that it is being highly effective. The Japanese whaling fleet’s kill quota will be greatly reduced this season and we are ready to return once again next season if they decide to continue their illegal slaughter of whales in the Australian Antarctic Territory and the Australian Economic Exclusion Zone.”

The Steve Irwin was forced to return due to lack of fuel. The Bob Barker was able to refuel in Wellington, New Zealand and can remain in pursuit of the Japanese fleet well into April if need be. The whaling season will close within weeks due to the onslaught of the extreme Antarctic winter conditions.

The Yushin crosses the bow of the Bob Barker with a 300 meter trailing line in an attempt to prop foul the Bob Barker. Photo: Carolina A. Castro

The Yushin Maru No. 2 trails a line in an attempt to prop-foul the Bob Barker. Photo: Carolina A. Castro

Visit our Operation Divine Wind site for information about our 2011-12 Antarctic Whale Defense Campaign

http://www.seashepherd.org/news-and-media/2012/03/05/the-night-attack-of-the-yushins-1350

Whaling Fleet Has Been Found and Shut Down

Captain Paul Watson received a satellite phone call from Captain Peter Hammarstedt onboard the Bob Barker at 2200 Hours (AEST) on March 5^th. “Eureka! Paul, we have the Nisshin Maru in our sights,” said Captain Hammarstedt The Nisshin Maru and her three deadly harpoon boats were found at 64 Degrees 59 Minutes South and 130 Degrees 51 Minutes East at Commonwealth Bay, sixty miles off the Antarctic Coast, inside the Australian Economic Exclusion Zone.
The Yushin Maru No. 3 had just arrived from tailing the Steve Irwin. Despite the three harpoon vessels deployed to intercept the Bob Barker, Captain Hammarstedt slipped through their web and gained a visual identification on the primary target. Two of the harpoon vessels were in pursuit of whales. All whaling activity stopped as the Nisshin Maru began running, but the Bob Barker is faster and is gaining steadily on the hated factory ship.
“We have her in our sights and she will not be able to outrun us,” said Bob Barker third mate, Vincent Burke of Melbourne. “We have kept them running for two months and that has disrupted their operations considerably, but now with the Bob Barker on their stern slipway whaling is effectively shut down for 2012,” said Captain Hammarstedt (27) from Sweden.
The Japanese security ship, Shonan Maru No. 2, is still tailing the Steve Irwin, presently one day from the Bass Strait, and is now 1600 nautical miles away from the whaling fleet. The Steve Irwin successfully led the Shonan Maru No. 2 and the Yushin Maru No. 3 away from the Bob Barker, to allow the Bob Barker to lose a tailing vessel. The key to finding the Nisshin Maru was losing the tailing ship-and it worked.
“This has been a long and tough campaign, with the worst weather and ice conditions that we have experienced in the entire eight seasons we have ventured into the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary,” said Captain Paul Watson. “Despite the temporary loss of our scout ship, the Brigitte Bardot, and our constant dogged pursuit of the Nisshin Maru, we have kept them on the run, taken two of their three harpoon vessels off the hunt for two months, severely crippled their killing capabilities, and now once again we have shut them down 100%. Operation Divine Wind has been enormously successful.”

The Bob Barker spots the whaling fleet's factory ship
The Nisshin Maru Photo: Carolina A. Castro

http://www.seashepherd.org/news-and-media/2012/03/05/eureka-the-whaling-fleet-has-been-found-and-shut-down-1349