" YOU can help make a difference, get involved... "
PCO Press Room
Sponsors
Past Events
COP15
Link to PCO
Japan deploys military to protect whaling fleet
last update: Dec 17, 2009 01:40 PM
From various articles: According to Steve Irwin's skipper, Captain Paul Watson, Japan is packing heavy material as it deployed military personnel on two security vessels to protect its Antarctic whaling fleet from intervention by the Sea Shepherd conservation group's flagship.
The Shonan Maru No 2 as seen from Sea Shepherd's MY Steve Irwin (Photo - Sea Shepherd)
Following the first confrontation with the Japanese whaling fleet, the militant anti-whaling activists said they were dodging a Japanese surveillance ship in icebergs near Antarctica.
According to Paul Watson, who is leading a campaign to harass the annual whaling hunt, a heavily-barbed and armed ship loaded with Japanese security guards had been tailing them since they left Western Australia on December 7.
When they attempted to approach one of the Japanese ships, Shonan Maru No.2, Watson said the Japanese opened fire with two water cannon and tailed them in a two-hour high-speed pursuit. Speaking via satellite phone Watson told AFT "We had our water cannons at ready but we never opened up on them. This is the first time that the Japanese have sent down security forces. As long as they're following us they can relay our position to the whaling fleet so they can move if we're apporaching them. They said if we try to block the operations they'll put their ship between us and the harpoon vessels, which will most likely result in collisions. But we're not going to back down, we're there to block their operations and we're not going to back down because they try to force us out of the way."
Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd was asked, while on a visit, by Japan's Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama to rein in the Sea Shepherd activists, describing their actions as "sabotage". Hatoyama also dismissed threats from Rudd that he would haul Japan before the International Court of Justice or the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, saying his country's activities were legal.
Read more:
The Australian, 16th December 2009
AFP/Google, 16th December 2009
Sydney Morning Herald, 16th December 2009
Times Online, 17th December 2009
