Whaling activists of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society have launched Operation Leviathan: the hunting of Japanese whaling ships. Their newest vessel, the Robert Hunter, is en-route to Antarctica to locate Japanese whaling ships then call forth Sea Shepherd's flagship, Farley Mowat, to attack the whalers with a hydraulic ram known as "the can opener." Said hydraulic ram is fitted with a bulldozer blade meant to damage a ship's hull and force it back to port.The last time I checked, attacking another vessel wasn't legal and this hasn't gone unnoticed. The Farley Mowat has been stripped of it registration, removed its national flag, and hoisted the Sea Shepherd's rendition of the Jolly Roger. According Eric Wilson, a university lecturer specializing in maritime law, this makes the ship a pirate vessel and "It can now be interdicted at will by a naval or other official vessel of any country [which] can arrest the crew and sink it."
What isn't mentioned in the The Age's news story is the Japanese whalers are operating illegally by hunting in the Antarctic Whale Sanctuary. According to Sea Shepherd President and Founder Captain Paul Watson, "This is an international effort to uphold international law against a pirate whaling operation. We are not going south to hang banners or to film and photograph whales dying. We intend to defend the whales."
Who, exactly, is breaking what law and is there something being done to sort out this mess?
[Via Underwater Times]
1. I think this is pretty cool. I think that sometimes a little vigilante justice is needed to keep everything in balance. Especially if these Japanese Whaling boats keep getting away with it. It seems they (Japanese) would be more careful now knowing that they could be challenged by a very powerful vessel, which is out to ram them!
Posted at 11:54AM on Jan 11th 2007 by Adam