Japanese whalers 'leave Southern Ocean'

2 Mar 2013, 4:25 pm   -   Source: SBS, AFP
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The conservationist group Sea Shepherd says Japanese whalers have left the Southern Ocean. (AAP)

The conservationist group Sea Shepherd says Japanese whalers have left the Southern Ocean. (AAP)

The conservationist group Sea Shepherd says Japanese whalers have left the Southern Ocean and are heading north

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The conservationist group Sea Shepherd says Japanese whalers have left the Southern Ocean.

Head of the group's mission in the Antarctic Bob Brown says the Japanese fleet is heading north, shadowed by Sea Shepherd vessels.

It comes after Japanese whalers and the group's anti-whaling boats clashed again at sea last week. 

Bob Brown says it's unlikely the Japanese whalers will return to the Antarctic this year, as the whaling season draws to an end.

He's described their reported departure as the most successful effort in Sea Shepherd history.

"Sea Shepherd has saved 900 or so whales this year. Sea Shepherd has effectively ruined this gruesome killing business of the Japanese fleet. And Sea Shepherd is building. It's got huge and popular support around the world."

Bob Brown says this season has seen the lowest number of whales killed in the Antarctic in the history of Japanese whaling.

In a statement on the Sea Shepherd website, the group's founder Paul Watson says this year would likely see the lowest haul by the Japanese whalers in history, with "no more than 75" of the mammals killed due to the group's efforts.

That compares with a catch of 267 last year -- 266 minke whales and one fin whale -- and is dramatically below the target of 935 minke whales and up to 50 fin whales set for this season by Japan's Institute for Cetacean Research.

"The entire Japanese whaling fleet is now north of 60 degrees and out of the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary," Watson said.

"Is whaling over for the season? We are not positive but we are 80 percent sure that it may be over," he said.

"This campaign will see the lowest take by the Japanese whaling fleet in the entire history of their Antarctic whale hunts."

Watson said the Korean-owned, Panamanian-flagged supply tanker the Sun Laurel was 48 hours from the factory ship Nisshin Maru, with a four-day return trip to the whaling sanctuary looking increasingly unlikely.

"This would leave about a week to kill whales and with the weather quickly deteriorating it would hardly be worth the effort."

Watson said Sea Shepherd had seen the Japanese kill just two minke whales, and they had only had two days of unobstructed hunting in the whole season, which began in late December.

"My conservative estimate of the number of whales killed this year is no more than 75. It could be much lower but certainly not higher," he said.

Watson described the campaign, in which each side accused the other of ramming attacks, as "enormously successful" and said Sea Shepherd would "continue to follow the whaling fleet north to ensure that they do not return to kill whales".

Despite several years of sustained harassment campaigns by Sea Shepherd and international condemnation, Japan continues to catch whales under a "scientific research" loophole in international whaling whaling bans.

It makes no secret of the fact that the meat ends up on dinner tables.

Fisheries Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi vowed last month that Japan would never stop whaling, describing criticism by environmentalists and nations including Australia as "a kind of prejudice against Japanese culture".

Australia has taken Japan to the International Court of Justice over its whaling programme, seeking an end to the so-called scientific slaughter.

Sea Shepherd has also been hauled before the courts, with a US judge banning the activists, in a December ruling, from physically confronting any vessel in the Japanese fleet.

They are also required to stay at least 500 yards (metres) from whaling vessels and prohibited from "navigating in a manner that is likely to endanger the safe navigation of any such vessel".

An appeals court last week labelled Sea Shepherd "pirates", clearing the way for the Japanese to pursue an injunction against their activities in the Southern Ocean, which were described as "violent acts for private ends".

Sea Shepherd

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Your Comments

banana

Hein soup - from Mordor, 2 months ago

this guy is awesome!!!

"Sea" how they run.

Neil Mitchell - from Melbourne, 3 months ago

As the Australian Government and Opposition lack the moral fibre to act in other than "diplomatic" terms, it fallsback on the global community to act against the immorality that is Japanese whaling. The Japanese lie, pure and simple, they lie, and all the while Australian officials pick the grime from under their fingernails and consider the shine of their shoes. How could we expect anything less? Congratulations to "Sea Shepherd" on their success this whaling season.

Great news

Steve - from Sydney, 3 months ago

Congratulation to all associated with Sea Shepherd for driving the Japanese from our whale sanctuary. Its such a shame our government does not have the balls to do this. I salute you all at Sea Shepherd. God Speed.

ms

marvis sofield - from broken hill nsw, 3 months ago

I think sea change saving the whales...and their record is excellent..its not the real issue...our Japanese neighbours live a mostly plant based lifestyle...we don't...instead we export...live sheep...live cattle...live goats..to people from a different and reviled religion and cultures who are also in need...who benefits ..the fucking human...from oz

Scientific research.Dreams are free

mark - from moonta, 3 months ago

well done the sea shepherd.Pity our gov could not grow a backbone on this issue still most lib and labor pollies dont have a backbone.

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