Sea Shepherd has a 'Posse':
Flight spies on Japan whaling
Andrew Darby, Hobart
January 22, 2008
THE Australian Government has flown its first surveillance mission as
forces step up around the Japanese whaling fleet in the Antarctic.
The flight, by an extended range Airbus, together with the appearance
of a Japanese fishing boat said to be shadowing Sea Shepherd, raise
spying over the "scientific" whaling program to a new level.
There are also signs that with the rising international attention, the
program is increasingly being questioned at home in Tokyo.
The Airbus A-319, fitted out with surveillance and imaging equipment,
is, with the customs patrol ship Oceanic Viking, part of the Rudd
Government's program to gather evidence for potential international
legal action against the whaling.
[In Full]
"Sea Shepherd suspects that this is a government vessel or a vessel
chartered by the government specifically as a defense support vessel
for the Japanese (whaling) fleet."
"We are back on their trail," said Captain Paul Watson. "We have
some catching up to do but we are after them again.
We do have some disadvantages.
First because of the Japanese ship tailing us, the Japanese fleet
knows our position at all times.
Secondly, because…
Greenpeace is guarding the coordinates of the fleet, (you read
that right… //Da' Buffalo)
…we have a delay in getting this information.
I just hope that we can keep them running and that they don't
begin killing whales before we reach them again."
It has been 11 days straight without a whale being killed. To kill
whales, they will have to stop and if they stop the (vessel) Steve
Irwin will catch them.
"What I would really like to do," said Captain Watson, "is to rip
one of those damn harpoon guns off the bow of one of their ships."
In full: http://leighm.net/wp/2008/01/21/seashepherdandposse/
