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Japanese Asks Authorities To Stop Whaling Activists

Posted on: Tuesday, 27 October 2009, 07:42 CDT

On Monday the Japanese head of state made a diplomatic but earnest plea for Netherlands’ authorities to take punitive measures against a Dutch-registered sea vessel used by the radical environmentalist group Sea Shepherd Conservation Society to harass Japanese whaling ships in the waters of the Antarctic.

Shortly into his four-day trip to the country, newly-elected Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama met with Dutch premier Jan Peter Balkenende and made a direct request that his government take action on the issue of vigilante vessels.

At a joint press conference, Hatoyama told international reporters that he had respectfully requested that Balkenende’s government “handle the obstruction of maritime safety.”

Balkenende reassured the Japanese leader that, “as to whaling...the Dutch government is working on a change in the law that would make it possible to take adequate measures against Dutch ships that commit unlawful acts.”

Making clear the Netherlands’ position on whaling, the Dutch Prime Minister added the comment that “[though] we disagree about whaling...we do not disagree on the importance of safety at sea.”

The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society was founded in 1977 by former Greenpeace activist Paul Watson and currently has bases in Friday Harbor, Washington and Melbourne, Australia.  While touting its peaceful intentions as a non-profit environmental organization, the group has been taking increasingly heavy criticism in recent years for the violent character of many of their activities.

Japanese whalers have repeatedly reported being attacked by ships from the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society’s fleet.  Some of the organization’s aggressive offensives include throwing bottles filled with the chemical butyric acid onto whaling ships, stealing and destroying drift nets, boarding private vessels without permission and ramming ships on the open ocean.

The group’s leadership, accuses Japanese whalers of exploiting a loophole in a 1986 international agreement prohibiting commercial whaling to continue killing the valuable and rare marine mammals.

In turn, many Far East observers and specialists have often criticized western whaling protesters for their ignorance of and insensitivity towards traditional Japanese culture and practices associated with whales and whaling.

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Source: RedOrbit Staff & Wire Reports

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User Comments (9)

9. Posted by DeniseA on 10/30/2009, 15:33
to all westerners, STOP BUYING JAPANESE CARS and you see how fast they stop whaling.
8. Posted by Cameraman on 10/28/2009, 10:47
They are not "rocket harpoons", they are exploding tipped harpoons. Go here for more info: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Whale-Wars/82095147954 "With the knowledge we now have about whales, why would would want them to become extinct?" They don't want them to be extinct! Read what the research is about and you will see!!
7. Posted by Kathleen Alexander on 10/27/2009, 19:07
What part of Japanese traditions entails going to the Antarctic and using rocket harpoons to kill whales for "research" that end up on the dinner and school lunch plates of the Japanese? Oh, and the 250,000 dollars plus per whale profit? Hmmmm sounds more like capitalist culture than anything related to tradition!
6. Posted by imfortehwahles on 10/27/2009, 18:45
Sea Sheperd are also doing research. they are researching how long it takes to totally p*** the Japanese whalers off enough for them to stop whaling. So that makes it alright by me!
5. Posted by Imforthewhales on 10/27/2009, 18:42
Japan needs to be stopped sonner than later. What makes them think that they have the right to kill whales? What god given right makes those whales japanese+? I have a feeling they are in Australian waters and I also have the feeling that the Australian High court deemed Japanese CPOMMERCIAL whaling ( which it is) tiotally illegal. These whales are as much mine as japanese and i want the japanese to stop this cruel, barbarous slaughter...hands off my whales! Go Sea Sepherd!
4. Posted by coldtusker on 10/27/2009, 15:58
Tradition my huge ****... Using rocket harpoons... if you use 'tradition' then use boats with oarmen... and stay within the Japanese coastline... oh, they killed all the whales there!!!
3. Posted by Matt on 10/27/2009, 13:50
Japanese don't care about anything but profits hence the reason they over fish everything have a country thriving on slave ridden sweat shops and are just sooo ignorant they can't see past the $ to the truth that what they are doing is wrong and they need to be stoped! Long live Sea Shepard and much respect to Paul and his crew! Peace!
2. Posted by Adria Mackesey on 10/27/2009, 11:04
By the way, Go Sea Shepard!! I would join Captain Paul Watson's crew ANYDAY!! I would be willing to give my life to protect a defenseless mammal. Call me Paul ;)
1. Posted by Adria Mackesey on 10/27/2009, 11:00
When the conservation of a species is being jeopardized due to a HUGE country's "tradition", it's time to stop killing intelligent, innocent, living breathing, feeling, loving mammals. With the knowledge we now have about whales, why would would want them to become extinct? Besides the suffering they endure from being killed needlessly. I suppose slavery was once considered a tradition of sorts. But it isn't right, so it was stopped. Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama should be tossed in the ocean, harpooned, then shot(to finish him off), then dragged dead through the water, by a rope, for miles, until he is passed off to the "factory ship" & pulled up the back ramp & slaughtered on deck, then toss his "inedible's" into the ocean. Sell HIM in the Japanese Market!

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