Source > http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,,1968960,00.html
Activists race to hunt down whalers
Fierce fight expected in Southern Ocean as each side says other is criminal
John Vidal, environment editor
Monday December 11, 2006
The Guardian
Humpback whales may be hunted from next year. Photograph: AP
Japanese whalers are expected to clash with environmentalists in Antarctica
over the next two months as separate fleets head south prepared to confront
each other in some of the world's most hostile seas. Yesterday the Japanese
government's Institute for Cetacean Research (ICR), which is paying for this
year's hunt for 950 whales, said five ships were now en route for Antarctica.
Greenpeace International and the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society said they
were both sending two ships, equipped with helicopters and inflatables and
crewed by more than 100 volunteers.
The pro- and anti-whalers last night traded insults and appealed for the
support of countries they hoped would back their views on whaling.
"Greenpeace and Sea Shepherd are eco-terrorists. They are acting illegally
and dangerously. We are very concerned that they will use more and more
desperate tactics," said Glenn Inwood, spokesman for the ICR from New Zealand.
"Sea Shepherd has said that they are prepared to ram us and we fear that they
will endanger the lives of our crews and scientists. We will take whatever
action we can." Paul Watson, of the Sea Shepherd Conservation
Society, whose California-based organisation has sunk or rammed at least 10
whaling, sealing and other ships in the past 25 years, said his boats would
confront the Japanese whalers. "I think things will be much hotter
down south this year. Our objective is to place ourselves in harm's way to
protect the whales. We recognise [the Japanese fleet] as a criminal operation
and criminal operations are dealt with by aggressive intervention. This is a
clear case of justifiable intervention against a criminal operation," said
Mr Watson in Melbourne, Australia. Faster boats Greenpeace
International yesterday said it would be sending its fastest boats to try to
stop the whalers. "Physical confrontation goes against our core principle of
non-violence," said Sara Holden of Greenpeace in Amsterdam. Last
year, in extraordinary scenes in the Southern Ocean, the Japanese accused both
environment groups of illegal tactics after several incidents when the whalers'
"mother ship", the Nisshin Maru, was in collision with the conservationists'
boats. The Japanese outran their opponents and killed more than 900 whales for
"research" purposes. Sea Shepherd has since bought a much faster
former US coastguard ship, codenamed the Leviathan. "This time, with the new
ship, they can't lose us. If they can't shake us off I am pretty confident we
can stop them. If they get violent towards us I suppose it could get very
physical. We are quite willing to instigate an international
incident over this," Mr Watson said last week as he prepared to leave for the
Ross Ice Shelf. Speaking from Melbourne, Australia, yesterday, he
said: "Our Leviathan is at sea and on the way south to the coast of Antarctica.
It looks as if we will be in a position to confront the Japanese whaling fleet
in the Antarctic Whale Sanctuary during the last week of December." But
Greenpeace and Sea Shepherd are not expected to try to help each other.
Although Mr Watson co-founded Greenpeace, the organisations have for many years
barely been on speaking terms, developing different philosophies about direct
action and protest. Mr Watson has accused Greenpeace of being "the Avon ladies
of the environment movement". Greenpeace, keen not to upset its large
membership, tries to distance itself from its more confrontational co-founder.
Much will be at stake this year because Japan, which took over the IWC
at its annual meeting in June, wants to overturn the 20-year
moratorium on commercial whaling and resume the hunting of humpback whales
next year. Yesterday the Institute for Cetacean Research hinted that
the Japanese government could intervene in confrontations. "At this point we do
not want to say what we intend to do. But we are very disappointed that some
countries, in particular Australia, give Sea Shepherd moral support," Mr Inwood
said. Japan considers whaling an issue of national policy and
sovereignty while Australia objects to hunting in the Australian Antarctic
Territory and the internationally recognised Antarctic Sanctuary. The Japanese
fleet is believed to be near New Zealand and should be ready to start hunting
in two weeks. "But it's a big ocean ... and it's quite possible we
just won't find them. It needs a big dose of luck," Sara Holden said.
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