Encyclopedias: Japanese whaling fleet

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Monday, January 23, 2012

Anti-whalers in clash with Japanese

Anti-whaling campaigners and the crew of a Japanese whaling ship have had a violent clash at sea, with the activists hurling containers of rotten butter and paint and getting sticks and teargas in return.

Sea Shepherd's Steve Irwin vessel was shadowing the Yushin Maru 2 in the Antarctic Ocean when the confrontation occurred on Sunday.

The Japanese Fisheries Agency says the activists threw more than 40 bottles of rotten butter and paint at the whaling ship.

Steve Irwin captain Paul Watson told the ABC that the Japanese returned fire with concussion grenades and teargas.

"They have been using concussion grenades on us," Mr Watson said.

"Today they used, also for the first time, teargas which they have in these large canisters on backpacks."

It was the latest incident in the long-running battle between the activists and Japanese.

Two weeks ago three Australians illegally boarded the Shonan Maru 2 off the West Australian coast in an effort to disrupt the Japanese whalers.

"We're chasing the Japanese whaling fleet. They're running and it's a constant confrontation," Mr Watson said.

He said the Australian and New Zealand governments should have ships in the area to monitor the situation.

"But our objective is to save as many whales as we possibly can and their objective is to kill as many whales as they possibly can," Mr Watson said.

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Whaler ignores call to leave Australian waters

A JAPANESE whaling ship has defied high-level Australian complaints to stay in the waters of World Heritage-listed Macquarie Island.

The harpoon-equipped whale hunter Yushin Maru No.3 was still there late yesterday, hours after the Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, said the ship was leaving.

''I'm aware that there has been one vessel which I'm advised has been in Australian territorial waters and I'll advise that it will leave Australian territorial waters,'' Ms Gillard said.

The Australian embassy told the Japanese government on Tuesday that whaling vessels were not welcome in the country's waters, repeating earlier complaints.

But the Japanese ship was photographed yesterday within a few miles of the coast of Macquarie Island, which is part of the state of Tasmania.

The Sea Shepherd anti-whaling group said the harpoon ship continued trailing its vessel, Bob Barker, inside the 12-nautical-mile territorial limit all day.

''Things seem to be reaching a boiling point here,'' the Bob Barker's first mate, Peter Hammarstedt, said. ''It has followed us on circuits of the island, keeping right inside the 12-mile zone.''

The Bob Barker sought refuge at Macquarie Island to try to shake the ship off its stern. As long as some Japanese vessels are able to keep tabs on Sea Shepherd activists, the rest of the fleet can continue whaling.

ANU professor of international law Don Rothwell said if Yushin Maru No.3 was staying close to Macquarie Island it was violating the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea which would normally allow a ship to proceed though these waters.

''The actions of Yushin Maru No.3 are not consistent with the right of innocent passage,'' Professor Rothwell said.

The Greens leader, Bob Brown, said the ship's presence was illegal and called for a naval vessel to be sent there.

Saturday, January 14, 2012

Greens whale patrol bill ready

The Greens expect a proposed bill requiring Australia to send a patrol boat to the Southern Ocean to monitor the activities of Japanese whalers could be passed by Federal Parliament in the next two months.

Party leader Bob Brown said today the Greens bill required the support of the Coalition and independent MPs in the lower house to pass, before being rubber stamped by the Greens in the Senate.

"If the opposition takes the bill, and I am very happy to talk about amendments or changes that they may wish to make; it certainly will pass the Senate," Senator Brown told reporters in Hobart.

"It will take a couple of independents to ensure that it passes the house and we'd be well able to have this legislation go through in the months of February or March."

Senator Brown said if the bill was passed it would be too late to have any effect on this year's whale hunt by the Japanese.

"But it would ensure that there was a patrol boat with the authority of Australia in our Antarctic waters, if the Japanese come south again next season ... to engage in the slaughter of hundreds of these warm blooded mammals that Australians want to see protected."

The federal government has already ruled out Senator Brown's proposal, saying it had previously sent a boat to the area to gather evidence for its application to the International Court of Justice against Japanese whalers.

"We don't need to do it again," Attorney-General Nicola Roxon said this week.

Coalition leader Tony Abbott has suggested a patrol boat be sent to the area.

Environment spokesman Greg Hunt said this week the opposition would consider supporting the Greens bill, although it had yet to see the detail.

Senator Brown also today called on the government to take out an injunction in the international court to stop the whale hunt, while the court considers Australia's application that was lodged in 2010.

Japan is due to respond in March this year and it is likely the court won't hand down a decision until 2015.

"It's really important here that Australia assert itself," he said.

Senator Brown pointed to the Japanese whaler Yushin Maru No.3, which has been tailing the anti-whaling Sea Shepherd Conservation Society vessel Bob Barker and traversing waters off Macquarie Island in Australia's Antarctic world heritage area.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard said yesterday she had been advised the Yushin Maru would leave the waters overnight.

It was still there this morning but was expected to depart during the day.

"The latest information I have from Sea Shepherd is that the Japanese ship is finally leaving the vicinity," Senator Brown said.

"It should have gone a long time ago.

"It should never have been invading Australia's territorial waters.

"It's illegal that it did that and charges should be laid against the captain of that ship who knowingly entered Australian waters in breach of Australian law."

He wants the government to request through Interpol copies of the ship's logs and video equipment to support any future court action against the captain.

Senator Brown said if the government could call on Sea Shepherd to obey the law during its anti-whaling activities, then that stance should apply to the Japanese captain.

He also repeated his view that the bill for the pick-up by customs of three Australian protesters detained on the Japanese hunt-security vessel Shonan Maru No.2 this week should be paid by Japan.

Ms Gillard has said the bill to taxpayers will be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The Greens leader gave a copy of the minor party's proposed legislation to the opposition today and will also send details to independent MPs.

Friday, January 13, 2012

HUNGER STRIKE: Desperate measures for detained Sea Shepherd whale protesters

THE three Australian activists being held on a Japanese whaling security vessel are on a hunger strike, with an environmental group saying this was the plan all along.

Geoffrey Tuxworth from Perth, Simon Peterffy from Bunbury and Glen Pendlebury from Fremantle, all from the group Forest Rescue Australia, boarded the Shonan Maru No. 2 on Sunday off the south-west coast of Western Australia.

They have been detained by the Japanese vessel's crew and could be taken to Tokyo to face piracy and trespass charges, sparking a diplomatic incident.

Forest Rescue Australia spokesman Rowan Davidson told AAP the three men were now on a hunger strike.

"That was the plan all along, that they would go on board and be on a hunger strike," Mr Davidson said.

"What is making it difficult is that Simon has high cholesterol and does not have his medication with him.

"Glen also has ADHD and didn't bring his medication with him either."

Mr Davidson said the trio had hoped the Japanese vessel would return the men to Australian shores.

Meanwhile, Errol Tuxworth said his son Geoffrey, 47, had called his parents on Saturday and told them he and two other men were going out to sea to protest against whaling.

However, Mr Tuxworth said he had no idea his son planned to protest by boarding the vessel.

He is pleading with the Government to help rescue his son but says he has received very little communication.

"We've been trying to talk to the Government but we can't really do anything more for him," he said.

Mr Tuxworth said he knew his son had his mobile phone with him when he went out to sea.

"We tried to ring him but he didn't answer," Mr Tuxworth said.

"But it wasn't switched off, so I think they must have taken it off him."

Meanwhile, a group of about 45 people gathered at the Japanese consulate in Perth to support the three detained men.

Mr Davidson said there was a strong police presence there and no one from the consulate addressed the crowd.

Continued: http://www.news.com.au/national/sea-shepherd-protesters-may-be-tried-in-japan-after-boarding-whaling-vessel-being-detained/story-e6frfkvr-1226239481962

Sea Shepherd accuses govt of demonisation

Anti-whaling group Sea Shepherd has accused Prime Minister Julia Gillard of trying to demonise its work and says a costly mission to rescue three protesters on a Japanese ship is unnecessary.

Customs is sending a boat, Ocean Protector, to pick up Geoffrey Tuxworth, 47, Simon Peterffy, 44, and Glen Pendlebury, 27, who boarded the Shona Maru II off the coast of Bunbury on Saturday night.

Ms Gillard has said the mission is expected to cost taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars.

But Sea Shepherd president Paul Watson says a vessel from his group is nearby and could easily pick the men up at little or no cost.

"All they have to do is transfer them over to our boat, we're only 15 miles from the Shona Maru II - a simple, low-cost solution," Mr Watson told the Seven Network.

"There's no need to be sending this Customs vessel.

"I think that the prime minister and attorney-general are just trying to demonise us."

Mr Watson said the federal government had not spoken to the Sea Shepherd organisation and had no idea why it had decided to send the Customs vessel.

The three men, part of the Forest Rescue organisation, had boarded the Shona Maru II as part of ongoing protests against Japanese whaling in the Southern Ocean.

Meanwhile, it was reported on Wednesday that Japanese whalers had entered Australian territorial waters, inside a 12-mile limit around sub-Antarctic Macquarie Island.

http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/sea-shepherd-accuses-govt-of-demonisation-20120111-1pu2t.html

Thursday, January 5, 2012

Sea Shepherd finds whalers

Anti-whaling activists have found the Japanese whaling fleet in Antarctic waters due south of Hobart after a pursuit across the ocean.

The fleet was first spotted by Sea Shepherd on Christmas Eve to the south-west of Western Australia.

It has since steamed at speed towards the other end of its expected whaling grounds, covering more than 1500 nautical miles.

Sea Shepherd said its long-range ship Bob Barker was today closing in on the Nisshin Maru, just to the north of the French Antarctic base, Dumont d'Urville, when the activists' ship was spotted by the harpoon ship Yushin Maru No.3.

"It appears that the Yushin Maru No.3 has not begun whaling activities, as its harpoon is still covered," Sea Shepherd leader Paul Watson said.

He said the Bob Barker was heading east in pursuit of the Nisshin Maru, followed at close range by the Yushin Maru No.3.

"Sea Shepherd can confirm that the Japanese whaling fleet is now in Australian Antarctic Territorial waters," Mr Watson said.

"Because the Nisshin Maru and the harpoon vessels have been moving continuously since first located by Sea Shepherd, they do not appear to have had any time to kill whales," he said.

"They know that if they slow down or stop, the Bob Barker will close the gap and will be on them."

Meanwhile, he said the storm-damaged Brigitte Bardot and its escort, the Steve Irwin, were still being tailed by the whalers' security ship, Shonan Maru No.2, deep inside the Australian 200-nautical mile Exclusive Economic Zone, south-west of Perth.

After being slowed by heavy weather, the Sea Shepherd vessels expect to arrive in Fremantle late tomorrow morning.

The Steve Irwin plans to refuel quickly and return to assist the Bob Barker in intervening against any whaling.

Monday, January 2, 2012

Anti-whalers' ships struggle to safety

Two Sea Shepherd ships are struggling northward in the Southern Ocean through another storm, the anti-whaling group says.

The scout ship Brigitte Bardot was struck by a rogue wave that cracked the main hull and severely damaged one of its pontoons on Wednesday.

The Sea Shepherd's flagship, Steve Irwin, went to help and had to abandon the pursuit of the Japanese whaling fleet. It is escorting the Brigitte Bardot to Fremantle for repairs.

"We are watching the Brigitte Bardot very closely," the group's leader, Paul Watson, said on Saturday.

"The seas are getting rougher and the winds are increasing and there is a great deal of pressure being put on the damaged pontoon of the Brigitte Bardot. It looks like we will have to struggle through these conditions for another 24 hours."

The crew of the Brigitte Bardot are wearing their survival suits, Mr Watson said.

The Japanese government security ship Shonan Maru #2 continues to tail the Steve Irwin and the Brigitte Bardot.

The Sea Shepherd ship Bob Barker is still pursuing the Japanese whaling fleet. Last season it shut down the whaling operations on its own.

"This is not going to be a successful year for the whalers," said Bob Barker first officer Peter Hammarstedt of Sweden.

"They have never arrived so late before and they have spent more money for security to protect the whalers from Sea Shepherd than they will ever gain this year from profits from whaling. We continue to pursue them as they continue to run eastward to avoid us. We will not let up on them until they leave the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary."

This is the eighth year that Sea Shepherd has pursued the Japanese whalers in the Southern Ocean.

"Our objective from the beginning was to sink the Japanese whaling fleet economically, to bankrupt them. We have succeeded in doing so," Mr Watson said.

"Now the task is to defeat them politically. We are under no illusion that this will be easy. The whalers survive because of massive Japanese government subsidies and much of this subsidy was allocated from the tsunami earthquake defence fund."

http://www.smh.com.au/environment/whale-watch/antiwhalers-ships-struggle-to-safety-20120101-1pgtb.html

Saturday, December 31, 2011

Anti-whaling ship stranded off the coast of Australia

An anti-whaling ship is being towed to safety after being stranded off the western coast of Australia.
The Brigitte Bardot vessel was following the Japanese whaling fleet in the Southern Ocean when a rogue wave cracked its hull.

Another boat from the anti-whaling organisation Sea Shepherd went to the rescue.

Captain Paul Watson, the founder of Sea Shepherd, spoke to the BBC from the rescue ship Steve Irwin.

Video here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-16352855

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Drones used to track Japan whaling fleet

Anti-whaling activists' drone tracks Japan fleet

Anti-whaling activists intercepted Japan's harpoon fleet far north of Antarctic waters on Sunday, they said, with the help of a military-style drone.

Sea Shepherd Conservation Society spokesman Paul Watson said the unmanned long-range drone, launched from the anti-whaling ship the Steve Irwin, had located the Japanese fleet and relayed the coordinates back to the activists.

Watson said Sea Shepherd, a militant activist group which regularly shadows and harasses the Japanese whalers, had caught up with the fleet at 37 degrees south, 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometres) above Antarctic waters.

No whales had been killed so far, he added.

"This is going to be a long hard pursuit from here to the coast of Antarctica," said Watson.

"But thanks to these drones, we now have an advantage we have never had before -- eyes in the sky."

Three Japanese security vessels were tailing the Steve Irwin to prevent it from following the Nisshin Maru factory ship, Watson said.

But he said the activists had established the upper hand with their two drones, donated by Moran Office of Maritime and Port Security (MOMPS), a private US firm.

Fitted with cameras and detection equipment, the drones have previously been used to combat bluefin tuna poaching off Libya.

Unmanned aircraft are most notably used by US forces in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

The Sea Shepherd drones were developed by New Jersey-based MOMPS, which is described as working to enforce international maritime and fisheries rules and "helping to prevent acts of terrorism and piracy worldwide".

Watson said: "We can cover hundreds of miles with these drones and they have proven to be valuable assets for this campaign."

While the Steve Irwin was being tailed by the harpooners' security detail he said Sea Shepherd's other vessels the Bob Barker and Brigitte Bardot -- which can travel faster than the whalers -- were free to chase the Japanese south.

Commercial whaling is banned under an international treaty but Japan has since 1987 used a loophole to carry out "lethal research" in the name of science -- a practice condemned by environmentalists and anti-whaling nations.

Australia, New Zealand, the United States and the Netherlands issued a joint statement earlier this month expressing their "disappointment" at the annual hunt and warning against violent encounters.

Confrontations with the increasingly sophisticated Sea Shepherd group have escalated in recent years, with one clash sinking an activist powerboat and a protester arrested for boarding a Japanese ship.

Sea Shepherd harassment saw the Japanese cut their hunt short last season, and they are now suing the activists in Washington seeking an injunction against what they say is a "life-threatening" campaign.

Japan's coastguard has deployed an unspecified number of vessels to protect the whaling ships, and Tokyo has confirmed it will use some of the public funds earmarked for tsunami reconstruction to boost security for the hunt.

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/anti-whaling-activists-drone-track-japan-fleet-011629785.html

Friday, December 9, 2011

Japanese tsunami fund 'used for whaling programme'

Japan has used funds from its tsunami recovery budget to subsidise its controversial annual whaling programme, environmental activists say.

Greenpeace says 2.3bn yen ($30m; £19m) is being used to fund extra security measures for the whaling fleet.

Japanese officials argued when they applied for extra funding that whaling helped coastal communities.

The whaling fleet reportedly headed for Antarctic waters this week, though Tokyo has not confirmed the reports.

There has been a ban on commercial whaling for 25 years, but Japan catches about 1,000 whales each year in what it says is a scientific research programme.

Critics say those claims are just a cover for a commercial operation, and accuse the Japanese of hunting the animals to the brink of extinction only for food.

Activists from the Sea Shepherd group have attacked the fleet as part of their campaign against whaling.

Last year Japanese abandoned its programme before it was completed, citing "harassment" from the group.

Earlier this year, the Japanese Fisheries Agency applied to the government for extra funding for its programme from the emergency budget aimed at helping communities recover from the devastating tsunami and earthquake.

The agency argued that some of the towns and villages affected relied on whaling for their livelihoods.

Activists say the agency's funding request was approved and it has spent the money on extra security and covering its debts.

Junichi Sato, from Greenpeace Japan, told Australia's ABC that there was no link between the whaling programme and the tsunami recovery.

"It is simply used to cover the debts of the whaling programme, because the whaling programme itself has been suffering from big financial problems," he said.

The Australian and New Zealand governments have both criticised Japan's decision to continue whaling.

They are both considering sending vessels to monitor the whaling fleet.

Sea Shepherd activists have promised to carry on their campaign against the whaling fleet.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-16064002

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Nisshin Maru on the move

The Japanese whaling factory ship Nisshin Maru has left port today in what Sea Shepherd believes is the departure of the whaling fleet for the Antarctic.

Nisshin Maru loaded fuel and headed out from its dock in Innoshima, southern Japan, in the late morning, watching Sea Shepherd activists said.

No confirmation of its destination was available from Japanese authorities, who do not comment on the fleet's movements.

However the departure closely follows an announcement by the Japan Coast Guard that its officers would accompany the fleet to protect the whalers, forced out of the Southern Ocean by the activists last summer.

"We have decided to beef up security as never before," a Coast Guard official told Kyodo News.

He refrained from specifics, including how many guardsmen would be aboard the vessels or what kind of equipment they might carry.

In previous years the fleet has left in November.

Greenpeace International whales campaigner John Frizell said the relatively late sailing could mean the whalers would not reach their hunting grounds far south of Australia until the new year.

Sea Shepherd's fleet is also making final preparations, with the ships Steve Irwin and Brigitte Bardot in Fremantle and the Bob Barker in Hobart.

The federal Environment Minister, Tony Burke, has repeated that there are "no plans" to send a government vessel to monitor the conflict, which this year is likely to occur in Australia's search and rescue zone.

However Mr Burke refused to finally rule out the use of a ship such as Customs' Southern Ocean patrol vessel, Ocean Protector.

http://www.smh.com.au/environment/whale-watch/nisshin-maru-on-the-move-20111206-1ogm4.html

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Whale Activist Vows To Fast Till Death

by brightpathvideo
Tuesday Jan 18th, 2011 3:17 PM

Tom Falvey is a friend of mine. We go way back to Greenpeace days. Tom is determined to hold onto this life threatening fast until Japan ends its hostile aggression against both the whales in the arctic seas (Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary) and against the brave Sea Shepherd crew desperately trying to protect the whales.

Please help him by writing letters to the Secretary of State and Embassy of Japan. Addresses below.

Hunger Strike Against Aggression

Japan has sent its whaling fleet to the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary in defiance of international law. It has also sent armed cost guard personnel with them in response to nonviolent activists upholding the law. Japan has not stated its intentions. The fact remains that it has deployed the capability to forcibly board or disable the activists' ships. The threat of deadly force in support of an illegal enterprise constitutes armed aggression.

I will fast until death unless Japan renounces the use of force against those defending the integrity of the Sanctuary.

If Japan does so I will gladly end my fast. If it refuses then it will be clear that Japan intends to physically subdue them. In that case the world community will be forewarned and have a duty to prevent such violence.

I want to live. But some things are worth dying for. If necessary I will join the countless individuals who have given their lives for two fundamental principles:

The rule of law must prevail, and
Armed aggression on the high seas is unacceptable

The Japanese whaling fleet pretends to be conducting scientific research in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary, off Antarctica. The International Whaling Commission’s (IWC) scientific committee has rejected this cynical subterfuge several times. In 2007 the full IWC formally asked Japan to stop its lethal research (Resolution 2007-1). Japan has said no.

For the 2010/11 season Japan has unilaterally decided to take 935 Minke, 50 Fin and 50 Humpback whales, in an “objection” to IWC rules. A dead whale is worth about $200,000 on the meat market. This is actually a commercial operation; an industrial scale slaughter for profit.

This year Japan has also sent armed coast guard personnel with its fleet. This is in response to nonviolent activists defending the integrity of the Sanctuary. Japan has not stated its intentions. The fact remains that it has mobilized the capability to forcibly board or disable the activists’ ships. Obviously such tactics would put human life at risk.

The possible use of armed force to suppress opposition in a protected conservation zone takes the whaling issue to a new level. This is no longer simply about the whales. It challenges the very concept of international law. Can one nation violently impose its will on the global commons in defiance of the recognized regulatory body (IWC)?

There are good reasons for the Sanctuary’s existence. Antarctica itself is a desolate ice sheet. The cold nutrient rich ocean surrounding it is spectacularly alive. Whales are its dominant life form. Yet most whale species have been hunted to the brink of extinction. Now Japan is going after the last and smallest survivors.

This issue also has an ethical dimension. All whales have bigger brains than ours, and some seem to be as complex. We cannot prejudge beings so high on the evolutionary scale as mere natural resources. Real scientists would wait to determine the truth about their intelligence before butchering them for food.

Another ethical aspect is whaling’s extreme cruelty. An exploding harpoon rarely kills outright. The wounded whale is winched to the killer ship’s side, stuck with a probe and electrocuted with thousands of volts. It often takes 15-20 minutes for the whale to finally drown. Such prolonged agony would not be tolerated in any slaughterhouse.

Few people care about the ecology of the remote Southern Ocean. Or the possibility of advanced consciousness in marine mammals. People do care about a stable world order governed by the rule of law.

In this case, Japan has explicitly stated that it is exempt from the rule of law. It claims the right to exploit the oceanic commons as it sees fit, regardless of others’ interests. Its military presence implies a right to physically subdue anyone who stands in its way. That is a breathtaking assertion of jurisdiction over the Southern Ocean, 6000 miles from Japan.

The United States, with many other nations, has long voiced opposition to Japan’s illegal whaling. However, it has tolerated some state sponsored poaching in the Sanctuary because Japan is a major creditor that finances much of our deficit. Now its military deployment presents a direct challenge. It cannot be evaded. The threat of deadly force in support of a criminal enterprise constitutes armed aggression on the high seas.

The world community must act to ensure that Japan renounces the use of force against those who are upholding international law. The real stakes here are far higher than those of power and pride. If Japan gets away with this then it kills any hope for effective ocean conservation. It, then others, will just grab what they want. The degradation of a vital planetary ecosystem will accelerate. We will all pay a heavy price. Is the world so intimidated by Japan’s economic clout that it will allow this to happen?

Japan is unique but not privileged. It cannot make its own rules and enforce them by violence. The oceans are not Japan’s for the taking.

Current Situation – January 17, 2011

The Sea Shepherd activists are now with the whalers' supply ship. They will block any attempt at refueling. That means the whalers would have to return home at least a month early, thus saving hundreds of whales. During this process the Sea Shepherd ships will be essentially immobile and thus vulnerable to whatever action the armed coast guard personnel may have planned. This moment of truth could come at any time.

World governments have a duty to ensure that Japan does not resort to force. Failure to act means they would share responsibility for any injuries or deaths that may occur.

To express your concern please contact:

Ambassador Ichiro Fujisaki
Embassy of Japan
2520 Massachusetts Ave, NW
Washington, DC 20008-2869
Tel: (202) 238-6700
Fax: (202) 328-2187
Email: jicc [at] ws.mofa.go.jp

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
Department of State
2201 C St, NW
Washington, DC 20520
Tel: (202) 647-9572
Fax: (202) 647-1579
Email: colemancl [at] state.gov (her personal assistant)

Or the appropriate officials in your country.

About Tom Falvey

Tom Falvey, 61, is an environmentalist and writer in San Diego, CA. He is not affiliated with any organization. He does not represent the Sea Shepherd activists. This is a personal statement of conscience.

You can contact Tom Falvey at:

Tel: (619) 618-5713
Email: tefalvey [at] gmail.com

About this Hunger Strike

I began this hunger strike at noon on December 28, 2010.

The credibility of this protest depends on its sincerity. I will only drink water during this fast. If I fall unconscious, or into a coma, I refuse any feeding, even if death is imminent. If I develop any medical condition as a consequence, even a life threatening one, I refuse all treatment.

The only condition under which I will accept feeding or medical intervention is if Japan renounces the use of force against nonviolent activists upholding the integrity of the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary.
http://tomfalvey.blogspot.com/

http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2011/01/18/18669504.php

Whale Activist Vows To Fast Till Death

by brightpathvideo
Tuesday Jan 18th, 2011 3:17 PM

The rule of law must prevail, and
Armed aggression on the high seas is unacceptable

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Sea Shepherd unveils new vessel to target illegal whaling

Replacement after previous ship was deliberately rammed

November 2010: Sea Shepherd's latest addition to its fleet was unveiled at a Hollywood fundraiser earlier this month.

It will take part in the upcoming Antarctic whale defence campaign, Operation No Compromise.

The 12-year-old, 115ft, stabilized monohull vessel will be a fast interceptor, replacing the Ady Gil, the vessel that the Japanese whaling vessel Shonan Maru No. 2 rammed and destroyed at the beginning of the year.

This expedition will be Sea Shepherd's seventh campaign to oppose the illegal activities of the Japanese whaling fleet in the Southern Ocean. During the past six campaigns, the organisation says it saved the lives of nearly 2,000 whales, as well as exposing illegal Japanese whaling.

Last season, we were able to save more whales than the Japanese whalers were able to kill. Five hundred and twenty-eight whales lives were saved as a result of Sea Shepherd's efforts.

'Each year we become stronger and more effective'

‘Each year, because of our supporters, we have become stronger and more effective,' said a spokesman. ‘Through patience, determination and persistence, we are driving the Japanese whaling fleet into debt and closer to the day they will retreat from the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary.

‘We are confident that we will see our most effective campaign ever with Operation No Compromise. Our ships, the Steve Irwin and the Bob Barker, are currently being prepared for the campaign. We have recruited the best crew we can assemble. Our only challenge now is to raise the funds for the Ocean Adventurer.

‘With three ships, we will once again be able to track and intervene against the poachers in the Southern Ocean for the entire season. Our goal is to save more whales this coming season than we did during the last season and to shut down whaling in the Southern Ocean permanently.'

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/sea-shepherd-boat.html

Sea Shepherd unveils new vessel to target illegal whaling

Replacement after previous ship was deliberately rammed

November 2010: Sea Shepherd's latest addition to its fleet was unveiled at a Hollywood fundraiser earlier this month.