ANTI-WHALING activist group Sea Shepherd says it has intercepted the Japanese fleet in its annual Southern Ocean hunt "before a single harpoon has been fired".

Sea Shepherd claims to have saved the lives of 4000 whales over the past eight whaling seasons with ever-greater campaigns of harassment against the Japanese harpoon fleet.

The militant environmentalist group said the Brigitte Bardot, a former ocean racer, had intercepted the harpoon ship Yushin Maru No. 3 in the Southern Ocean at a relatively northern latitude.

Read more: http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/world/sea-shepherd-intercept-japanese-fleet/story-e6frfkui-1226565169732#ixzz2JQdBpavO

What do you all make of this?

The South Koreans said they wanted to go Whaling too but later changed their minds. I assume this is due to dogooder opinions and that they probably accidentally catch enough Whales for consumption anyway. I have seen many Whale meat resto's in Ulsan operating openly.

The Japs are not actually doing anything illegal right?

Then I believe the Japs have every right to blow these Sea Shepherds out of the water as pirates, as pirates they are.

I think these guys are making fools of themselves and putting human life at risk for no real reason.

What are your thoughts?

Agreed, bunch of a-holes. If they are really serious, I think there are better ways.

Agreed, bunch of a-holes. If they are really serious, I think there are better ways.

They get a lot of press though, they even have their own Nat Geo or Discovery Channel series, Whale Wars or something.

Whether you agree with saving the whales or not, surely these guys are on the wrong side of the law? I have seen them boarding the Jap fleet, throwing incendiary devices at the fleet. Surely that is not all too different than what the Somalies do?

It's not as simple as all that.

The Japanese whaling fleet flouts international opinion, and tries to justify the kill on the grounds that the whale carcasses are needed for scientific research. Baloney! And everyone knows it.

BUT what they're doing is not against international law. Taking the law into one's own hands is never an answer. Therefore the Sea Shepherd's actions are not defensible in law. Are they justified in taking the moral high ground, and flouting international law, which the Japanese are careful NOT to flout?

Would you accept the same kind of action in defence of the North Sea cod (drastically reduced by over-fishing) or the Pacific or Atlantic salmon?

I'm not defending the Japanese; I'm just saying that the international community has to find better ways of dealing with their whaling industry.

I understand there an arrest warrent out for the skipper of the Sea Shapard. Guess they will have to stay at sea just to keep out of jail. I quite donating to these types when they told me the mermaids were already extent.

It's not as simple as all that.

The Japanese whaling fleet flouts international opinion, and tries to justify the kill on the grounds that the whale carcasses are needed for scientific research. Baloney! And everyone knows it.

BUT what they're doing is not against international law. Taking the law into one's own hands is never an answer. Therefore the Sea Shepherd's actions are not defensible in law. Are they justified in taking the moral high ground, and flouting international law, which the Japanese are careful NOT to flout?

Would you accept the same kind of action in defence of the North Sea cod (drastically reduced by over-fishing) or the Pacific or Atlantic salmon?

I'm not defending the Japanese; I'm just saying that the international community has to find better ways of dealing with their whaling industry.

Thats the thing, everyone KNOWS what the Japanese are really about, however there is another angle to all this that the international community should also look at. the below article is from...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-18716300

The Koreans' eventual stated aim is to prepare the ground for a resumption of "coastal whaling" - a rather vague concept that Japan is also pursuing, and that would see whale hunting return as a normal activity.

'Breach of faith'

The region around the port of Ulsan, in the south-east of South Korea, has a whale-eating tradition that appears to date back thousands of years, judging by prehistoric cave art.

Fishermen in the region already catch whales in fishing nets. Officially, this happens accidentally, but local environment groups say the minkes are deliberately caught, and that the meat is easily bought in markets and restaurants.

Dr Kang said that fishermen in the area are now complaining that a growing whale population is eating more and more fish

The Koreans are doing it anyway but calling it accidental capture of the Whales. I have witnessed it first hand during my several years in Ulsan S. Korea. Whale meat is easy to procure, it is advertised freely.

Isn't it better to control this market rather than turn a blind eye to the accidental capture in fishing nets?

I understand the greenies views, I just think they are going about it the wrong way and driving it further underground eventually causing more damage than good.

I understand the Koreans side too, it is a traditional food source. A good friend of mine was looking to get a fishing license in Australia along with his Dad. When they discovered that traditional (aboriginal) folks were able to get a special license that enabled them to hunt "traditional" creatures with no license fee the Dad remembered they had an aboriginal ancestor (my mate had no idea) which entitled them to hunt endangered turtles, and a host of other endangered species as it was their traditional right.

So in reality what is the difference? other than protesting against the aboriginal hunting rights would be racist.

Not sure why I have so much to say about this, I have no feelings either way for whaling. I guess I just cringe when I see these Sea Shepherds doing what they do and Governments condemning other Governments due to the vocal minorities.

Like the live animal trade that Australia suspended with Indonesia due to perceived cruelty (vocal minority again). I saw nothing in the videos that I have not seen being done in Australia on a daily basis (I have been guilty of treating animals the same way). I am a country lad, grew up on a sheep station out of Mount Magnet, worked as a teen in the Kimberlies mustering cattle and worked as a roustie in a shearing team.

If killing/eating whales should be banned, so should killing/eating any animals.I am all for it in theory, but would sure miss a good steak and BQ ribs.

If killing/eating whales should be banned, so should killing/eating any animals.I am all for it in theory, but would sure miss a good steak and BQ ribs.

You seem to miss the point, deliberately, I suspect, UG. Whales are wild, and their numbers have declined drastically due to ever more efficient methods of killing them. Your steak comes from a domesticated animal, which is not going to become extinct any time soon.

I oppose all hunting. Some aboriginal groups may have no alternative food source, and there is some justification for condoning hunting on their part until alternatives are available, but this does not apply to the Japanese or the Koreans. Breeding birds and animals for gun fodder is just sick, in my opinion. It might be justifiable if hunters could ensure that all birds and animals bred for the slaughter were killed instantly without unnecessary pain, but although responsible hunters do try to give wounded birds and animals the coup de grace, some inevitably will die a lingering death.

But strong feelings on the matter do not justify illegal actions.

I've seen the documentaries made about those lunatics. If they were professional seamen they'd have their tickets (licences) withdrawn. Their leader is on an Interpol Red Notice:

http://www.interpol.int/News-and-media/News-media-releases/2012/N20120914

One of their Vessels is named the Steve Irwin, I think it might be their flagship.

I wonder how Steve would feel about it if he were still alive?

I am sure he would be all for the conservation, but the manner in which they attempt it is all wrong.

I do not know what the law says about boarding a vessel of another flag (or any vessel) uninvited but I am sure it is not lawful.

Endure you would perhaps know more about that?

One of their Vessels is named the Steve Irwin, I think it might be their flagship.

I wonder how Steve would feel about it if he were still alive?

I am sure he would be all for the conservation, but the manner in which they attempt it is all wrong.

I do not know what the law says about boarding a vessel of another flag (or any vessel) uninvited but I am sure it is not lawful.

Endure you would perhaps know more about that?

It's called piracy - an act of robbery or criminal violence at sea. Regardless of what people think of the actions of the Japanese whaling fleet they are conducting themselves legally. If I were the Master of a vessel conducting legal business in international waters and I was threatened in the way that the Sea Shepherd threatens others I would have no compunction in using whatever means necessary to protect the vessel and the lives of those on board that I'm responsible for.

I watch "Whale Wars" every now and then. What really irritates me is when the anti-whalers do something against a whaling vessel and get retaliated against, they take righteous indignation that the Japanese would be so crass as to actually offend them.

I saw the show when the two idiots jumped on board the factory ship (illegally) and were then detained against their will. Paul got on the phone and immediately began calling international news media telling them the Japanese were guilty of holding hostages. They broke maritime law and should have been, and were, arrested and served some jail time as I recall.

I would not have held them against their will. I would have thrown them overboard for a nice cool swim.

There was another instance where Paul drove the Steve Irwin nearly into a harpoon vessel and actually collided with it. Guess who they blamed for that incident?

I don't particularly like whaling but i strongly disagree with the anti-whaling clowns continually trying to disable another ship in the open sea.

They all should be arrested and serve time.

Sea Shepherd to rule the waves for ever!

I eat meat (domesticated cattle and sheep) but I object to hunting wild animals of any type.

Regarding fish - I would ban all trawling and long-net fihing. Not sure about rod-and-line.

I realise that many people depend on fish for their own food, but that does not excuse people who do it for profit. And if you see the nonsense we have in the EU now, where quotas are laid down - if you catch a net-full of cod while fishing for herring, and have exceeded your quota, then you have to throw them (dead) back in the sea. Just wilful killing.