Economy
The great Sea Shepherd victory …
ABC Online:
Japan suspends Antarctic whale hunt
Japanese whalers have suspended their Antarctic hunt, citing harassment by environmentalists, and are considering ending their annual mission early, a fisheries agency official says.
Activists from the US-based environmental group Sea Shepherd have pursued and harassed the Japanese fleet for months to stop its harpoon ships from killing the mammals.
Japanese Fisheries Agency official Tatsuya Nakaoku says the factory ship Nisshin Maru, “which has been chased by Sea Shepherd, has suspended operations since February 10 so as to ensure the safety (of the crew)”.
“We are now studying the situation, including the possibility of cutting the mission early,” he said, confirming media reports, but stressing that “nothing has been decided at this point”.
Sea Shepherd says it is having its most successful season yet in its fight against Japanese whalers in the Southern Ocean.
“I see victory on the horizon,” spokesman Peter Hammarstedt told ABC News 24 after the announcement from Japan.
“I think certainly our actions down here have contributed to them possibly calling their season off early.
“This year has really been our most successful campaign to date.”
But he stopped short of claiming victory until the fleet turns back towards Japan.
“We’re speaking the language these guys understand, and that is profit and loss.
“Everyday we prevent these guys from whaling we’re costing them millions of dollars in profit.”
Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS) Television said “the government is judging the situation so dangerous that it may cause casualties, and preparing to call back the fleet and ending the research whaling earlier than usual”.
A TBS newscaster added: “If the government does call back the fleet it would mean giving in to anti-whaling activists, which would affect other research whaling missions. The government will have to make a difficult decision.”
Junichi Sato, an anti-whaling campaigner at Greenpeace, said the group had information that the fleet would indeed return home early because Japan is already burdened with excess stocks of whale …
Read the rest on ABC Online HERE
First published: 2011-02-18 12:29 AM
Bob Brown:
16 February 2011
News of early end to Japanese whaling season cause for celebration
Greens Leader Bob Brown has made the following comments in response to news that the Japanese whaling season may come to an early end this year.
“The rapidly brightening prosects of Japan removing its whaling fleet from Antarctic waters will have Australians putting champagne on ice – coast to coast,” Greens Leader Bob Brown said today.
“If the news is true it will be a terrific celebration when Sea Shepherd comes back to Hobart.”
First published: 2011-02-16 08:17 PM
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