Sea Shepherd Conservation Society

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Sea Shepherd Frees 800 Bluefin from Floating Cages Below Libya’s Infamous Line of Death

Steve Irwin Rammed by Bluefin Fishery Vessel;
Sea Shepherd Crew Repel Violent Assault by Fishermen;
Libyan Navy in Pursuit of the Steve Irwin

Operation Blue Rage: Day Ten of the Mediterranean Patrol

Thursday, June 17th, 2010
Location: Off the Coast of Libya

Report by Captain Paul Watson, Steve Irwin

Sea Shepherd’s helicopter reconnaissance flight this morning found two fishing vessels. One was engaged in transferring bluefin tuna into one of the two nets being towed by the other vessel.

The bluefin fishery vessels were inside waters claimed by Libya and about 42 miles off the coast of North Africa.

At 1300 hours, the Steve Irwin came upon the Italian vessel Cesare Rustico towing two cages; one contained about 800 fish (the other was empty).

The Captain of the Cesare Rustico said when questioned that the tuna were caught on the morning of the 14th by the Libyan vessel Tagreft. When we replied that the number of tuna in the cage exceeded the quota for the Tagreft, the Captain said the cage also included tuna from seven other Libyan seiners. All the catches were caught on the 14th, the last legal day, according to the Captain. The other seven seiners named were the Khandheel 2, Hanibal, Ozul 2, Almadina, Morina, and Khaleej Eltahadi and one other that he had no name for. The problem with this explanation was that we had observed the Khandheel 2 on the 13th and 14th of June, and it was not fishing. In addition, weather conditions for those two days made fishing virtually impossible. The extremely difficult conditions, coupled with the position of the cages only 40 miles off the Libyan coast, when they should have been moving 25 miles a day, suggested to us that the fish were freshly caught within the last three days at the most.

Their statement that all the catches were caught on the 14th sounded much too convenient, so we asked to examine the fish for juveniles. We were refused. I then put the bow of the Steve Irwin onto the cage so we could look into the cage from the bow to examine it further.

Suddenly, the Maltese vessel Rosaria Tuna rammed the Steve Irwin on the aft port side and slid alongside the port rail, as a fisherman tried to violently gaff Sea Shepherd crewmembers with a long, sharp-hooked pole.

The Steve Irwin crew retaliated with 8 liters of rotten butter forcing the fishing vessel to retreat and to stand off.

At 1530 hours, the two fishing vessels circled their cages defensively and the Sea Shepherd ship Steve Irwin stood off to notify ICCAT (International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna) of possible violations. They did not respond.

The Jean Charcot, the ICCAT inspection vessel will not venture south of 33 Degrees 40 Minutes North.

With two fishing vessels containing angry Italian crews, there were risks involved with getting into the water to assess the bluefin catch. But if the catch was illegal, Sea Shepherd divers knew they must cut the nets and free the bluefin tuna.

Sometimes it is necessary to do what needs to be done despite the risks. The risk of losing the bluefin tuna as a species is far more important than the risks to our own lives and freedom.

And so we decided to free the tuna.

At 1600 hours, a five-person dive crew entered one of two cages being towed by the Italian fishing vessel Cesare Rustico.

As the Steve Irwin held off the Cesare Rustico and the support ship Rosaria Tuna, the Sea Shepherd crew dove into the net to identify the size, age, and quantity of the bluefin tuna within. Once it was clearly established that the cage was overstocked and that a high percentage were juveniles, Sea Shepherd divers freed the 700-800 tuna.

It is our position that the bluefin tuna we freed from that cage held a large number of juveniles and that the fish were caught after the official closure of the season. It is also our position that the fish that we freed exceeded the quota.

A large percentage of the tuna were juveniles and from the position of the cages and the fact that the entire Mediterranean bluefin tuna fishery closed at midnight on June 14th, Sea Shepherd is convinced that this catch was caught after June 14 and therefore Sea Shepherd holds the position that this operation by these two vessels was illegal.*

The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society is not a protest organization. Sea Shepherd is an anti-poaching organization and these two seiners are poachers.

A Sea Shepherd cameraman filmed the release of the fish from the centre of the cage and swimmers confirmed that all 700-800 tuna inside the enclosure were freed.

“They shot out of that net like racehorses,” said Canadian cameraman Simon Ager.

After freeing the bluefin tuna, the Steve Irwin headed north and out of the waters claimed by Libya. The Maltese media reported that Libya had dispatched warships to pursue the Steve Irwin.

There are claims in the Maltese press that a bluefin tuna fisherman was injured by our actions. No one on the Steve Irwin, in the helicopter, or in the Delta saw any incident where a fisherman was injured. We saw one man dive into the water from the side of the cage. Then, we saw him get up and give us the rude Italian arm signal. Another fisherman slashed at the crew with a hook on the end of a long pole, and one of the vessels rammed us in the port stern area.

* Notes

Given the very bad weather conditions in the zone north of Tripoli until the closure of the legal fishing season on June 14th, it is impossible that this catch was taken during the legal season. The tuna were caught post-closure, during a period of very calm weather that has predominated over the area since the 15th.

Legal Season:
Wind speed 12th June: 20-35 knots / Seas 1-2 meters
Wind speed 13th June: 20-25 knots / Seas 1-2 meters
Wind speed 14th June: 10-20 knots / Seas 1-2 meters

Post closure:
Wind speed 15th June: 10-15 knots / Seas 1 meter
Wind speed 16th June: 15 knots / Seas <1 meter
Wind speed 17th June: 10 knots / Seas <1 meter

The Steve Irwin passed the Khandeel 2 (one of the vessels on the BCD document read over the VHF radio) on the 13th at 1230 at 33*36 / 13*55, less than 20 miles from where we encountered the cages towed by Cesare Rustico and Rosario Tuna on the 17th, and it was not fishing. The weather was rough.

Given the location of the capture, and the location of the tow vessel, it is impossible the catch was made 3 days ago. Heading towards Malta with an average 25 miles per day, the vessel and cage would have been much further north (the vessel was in very calm weather sitting still waiting a second vessel).

Visit our Operation Blue Rage Campaign site

Japan Accuses Captain Paul Watson of Obstructing Japanese Whaling Operations: “Duh, ya think?”

Japan Discovers that Sea Shepherd Obstructs Illegal Whaling Operations

By Captain Paul Watson

Kyodo News Service

http://home.kyodo.co.jp/modules/fstStory/index.php?storyid=498414

TOKYO, April 30 KYODO

The Japan Coast Guard has obtained an arrest warrant for the head of the anti-whaling Sea Shepherd Conservation Society for allegedly ordering members of the group to obstruct operations by Japan's whaling fleet, investigative sources said Friday.

I discovered today that the Japanese Coast Guard has issued an arrest warrant against myself for ordering my crew to obstruct Japanese whaling operations in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary.

It does seem amazing that it has taken five years for the Japanese Coast Guard to discover that Sea Shepherd volunteers have obstructed illegal Japanese whaling operations. We’ve only been obstructing whaling operations since December 2005 and every year we have been more successful than the year before. This last season we saved the lives of more whales than the Japanese whalers slaughtered and we cost them tens of millions of dollars.

On top of that Japan has been humiliated by the release of “The Cove,” a documentary that had its genesis in the 2003 Sea Shepherd campaign that exposed the brutality of the Taiji dolphin slaughter for the first time.

The Japanese government is desperate to stop the Sea Shepherd ships from returning to the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary for the 2010 and 2011 season.

There is no doubt that the motives of the Japanese Coast Guard and the Japanese government are political.

Neither authorities in Japan, New Zealand, nor Australia have questioned the Captain of the Shonan Maru 2 for deliberately ramming and destroying a three million dollar Sea Shepherd vessel and almost killing six Sea Shepherd volunteer crewmembers.

There is no case in recent maritime history where a ship has collided with another vessel on the high seas and the captain of the ship responsible has not even been questioned. Captain Peter Bethune is a citizen of New Zealand and he was in command of a New Zealand registered vessel inside the waters of the Australian Antarctic Territory. The vessel Ady Gil was sunk and destroyed by the actions of the Shonan Maru 2, and yet not one representative of these three nations has questioned the offending captain.

Instead, Japan arrested Captain Peter Bethune for confronting the captain of the Shonan Maru 2 and now they have issued an arrest order for me.

When Japan requested that the Australian Federal Police board the Steve Irwin and the Bob Barker to secure evidence for the benefit of Japan they did so. Yet, Japan apparently has refused to board the Shonan Maru 2 to assist the Australian or New Zealand authorities?

Does Australia intend to honor the arrest warrant issued by Japan and will they detain and extradite myself to Japan because Japan demands that they do so?

Whatever happens, one thing is clear: the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society will return to the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary to defend the whales from continued illegal whaling activities.

As long as there is a Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary, Sea Shepherd crew will continue to patrol and defend the Sanctuary.

Australia tells Japan: Stop whaling or face court

Sydney - Australia will take legal action against Japan if it continues whaling in the Southern Ocean after November, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said on Friday.

The pledge came after Rudd was criticised for not honouring a campaign promise before the November 2007 election that he would pursue Japan at the International Court of Justice unless whaling stopped.

Rudd told local television that if diplomacy failed: "We will initiate court action before the commencement of the whaling season in November 2010."

"But that's the bottom line, and we're very clear to the Japanese, that's what we intend to do," he said in advance of a visit this weekend by Japanese Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada to meet with Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith.

Greens leader Bob Brown said that Rudd should act immediately rather than delaying action until after the next election, which is expected before November.

"Thousands of whales have been slaughtered while Kevin Rudd has dithered over action," Brown said in a statement.

Court action would test Australia's claim over parts of Antarctica - a claim that few countries recognise - and could imperil relations between the major trading partners.

Japan uses a loophole in the 1986 whaling moratorium to continue whaling under the premise of scientific research. According to conservation organisation Greenpeace, it has killed more than 9 000 minke whales over the last 22 years.

The promise of legal action comes after clashes between whaling protest group Sea Shepherd and the six-ship Japanese whaling fleet.

Last month, Sea Shepherd vessel Ady Gil, a high-speed trimaran, was holed in a collision and sank while being towed to port for repairs.

Last week, a Sea Shepherd activist boarded a Japanese vessel and is being held until the fleet returns to Japan at the end of the whaling season. Japan has said it will press charges of piracy against New Zealander Peter Bethune. - Sapa-dpa

Japan Cites Sea Shepherd as Reason for Killing Whales

Thursday, February 18, 2010

The Sea Shepherd ships Steve Irwin and Bob Barker have now had the illegal Japanese whaling processing ship, Nisshin Maru, on the run for two weeks. No whales have has been killed since February 5th.

Three weeks remain in the whaling season, and the Sea Shepherd ships have fuel reserves to continue the chase. The Bob Barker was refitted prior to purchase and has fuel capacity four times what it was designed for.

“I believe the continued running of the Nisshin Maru from East to West and back East again is their attempt to run us out of fuel,” said Captain Paul Watson, “I think they are now surprised that we are still on their tail and continuing to disrupt their illegal whaling operations.” With the Shonan Maru No. 2 disengaged to transport Captain Peter Bethune to Japan, this removes the fourth harpoon boat from the fleet.

“I think we can guarantee now that the Japanese whaling fleet will fail to get their kill quota by 30% to 55% based on past observations of Sea Shepherd disruptions,” said Captain Watson, “They will not be seeing any profits for this season.”

Mr. Masayuki Komatsu, the former Japanese whaling commissioner who once referred to Minke whales as the “cockroaches” of the sea, has warned Japan not to retreat from whaling in Antarctica because it would be handing a decisive victory for the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. “Our minister said that they are going to retreat from Antarctica, Sea Shepherd must be happier," Komatsu said.

“If the only reason that Japan wishes to continue whaling is because they refuse to be seen backing down from Sea Shepherd than that is truly pathetic and extremely petty on the part of the Japanese government,” said Captain Watson, “What Komatsu is really saying is that we are humiliating Japan by effectively disrupting their illegal poaching activities. If it’s now all about saving face now that they’ve already lost, then they should retreat while they still have half a face left.”

The Sea Shepherd ships will be pursuing the Japanese fleet this weekend during the visit to Australia by Japanese Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada.

The Japanese fleet is staying just outside the boundaries of the Australian Antarctic Territorial waters (EEZ) most likely for diplomatic reason during the Okada visit. This move can be viewed as an unofficial recognition of the EEZ. In 2008, the Australian Federal Court ruled that Japan could not kill whales inside the waters of the EEZ. The Japanese whaling fleet is in contempt of that Federal Court order.

Update: Sea Shepherd Captain Detained Onboard Japanese Whaling Vessel

Monday, February 15, 2010

At 0630 Hours, Sea Shepherd Captain Peter Bethune of the vessel Ady Gil, which was sunk by the Japanese security ship Shonan Maru 2, boarded the whaling ship to conduct a citizen’s arrest of the skipper of the Shonan Maru 2.

Captain Bethune boarded the whaling ship under cover of darkness from a Jet Ski as the Shonan Maru 2 was travelling at 14 knots in the Southern Ocean. His first attempt failed when he fell into the frigid waters, but despite this the crew of the Shonan Maru 2 failed to see him and he successfully boarded the whaler without detection.

Captain Bethune’s breaching the security of the whaling fleet security vessel remained undetected for one and a half hours.

At 0800 Hours, once the sun had risen, Captain Bethune calmly knocked on the bridge wing door, entered the wheelhouse, and presented himself to the Captain of Shonan Maru 2 where he informed the skipper that he was under arrest for the sinking of the Sea Shepherd ship Ady Gil on January 6th, 2010.

All radio communications with Peter Bethune ceased at 0805. The Shonan Maru 2 did acknowledge that Bethune was onboard.

The Sea Shepherd ships Steve Irwin and Bob Barker continue to pursue the Japanese whaling ship Nisshin Maru eastward across the Southern Ocean. The ships are presently south of Australia’s Heard Island.

Monday, February 15, 2010

Captain Pete Bethune Boards Shonan Maru 2 to Arrest Japanese Skipper

credit JoAnne McArthur /
Sea Shepherd

At 0629 Hours (Perth Time), New Zealand Captain Pete Bethune of the recently sunk Sea Shepherd vessel Ady Gil breached the Japanese government security ship Shonan Maru 2 and successfully boarded the vessel under cover of darkness.

His mission is to attempt a citizen’s arrest of the skipper of the Shonan Maru 2 for the destruction of the Ady Gil and attempted murder of the six Ady Gil crewmembers.

At 0600 Hours, Captain Bethune (of New Zealand) left the Sea Shepherd ship Steve Irwin on a Jet Ski driven Larry Routledge (of Great Britain).

The Jet Ski lay in wait for the Shonan Maru 2 to approach. With the Japanese vessel making 14 knots through the water, Routledge maneuvered the Jet Ski into position under the anti-boarding spikes along the port side of the Shonan Maru 2.

Captain Bethune made the jump and climbed onboard the whaling ship without being noticed. Captain Bethune is presently onboard the Shonan Maru 2 awaiting sunrise to make his presence known.

Captain Bethune also has a bill for $3 million dollars to present to the Master of the Shonan Maru 2. The bill is for the cost of replacing the Ady Gil.

Captain Bethune will be demanding that the Shonan Maru 2 Captain surrender himself to Sea Shepherd or take his ship to the nearest Australian or New Zealand port to turn himself in to legal authorities.

Captain Bethune will make it clear that he does not wish to return to a Sea Shepherd ship without the Captain of the Shonan Maru 2.

Sea Shepherd anticipates that the Japanese will hold Captain Bethune as prisoner onboard the Shonan Maru 2.

“This was an impossible mission,” said Captain Paul Watson. “Captain Bethune boarded a Japanese whaling fleet security ship at high speed in total darkness, breached the spikes and anti-boarding nets and is presently onboard and the Japanese crew are still not aware that he is there. He is there to demand justice for the sinking of his ship.”

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Sea Shepherd Begins Second Week of Shutting Down Illegal Whaling Activities

It has been a week since Sea Shepherd shut down all whaling activities by the Japanese whaling fleet. Not one whale has died in the last week, and Sea Shepherd’s next goal is to turn this shut down into a second week and then a third.

“We will not tolerate the death of a single whale while we are chasing this gang of poachers,” said Captain Chuck Swift of the Bob Barker.

The Institute for Cetacean Research (ICR) issued a media release today claiming that three Japanese whalers had been injured by Sea Shepherd in the confrontation on Thursday.

The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society rejects this claim.

“This is just the latest ploy by Japan to gain sympathy,” said Captain Paul Watson. “The Shonan Maru 2, the Yushin Maru 1 and the Yushin Maru 2 attacked the Sea Shepherd ship Steve Irwin and attempted to destroy the Sea Shepherd helicopter on the deck with high powered water cannons. The crew of the Steve Irwin retaliated by firing warning flares and using a Delta inflatable to toss bottles of rotten butter onto the decks of the whalers. It was a very tense five-hour confrontation, but there were no collisions and no injuries.”

Claims by Japan that rotten butter caused injuries to sailors is bogus. The Japanese whalers are always claiming that Sea Shepherd is throwing acid at them, insinuating that it is a caustic liquid like sulfuric acid, when in fact it is simply rotten butter, which is also known as butyric acid (just as milk has lactic acid and orange juice has citric acid). Butyric acid is a foul smelling substance but does not cause harm upon skin contact. It is less acidic than beer.

The Sea Shepherd ships did not attempt to foul the propellers of the Japanese whalers as claimed by the ICR. Both the Bob Barker and the Steve Irwin deployed a long hawser astern of both ships to discourage the harpoons vessels from making intimidating attacks with water cannons and Long Range Acoustical Weapons (LRADs). The only danger of entanglement was when the harpoon vessels approached the Sea Shepherd ships. Deployment of prop fouling gear is defensive and not offensive.

The three harpoon vessels in the Japanese fleet are faster and more maneuverable than the two Sea Shepherd ships. Japanese claims that Sea Shepherd attacks their ships are ridiculous, considering that Sea Shepherd ships do not have the speed to intercept a harpoon vessel. Sea Shepherd inflatable boats are deployed to toss the rotten butter bombs onto the decks of the Japanese whalers.

The Japanese accusation that the Steve Irwin uses a water cannon are amusing considering that there are six water cannons on the Nisshin Maru and two each on the harpoon vessels. This means 12 water cannons to Sea Shepherd’s one. Sea Shepherd mounted a water cannon for this year’s campaign to defend itself from water cannon attacks by the whalers.

The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society strongly condemns the Japanese whaling fleet for reentering the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary and intends to prevent any illegal whaling activities in the Sanctuary. All illegal whaling operations have been shut down for the last week and Sea Shepherd intends to shut down operations for another week to cost the Japanese whaling fleet profits and to cut the lethal kill quota.

photos credit: Barbara Veiga / Sea Shepherd

Monday, February 08, 2010

Steve Irwin Joins Pursuit of Nisshin Maru

Position: 63 Degrees 43 Minutes South 81 Degrees 26 Minutes East

The Sea Shepherd ship Steve Irwin joined the Sea Shepherd ship Bob Barker this morning at 0700 Hours (Sydney time). Both Sea Shepherd ships are now on the tail of the Japanese factory ship Nisshin Maru.

The Japanese fleet was running fast to the Northeast not knowing that the Steve Irwin was on a course of Southwest coming directly for them. With the fleet doing 15 knots, and the Steve Irwin doing 15 knots, the Steve Irwin and the whaling fleet closed the gap at 30 knots cutting the rendezvous time in half.

The Steve Irwin sat motionless by an iceberg for two hours at a distance of thirty miles to allow the Nisshin Maru to continue towards it. At a distance of only three miles, the Steve Irwin got underway and intercepted the Nisshin Maru.

As the Steve Irwin passed by the Nisshin Maru, the factory ship turned on their water cannons and were surprised when the Steve Irwin responded with a more powerful water cannon that had a couple of the whalers diving for the bridge doors as the frigid water struck their bridge wing deck.

The Steve Irwin is presently tailing the Nisshin Maru a few cable lengths and slightly to the port side of the factory ship. Across from the Steve Irwin, the Bob Barker is tailing the Nisshin Maru slightly to the starboard side.

Following in the wake of the Nisshin Maru are the Japanese vessels Shonan Maru 2, Yushin Maru 1 and Yushin Maru 2. There is no sign of the Yushin Maru 3.

Six ships, two from Sea Shepherd and four vessels from the Japanese fleet, are heading at full speed northeastwardly.

"Not a single whale has died since the Bob Barker intercepted the fleet at 0100 Hours on February 6th. It is now the third day that the whaling fleet has been unable to kill a whale. We intend to turn these three whaling free days into three whaling free weeks," said Captain Paul Watson. "I am confident that once again we will severely cut their kill quotas and we will once again negate their profits."

The Steve Irwin and the Bob Barker have enough fuel to pursue the whaling fleet for another month.

"It does not matter where they go, east or west along the Antarctic Coast," said Steve Irwin 1st Officer Locky MacLean. "We intend to stick to their rear like glue and we will not allow a single whale to be loaded onto the decks of that foul floating abattoir."

There are 41 crew (29 men and 12 women) on board the Steve Irwin from Australia, Bermuda, Brazil, Canada, Estonia, France, Japan, Hungary, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, South Africa, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States (15 nationalities).

There are 30 (6 women and 24 men) crew on board the Bob Barker from Australia, New Zealand, United States, Sweden, United Kingdom, and South Africa (6 nationalities).

photos credit: Glenn Lockitch / Sea Shepherd

Friday, January 22, 2010

Sea Shepherd Announces Mediterranean Campaign for the Bluefin Tuna

The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society will not be getting much rest after the Japanese whaling season is ended following Operation Waltzing Matilda.

Both Sea Shepherd ships, the Steve Irwin and the Bob Barker, will head for the Mediterranean from the Southern Ocean. The objective will be to intercept and oppose the illegal operations of Bluefin tuna poachers.

“We need to bring to the attention of the international public that one of the most unique fish species in the world, the Bluefin tuna, is on the brink of extinction due to the illegal fisheries driven by Japan’s insatiable demand for this expensive fish,” says Sea Shepherd Founder and President Captain Paul Watson.

Two weeks ago a single Bluefin tuna sold to Japan for £111,000.

With this high a price on its head, the days of this species surviving are numbered. As the fish becomes