Antarctic Whale Hunt Shut Down + Embassy Demo
Sea Shepherd | 17.01.2008 16:34 | Animal Liberation | Ecology | Ocean Defence | Repression | South Coast | World
17/01/08
The Japanese hunt for endangered whales in the Southern Oceans Whale Sanctuary has been shut down.
“All whaling activities have come to a halt,” said Captain Paul Watson from onboard the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society’s ship Steve Irwin. No whales have been killed since January 11th. The Japanese whaling fleet has been denied a solid week of whaling activity. Our task now is to make that two weeks and then three weeks.”
As long as the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and Greenpeace keep the Japanese whaling fleet on the run, there will be no whaling activity.
“I wish that Greenpeace would be more cooperative,” said Captain Paul Watson. “However we will continue to feed them the coordinates for the rest of the fleet as they tail the factory ship Nisshin Maru. If we cannot work with Greenpeace directly we will work with them indirectly. The strength of any movement is in diversity.”
January 17th found the Sea Shepherd ship Steve Irwin chasing the whaling supply vessel Oriental Bluebird and three other whaling ships eastward along the line of Latitude of Sixty Degrees South near the Eighty Six Degree East line of longitude. This is approximately 2000 miles from Fremantle, Australia.
The Japanese whalers continue to hold Australian citizen Benjamin Potts 28 and Giles Lane 35 of Great Britain. The Japanese government has ordered their release but the whalers are defying that order and refusing to release their hostages until Sea Shepherd agrees to their demands. One of the demands is for Sea Shepherd to discontinue opposing whaling activities. Captain Watson responded by refusing to acknowledge their demands and demanding instead that the hostages be released without conditions.
The Sea Shepherd ship Steve Irwin will continue to pursue illegal Japanese whaling activities for as long as possible.
http://www.seashepherd.org/news/media_080117_1.html 50 People Protested for Activists Release
Watson was supported by Jen Parker, the partner of Lane, who yesterday demonstrated with 50 people outside the Japanese embassy in London.
"Giles went out to take action to stop the whaling. He would not want to be released on these conditions," she said. "We are not getting any help from the embassy. They have told us to go through the usual channels, which could take three days. We are very frustrated."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/jan/17/whaling.conservation
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Additions
Hostage Release Demonstration, London
17.01.2008 16:54
Hostage Release Demonstration, London
Operation Migaloo
Today, around fifty of anti-whaling hostage Giles Lane’s family and friends gathered at the Japanese embassy in London to demand his immediate and unconditional release, along with that of fellow hostage and Sea Shepherd crewmember Benjamin Potts. the Japanese whaling vessel Yushin Maru No.2 more than thirty-six hours after their detention yesterday morning. Giles and Ben are volunteers aboard the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society’s ship Steve Irwin, which has been actively stopping the illegal whaling in Antarctic waters. Today, both Giles’ partner and his cousin attempted to speak to someone from the embassy, but were told they could only make an appointment, which would take three to seven days.
“We just want to hear that Giles is being well treated and that his release is imminent. The lack of response from the Japanese embassy is very distressing,” said Jen Parker, Giles Lane’s partner. “We urge all Giles’ supporters to increase the pressure on the Japanese authorities to ensure his and Ben’s release.”
http://www.seashepherd.org/events/2008-01-16_London_hostage_release_demonstration.html
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