Japanese whaling ship ’attacks’ Sea Shepherd boat
Despite the clashes, Sea Shepherd's Peter Hammarstedt said the activists were still in contact with the fleeing Japanese factory ship, Nisshin Maru.
Mr Hammarstedt said his ship Bob Barker and the Steve Irwin were following the Nisshin Maru for the eighth day, preventing it from whaling.
"We haven't experienced such a ruthless and co-ordinated attack out of the blue like this before," Mr Hammarstedt said. Three Japanese harpoon boats trailing 300 metre lengths of steel cable and ropes made repeated close passes over the bows of the Sea Shepherd ships, he said.
Just a year ago the shoe was on the other foot:
In January, Japan protested to the government of the Netherlands as the flag state of the Steve Irwin, over an attack on the whalers' security ship, Shonan Maru No. 2.
The Steve Irwin deployed two small boats whose crew trailed lines in a bid to slow down the Shonan Maru No. 2.
International Anti-Whaling Laws need to be enforced by the International Community, otherwise the laws are mute.
Japanese whaling ship attacks Sea Shepherd boat
The Japanese insist on eating contaminated meat, what's Mother Earth to do? Laws do nothing on the high seas to protect the contaminated creatures. These crews risk their lives to try and prevent the slaughter.
My point exactly onemis, there are International Laws that cover that area of the sea's and the governments that have signed those laws into effect should be the ones patrolling these waters and enforcing the laws. Greepeace is doing all they can and are to be commended for sure.
Disgusting Larry. Back in the early 1990's the small Fijian navy (a few small gun boats) opened fired on a Chinese long line fishing boat. The Chinese and others had destroyed the waters around Fiji, which was Fijian waters.
It caused a big incident, but the Chinese never again entered the Fijian waters.
A few shots across the bow, might change what is happening.