Japan to arrest anti-whaling activists, newspaper reports

The difference is in the nature of the commerce. The Somalian pirates for example are destroying commerce between nations. Most particularly they directly undermine the profitability of the Suez canal which is the main source of income for Egypt as well as threatening the profit margin of other nations requiring the short sea route the canal supplies. That shipping route affects everyone and that means the pirates are labeled internationally as criminals.

The Japanese government is exacting its own law in international waters with only its own interests at heart. They are also affecting the commerce of both NZ and Australia directly in terms of their whale watching industry. Japan is acting in this case as the rogue agent and can equally be accused of the crime of piracy just as the Sea Shephard can. That is the international law issue involved here.

The Japanese coastguard has no jurisdiction over international waters. If the SDF or some renamed arm of it appears in the Antarctic waters effectively the Japanese government is staking a claim on what it doesn't own, and doing so using military means. In most other parts of the world, in international waters this could be seen as provocation in the extreme.

I doubt it. Nations regularly conduct military operations on the high seas on the principle that international waters are "free to all nations but belong to none of them". How do you think they catch pirates?

I kinda hope they do capture and threaten to charge an Aussie boat crew... then I hope a few Aussie Navy ships catch the whaling fleet, or part of it, and refuse to ever let them go. I mean, they're not far off Aussie waters, so why not? If it becomes more of an international issue over a couple of gunships standing off, good... more attention drawn to Japan's bull###t 'science'.

Arguably accusations of piracy can be leveled at both sides, the Japanese whalers and the Sea Shepard. While the whalers apprehending unwelcome guests is understandable, handing them over to the Japanese coastguard is not. Rather handing them over to a third party would make far more sense.

The Japanese coastguard has no jurisdiction over international waters. If the SDF or some renamed arm of it appears in the Antarctic waters effectively the Japanese government is staking a claim on what it doesn't own, and doing so using military means. In most other parts of the world, in international waters this could be seen as provocation in the extreme. Unlikely though that either New Zealand or Australia are going to go down that path. After all Japan is a prime market for what both countries are good at exporting.

The situation underlines the intractable contradiction between nation states and capitalism, and yet another example of how difficult it will be to save our natural environment and ourselves while both nation states and capitalism remain in place. Nation states were originally set up to maintain capitalist markets, and to justify forcibly creating new ones. The problem though remains the impossibility of fixing a 'dollar/yen' value to the natural world and particularly to the need to save it for future generations. Most people know it should be saved, science tells us that biodiversity is essential to a healthy environment, yet corporate profit and the driving capitalist need to ever increase profit means there is profit to be made by destroying our world. And its always only a short term profit that means there is always ever more competition to secure (i.e. destroy).

Pity the whales and the whalers. At least the crew of the Sea Shephard do their thing without a gunship standing by.

Bit of a misleading headline here. Japan is only saying that anyone forcibly boarding their vessel on the high seas will be detained, which I think is reasonable enough and of course perfectly legal (it could even be argued that the captain would be negligent in his duty to do otherwise).

The only way Japan will stop whaling is to turn Japanese public opinion against it, and the actions of Sea Shephard are only serving to discredit the entire anti-whaling movement in the eyes of the Japanese public (and thus playing straight into the hands of the very small pro-whaling lobby.)

The anti-whaling movement's biggest enemy is themselves, and the fact that 95% of their arguments are full of flaws and eclipse the remaining 5%.

notimpressed:Just something I noticed in your post:

Japan has no claim itself, and could never make one as it would be ridiculous coming from a country which is ten times closer to the arctic, in the opposite hemisphere of the planet.

Norway, Britain and France have made claims, so cleary distance isn't an issue here.

In Hawaii they're runnin' A&E commercials for some anti-whalin' folks that proudly say they're gonna mess with Japanese whalers. It's supposed to be a whole new TV show for the next season

I'm hopin' the Japanese whalers proceed right on course and let the laws of physics take their place in natural order the universe.

I don't think A&E will allow the videotapes of antin-whalin' folks findin' out if there really is a God be aired. Well, I'm sure they'd love to air it just as much as I'd love to see it, but the US FCC would probably fine them big time if they did.

Japan is being the nail that sticks up. Is it any surprise they get hammered down?

People on earth make no secret of the fact that they disagree with the way that Japanese 'research' whale meat ends up on dinner tables and accuses Japan of insensitivity to world opinion.

Better on the dinner table that to throw the meat away.

forcible obstruction of business

shouldn't that be forcible obstruction of research?

Under international maritime law – is it permissible to fire a torpedo when another ship is in close proximity? Wouldn’t that be a blatant disregard for safety? Maybe it is the whalers who should be charged?

Okay, so they're not pirates. However

http://www.seashepherd.org/news-and-media/news-070105-1.html

And

Question No. 7 Sea Shepherd flies the Jolly Roger, the pirate flag. Are you pirates?

Captain Paul Watson: We get called pirates, and it is an accusation that does not bother us much. In fact we kind of like it. First there is the romantic appeal of swashbuckling pirates and kids love the image, they love our flag and logo.

Secondly we do consider ourselves pirates of compassion in pursuit of pirates of greed. There is sometimes a need to be a pirate if for nothing else because sometimes pirates are needed to stop pirates.

But they are in breach of international and maritime laws. Which, at the very least makes them pirates.

Really? If you were to sail a ship with a broken navigation light you'd be breaking maritime laws, but would that make you a pirate? Pirates are people who are guilty of piracy, not people who merely break maritime law. Also, even boarding a ship without permission is at most trespass, not piracy.

Just because someone robs you of your money, you can't take the law into your own hands and rob them back.

If somebody snatched 10000 yen from my pocket I'd be perfectly entitled to snatch it back. But I see the point you were trying to make.

I agree throwing butter was illegal, as was boarding without permission (in order to deliver a letter!!!) illegal.

In these ultra-conformist times where the right of protest is being eroded all over the world, borderline illegal and sometimes illegal activity can be justified. But never violence (and throwing butter at a ship is not violence.) Insisting that the law always trumps morals just makes one a subservient, non-thinking drone (the way world governments want you.)

To be honest, I'd rather Sea Shepherd didn't do anything obviously illegal. But I fully support their right to obstruct the hunt.

Double standard, some say Japan is breaking the law so its ok for these vigilanties to take the laws into their own hands. Then someone mentions international waters, but then another person says its Australian waters so what do you want it to be?

Just because someone robs you of your money, you can't take the law into your own hands and rob them back.

Perhaps they're not terrorists. But they are in breach of international and maritime laws. Which, at the very least makes them pirates. Like it or not (and the majority on hear don't) but Japan is guilty of neither of these.

Ah, the annual whale hunt slanging match.

Nothing much changes.

Japan will continue to blatantly and cringe-makingly lie; Sea Shepherd will continue to grab headlines by being one of the few action groups in the world willing to actually go and do something, while people with absolutely no sense of proportion will continue to call them terrorists; Japan will hurl its toys out of the pram; and while all this hubbub is distracting everyone, Japan will continue to hunt other species (eg tuna) to the edge of extinction (as it did to the Japanese Sea Lion. RIP)

BTW I'm sure Sea Shepherd will be able to disrupt the hunt without transgressing any of the laws of Antarctica Prefecture.

Unless we use the word "slaughter" to mean killing any animal anywhere for human consumption....

And don't we? The word isn't emotionally charged at all, unless you want to claim that the kills are purely in the name of science and the meat isn't intended for food at all. And not even the pro-whalers try to claim that any more.

ORIGIN Middle English (as a noun): from Old Norse slátr ‘butcher's meat’ ; related to slay . The verb dates from the mid 16th cent.

Killing a free animail is the worst thing to do!

But it's OK to kill a captive animal?

Moderator: Readers, please stay on topic and don't get bogged down in semantics.

Killing a free animail is the worst thing to do! Killing a free animal that is disappering from the world is evil Killing the most intellinget animal like is monkeys dolphins and whales is the worst thing that a countrt of people so intelligent can do. Most of japanese do not eat dolphins and whales. BUT YAKUZA pay the minister of fish with a lot of money to have the meat fot the resturant of mafia!

Finance 10 Somali pirate ships and launch them over whale hunting areas and they do the job far more effective than any UN or EU or Japan Whale Institute (greenpeace, sea shephard, "I love whale" and "I eat whale" associations).

The UN should declare the Southern Ocean a whale sanctuary and then boot >the Japanese out of the UN when they go "a researchin'". That should >shake their blinkers off more than Perry's Black Ship did.

As if the UN is going to "boot" their second biggest financial contributor. If anything they'll probably back Japan's position.

don't think 'slaughter' is inappropriately loaded at all. It describes >exactly what the whalers are doing, in both dictionary senses of the >word.

Unless we use the word "slaughter" to mean killing any animal anywhere for human consumption, it's an emotionally charged anbd biased term that is inapproriate for use in a "news" article.

Since we are talking about fishing (whaling) in international waters, >the Japanese ships do not have the authority or the jurisdiction >to "arrest" anybody. All they can do is forcibly detain them.

True, but they have the auhority to detain anyone who boards without permission, as they did last time, and they can be detained. And being a Japanes flag vessel they boarded, they can be handed over to the JCG who can arrest them and bring them to Japan for trial under Japanese laws.

I'm not sure that Japan has any more authority to do this in international waters than the Aussies do. Until somebody comes aboard ship they are kinda SOL. But I'm no lawyer.

Japan has no right to arrest anyone and try them in Japan if done in international waters. The Australian and New Zealand authorities have already made it clear to Japan, that whaling in Whale Sanctuaries, is illegal.

Let's arrest the whalers and try them outside of Japan for blatant disregard of the law, nature and the requests of millions of people around the world to put an end to their 'research'.

Protesters have already said they will be finding new ways to stop the whaling. Let's hope they are successful.

Nessie -

I don't think 'slaughter' is inappropriately loaded at all. It describes exactly what the whalers are doing, in both dictionary senses of the word. I'm glad you disapprove of 'harvest', which refers to gathering in cultivated crops; whales are neither crops nor cultivated. It also suggests some degree of legitimacy, in the sense that people have every right to harvest a crop they have put sweat and effort into planting and tending. That doesn't apply to whales, either.

Cleo, "slaughter" for animals tends to be use for livestock. It is not standard English to say, "Ah, jus' me an' mah fishin' pole! Off to slaughter me some fish."

"Slaughter" is an inappropriately loaded word. "Harvest" is inappropriately loaded in the other direction, although you could make a dictionary argument for its appropriateness.

bebert rammed maybe it is better to install some torpedotubes to get rid off all those ahabs

Crew members from Japan’s fleet would capture activists and hand them over to the Japanese Coastguard

That's kidnapping....

I am in no way in favor of these green peace idiots, but you can't just take people against their will, half-way across the globe and turn them over to JN authorities...

Doesn't work that way....

If they do this, they are the same as North Korea....

Legally they may take any means necessary to deter or defend themselves, but they can't take somebody, against their will, thousands of miles away on the basis of defending their activities.....

WHO AMONG YOU THINKS there is a connection between this type of event and the closure of the fish market to foreigners????????????????

There is no 'closure of the fish market to foreigners.' The early-morning fish market has been closed to tourists and gawkers regardless of the colour of their passports.

I don't know why the Sea Shepard doesn't use military smoke generators to block the view of the whale hunters!!!!!!!!!

Good idea. I hope Watson reads JT occasionally.

badge123 said: No country owns Antarctica or any parts of it. They can only claim parts of it, and Australia's claim is only recognized by four countries . Antarctic territorial claims are not recognized by most countries, including Japan.

Thats interesting, seeing as Japan is a signatory of the Antarctic Treaty, which regulates international relations regarding Antarictica, and is of course tied to all territorial claims. Fair enough though to excercise jurisdiction on board a vessel.

Japan has no claim itself, and could never make one as it would be ridiculous coming from a country which is ten times closer to the arctic, in the opposite hemisphere of the planet. The fact that Japan signed the treaty, is more likely to do with that the treaty is made to maintain the antarctic region as a place for scientific research, but you think as a signatory that they would respect the sentiments of the claim holders. Japan wormed its way in where it doesnt belong on the treaty, just on the sientific interest part. Fair enough for the legitimate scientific research, but the researching of the whales flavour is really stretching it.

It is a blatant example of Japans insensitivity to those with territorial claims, who despite having them, have agreed not to excercize 'ownership' of the territory, but rather to act as custodians. Japan barges in and does what it wants, regardless of what those claim holders/custodians would say. It is simple defiance of popular opinion, bloody-mindedness, insensitivity to anything that isnt themselves,and hypocracy in so many ways.

They are only getting away with this through a loophole, and doing it with a smirk on thier face. It is so obvious they are doing it for food, and for money, when they are neither poor or starving, and all through a "scientific research" loophole. That loophole should be slammed shut, so that they can not twist the rules to suit themselves anymore. The only way to stop them is for people to try and get the clause that they are abusing to be ammended.

The best part of it will be when noone has to listen to, or read about this whole drama anymore. If only Japan would just piss off out of there and stop treading on everyones toes just for some NASTY tasting meat, and to line the pockets of a small minority.

WHO AMONG YOU THINKS there is a connection between this type of event and the closure of the fish market to foreigners???????????????? WHO????????????????????? I don't know why the Sea Shepard doesn't use military smoke generators to block the view of the whale hunters!!!!!!!!!

Please try to remember that the whaling industry, sorry I mean whaling reseach, resides in a state of complete isolation from any other human activity or slaughter. It is irrelevant. And that is "of course". It has been ordained from up on high. So it is now a matter of common sense.

Slaughter of living creatures is always horrible.

And it is an everyday occurrence. Some people just don't want to see (or even discuss it unless its the other guy.) Hypocrisy is rife here. It is even being protected!

Slaughter of living creatures is always horrible.

Anyway, once you board a flagged vessel you have just stepped on the territory of the country whose flag that is. You may be subject to citizen's arrest under the laws of that nation. Its just not a common practice so the authorities are not sure how to handle it and they may not want to handle it because it can be problematic.

As for your claim that the use of the word 'slaughter' where 'kill' would suffice is 'slanted journalism', let's have a look at what the dictionary says:

verb [ trans. ] kill (animals) for food. See note at kill. • kill (people or animals) in a cruel or violent way, typically in large numbers.

Note at kill: To kill is the most general term, meaning to cause the death of a person, animal, or plant, with no automatic implication of a method or cause.....While slaughter is usually associated with the killing of animals for food, it can also apply to a mass killing of humans (: the slaughter of innocent civilians provoked a worldwide outcry)

It would seem that from your own claim that 'food is food', you understand that the whales are being killed not for 'scientific research', but for food. Therefore the use of the word 'slaughter,' meaning to kill for food, is absolutely correct. Since slaughter also means to kill in a cruel of violent way, typically in large numbers, that also fits with what goes on in the Antarctic.

I don't see what your beef is.

uperjer -

Because cows and chickens are not endangered species, and cow and and chicken killers don´t travel half way around the world to international waters to kill cows and chickens in the name of "research"? Just an idea for you.

uperjer- Your tearfull post seems to show an extreme slant favouring whaling, a barbaric practice where activistst have a right to take action against. Hopefully, you can become more educated like some of us others on here, and realise that killing these whales is wrong.

the slanted journalism of japantoday shows again. they continually say 'slaughter' in the article when 'kill' would easily suffice. go hug a tree. food is food. why do you single out the whale industry?

Moderator: References to other industries and other animals are of course irrelevant to the discussion.

Its the Japanese whalers who should be arrested

"If arrested by the coast guard, they would be charged with forcible obstruction of business under Japanese law."

Obstruction of business?? I thought those Japanese researchers are down there in the arctic strictly on a mission to research the mysterious cetarians.

Killing whales for business is not part of the agreement, or is it now?

Should be an interesting trial.

Japan say the 1000 or so whales are for research, A 1000 a year have to be killed, Bullshit I`d like to know what the hell they are actually researching and how it benifits mankind.

And it`s the only research I know of that actually ends up as commercial gain for the people who sell it, And who actually gets the money for it.

Next thing you know we`ll be killing 1000 humans a year in the name of research, where does it stop.

I understand the lengths the protestor go to, but boarding ships at the risk of being arrested must be a hard call.

Just there was more world support against these nations who continue killing these whales.

Cuddles

"DerekTrotter at 07:17 PM JST - 7th December I reckon the whalers should be arrested. Who wants to hurt animals like that in the 21 st century?"

Well, maybe he collected more monety for that than for starving people...

Anyway, just' because many people say it's wrong, it doesn't necessary mean that is really wrong...

I am English and know a Japanese family of four, they all say whale hunting is bad and would never eat it. Strewth, these whalers are barbaric, how can anyone condemn them? Maybe bloodthirsty peopel, but not people who have any feelings surely.

Australia, do us a favour and blow up their whaling ships, haha, i would laugh at that.

Jeremy Paxman said japan will lose out if the arrest demonstartors, too bloody right, thay've got acheek innit!

How many Japanese people do you know? How many of them eat whale??

My younger brother Rodney collected 38 Pounds one saturday afternoon down the Elephant and Castle to save the Whales. He had a video showing how badly them japanese kill the whales, my significant other Raquel was in tears. Also the Jaspanese have tried to ram into the demonstartors boat, they could kill them. Nah, i don't buy japanese stuff no more after watching that.

I reckon the whalers should be arrested. Who wants to hurt animals like that in the 21 st century?

Unfortunately Australia continues to "give way" to a brutal culture that hides behind so-called "scientific research" as its justification for slaughtering not only OUR Whales but also OUR Dolphins. When one accesses the Japanese culture of beauty and wisdom it is a far cry from the savages that scour the seas for one of the most precious, intelligent and mystical of all creatures that exist. When one witnesses the extreme brutality of these so-called human beings it makes us weep in shame. One thing is definite however.....the wrongs and evil committed by these barbarians will NOT go unpunished, the universe will see to that. Peace to the Whales, the Dophins and all who suffer at the hand of mankind. Shame on the Japanese.

badger123- The whalers shouldn't be ther in the first place!!!

the whales are lovely and suffer, sometimes for half an hour before they die. the whaling ships shouls be blown up.

Why don't you watch a whaling video, watching the suffering would make any decent person cry.]

japan grow up, you are being horrid!!!

Obstruction of business is a broad definition. The IWC allows it, if you have a beef, then take it out with the IWC.

Maybe some readers are missing the part where its when these "activists" actually board a Japanese ship is when Japan can detain them. Not when they are on another ship. I've said it before, I don't care if it is a whaling vessel or a ship full of nuns, if someone illegally boards a ship with the probable intent to cause disruption of operation, or even harm, the ship's crew has a responsibility to protect their vessel and those on board, and knowing the history of these so called activists, I have nothing against Japan detaining them. If it were my ship, I would do the same. I don't care if they are anti whale activists, pirates, or Jahova's witnesses, if they are trying to illegally board my ship, yeah I'm going to detain them, and I'm sure if you were a ship captain you'd do the same exact thing.

Japanese whalers should eb arrested and have their boats taken away, they are horrible. I saw on telly a whale taking ages to die, it was suffering terribly, it made me cry. If japan arresst anyone, i hope Australia intervenes and stops them, and the whole worl stop buying Japanese things.

The protesters should throw dog pooh pooh at the whalers to punish them.

hand them over to the Japanese Coastguard

Since when did the Japanese coast extend down to Antarctica???

they would be charged with forcible obstruction of business under Japanese law.

So it's not 'research', it's 'business'? I think that's a violation of IWC rules, isn't it? So if the Japanese arrest the Sea Shepherd people for 'obstruction of business', they're admitting that what they (=Japan) are doing is illegal.

Arrest them.

" Australia owns 48% of Antarctica so anyone within, I think, 200 kilometres of those parts of Antarctica are in Aussie waters."

No country owns Antarctica or any parts of it. They can only claim parts of it, and Australia's claim is only recognized by four countries . Antarctic territorial claims are not recognized by most countries, including Japan.

Sounds fair enough. These aren't activists they're just terrorists. Good call Japan.

"Environmental action groups such as Sea Shepherd have been accused of engaging in piracy and terrorism when they sink ships with mines, scuttle them, or ram them and throw butyric acid on their crews; although they carry firearms, they are not known to have fired them during attacks.[36][37]"

"Since piracy often takes place outside the territorial waters of any state, the prosecution of pirates by sovereign states represents a complex legal situation. The prosecution of pirates on the high seas contravenes the conventional freedom of the high seas. However, because of universal jurisdiction, action can be taken against pirates without objection from the flag state of the pirate vessel. This represents an exception to the principle extra territorium jus dicenti impune non paretur (the judgment of one who is exceeding his territorial jurisdiction may be disobeyed with impunity).[68]" [Wikipedia]

Do with them as you wish....no one will have a leg a whine on.

I saw whale served as part of a dish on Iron Chef once (not a secret ingredient). One of the judges refused to eat it and that was back in the 90's.

At any rate, the west doesn't care about Japan's position on this matter. The green peace boat has it's own TV show on major cable networks around the world.

Triumvere -- good point, but what is the true "eco-terrorism"? I think it could be argued that Japan killing 1,000 whales in international waters, disquised as research, meets the definition as well. Harpooning those whales is much more violent that the Sea Shepard throwing some rancid butter.

I wish Australia had a few 'balls' as a country and would just finish this childish stand-off with a few stubborn old Japanese men...this is so NOT a historical/cultural issue,just an attention seeking,not respecting other authorites childish tantrum,like most of the problems here.

Two words: international waters. Or, even worse for Japan, Australian waters. Australia owns 48% of Antarctica so anyone within, I think, 200 kilometres of those parts of Antarctica are in Aussie waters. And hunting whales in against the law in Australian waters. Hope the Japanese don't get arrested as well.

Eco-terrorism cannot be permitted, no matter how righteous the cause. If the Sea Shepards feel they need to perform acts of civil disobedience and get arrested to further their cause, then they should do so. However, they must be sure to follow in the footsteps of MLK rather than the Weather Underground.

Perhaps newspaper reports are more accurate after the arrests are made.

Japan HAS no whale eating/catching culture.

Interesting. I was at a sushi place in Sukiji recently, and saw kujira on the menu. And didn't see one person ordering it.

Japan to arrest anti-whaling activists

On what authority? Why don't the anti-whaling activists arrest the whalers?

They aren't exercising such powers against other ships, they are exercising against people who board their ship. I'm not a fan of whaling, I don't eat whale, I'm just looking at this from a non whale standpoint. If I'm the Captain of a Ship, and someone boards my ship that I don't want on, I'm going to defend it, I don't care if its Somali Pirates or Sea Sheperd activists. Their goal is to disrupt the operations of my ship and potentially endanger the lives of the people on board.

Interesting concept on a number of levels.

Firstly, I have little time for Sea Sheperd. Activism is one thing, however, engaging in actions that could endanger the lives of other seafarers is not on. Perhaps the next time a Sea Sheperd vessel finds itself in trouble, Japan and others should just turn off their radios. Something in the back of my mind tells me that there is a double standard at work here.

Secondly, Japan arresting people on the high seas (and one would assume trying them in Japan) represents an interesting legal precedent. Could this impact the way commerce is conducted internationally? I don't like the idea of sovereign states exercising such powers against ships, etc., in international waters. We are not talking here about gun-running or drugs, Sea Sheperd are just the lunatic fringe of the environmental movement.

Where will the protesters be tried? In Japan? Japanese law doesn't extend to Antarctica, and dragging protesters all the way to Tokyo would be just as illegal as the American DEA coming to Canada to bust seed sellers. This will be an interesting battle this year.

lets see he japanese put their gonads where their mouths are. this is a lose lose threat by impotent Japanese.

and earn a god damn crap fo that

Being friendly with a few guys who whale from the Chiba coast and over the years having quaffed a few beers with them over that time, I can assure you that the whalers are on good salaries with all their allowances and bonuses. As a couple of them have said, they do it for the money and if the money wasn't good, the whaling boats would be staffed at the non-officer levels with Indonesians and sailors from the Philippines; like the rest of the Japanese merchant navy.

Tried in Japan, doesn't look good for them if they get taken back here.

The Japanese threats sound like a lot of nonsense to me. Gangsters and fascists seem to be able to go around forcibly obstructing business with impunity, why aren't they being arrested?

Furthermore, if "research" can be defined as business, why don't we get a group together and go on a trip to research the area around Aso's house? As we saw a few weeks ago, the police will forcibly obstruct such research and will therefore be breaking the law.

International law gives captain's of ships (to include Aircraft) broad authority of events that happen on their ships (aircraft).

Best suggestion I've heard so far is to remove the government support. Let the "whale killing faux "scienctific" business" go OUT of business because Japanese won't buy that meat, even if it is from Iceland. M E R C U R Y...the answer is staring the whalers in the face: E C O T O U R I S M...that is where the right living and right answers lie. Come on Japan! Step up to the plate. Enough of the cute whale T-shirts and "Save the Planet," do the right thing. Let's photograph whales, not put them on ice in huge warehouses because no one is buying those carcasses. Click on 'em, not stick in 'em!

I dont eat whale meat, simply because it doesnt interest me. But, correct me if Im wrong, the Minke whales the Japanese are hunting are not protected or endangered, right? So, other than a group of people who are against the idea of it, what is the real problem here?

From Wikipedia

Sea Shepherd claims to have sunk ten whaling ships since 1979, referring to these ships as "pirates". The claimed attacks include:

* 1979 – the whaler Sierra rammed and sunk in Portugal; * 1980 – the whalers Isba I and Isba II sunk in Vigo, Spain; * 1980 – the whalers Susan and Theresa sunk in South Africa; * 1986 – the whaling ships Hvalur 6 and Hvalur 7 sunk in Iceland; * 1992 – the whaler Nybraena sunk in Norway; * 1994 – the whaler Senet sunk in Norway; * 1998 – the whaler Morild sunk in Norway.

Looks like the Sea Shepard is no better than a Somali pirate ship. The Sea Shepard needs to be the next ship on this list.

The Japanese government has given crew members (not police officers) the power to arrest people in international waters (not Japanese territory)?

Forget the moral and legal issues surrounding whaling; I'm more concerned about how Japan thinks it can extend its frightening police system wherever it chooses.

rgetty,

For some reason Japan has always done what they want in the face of everyone else and there is little to any retributions that they face. Why is that? Money?

No, it's Political Correctness. Only certain groups are allowed to be criticized.

Seeker1, they're not fighting for peace, they're fighting for whales.

Japan HAS no whale eating/catching culture.Yes yes yes one or two small villages have been catching them for 100 years or so(even that's debatable)but not the country as a whole.

The right way to teach Japan a lesson is where it will hurt the country the most: an economic boycot of its products in each country around the World. Not a forced embargo like in South Africa because obviously the United Nations and most industrialized nations do not want to resort to this kind of tactic. But if a World movement is created, then it is up to each individual to make a difference by not buying Japanese products.

The UN should declare the Southern Ocean a whale sanctuary and then boot the Japanese out of the UN when they go "a researchin'". That should shake their blinkers off more than Perry's Black Ship did.

sink the ship of sea sheperds and let the whales save them

When will all this stop? Why arguments about this issue. Lawmakers should sit-down and work this issue in the best interest of the world. There isn't anymore behavior, but we are returning back to 'stone age.'

Indeed... there certainly is a 'right way' and a 'wrong way'. The results of last twenty years of trying to get the Japanese to see right way are there for all to see. Blatant hubris, total disregard for international opinion. I say bring it on in down latitude 40 until they get it. Unlikely for many more years of course but they will eventually.

Japan seems to be able to do whatever they want and people don't say a word. If this was the US whaling there would be protests in the cities all over the world, newspapers and tv shows would be denouncing these practices. For some reason Japan has always done what they want in the face of everyone else and there is little to any retributions that they face. Why is that? Money?

MeanRingo -- Exactly. rjd_jr loves to use the term "double-standard" while almost always ignoring the Japanese double-standard staring him in the face. Japan wants to blatantly ignore world opinion and conduct disquised commercial whaling, thousands of miles from home, but then apply the rule of Japanese law to those who protest. As Disillusioned says, how is this obstruction of Japanese "business", when it is supposed to be "research", and is being done in International waters? Doesn't Japan law end at the territorial limit of their waters?

This is going to be fun to watch play out on the news every night. Paul Watson and company are going to be interesting to watch for sure. Now that the Japanese Coast Guard is getting involved its going to better than any action movie. Time to go to Family Mart and stock up on some beer and snacks. This is gonna be cool.

If arrested by the coast guard, they would be charged with forcible obstruction of business under Japanese law.

Obstruction of business? - Isn't it scientific research? Donkey's butts!

Tokyo makes no secret of the fact that the meat ends up on dinner tables and accuses Westerners of insensitivity to its whaling culture.

Shouldn't this read like this: Westerners accuse Tokyo of insensitivity to their anti-whaling culture.

I'm not sure how legal it is for sailors to forcibly detain anybody. This is gonna get ugly this year. The crew of the Steve Irwin have vowed to be much more obstructive than on previous missions. They will also have a Discovery Channel film crew with them and a mermaid. I fear it will be the Japanese whalers being arrested for thuggery and not the activists.

MeanRingo, it's comfortable to sit behind the computer, send a cheque to those lunatics and see them fight out your frustration on the evil japanese whalers, it's more exciting then PS3 online and more exciting to buy your soccer clubs t-shirt and then support them to fight some other clubs and defeat them.

Sea Sheppard is a typical club for brutes who like to ventilate their frustration of life.

The japanese whalers are also brutes, but at least they do the dirty job, the hard job and earn a god damn crap fo that. The one who own, are 10 peeps at the top of the business chain. Now what is more interesting to do is protest in front of the world embassies of japan (as the howl world hates japan for the whales), protest in peace and in a clever manner . . .but as this will again involve the same species of peeps, they will start throw eggs at some time on the embassy, then stones, explosive cocktails, then agress japanese tourists ex . . . .

There is only one cure for the eco terrorists, it's the japanese prison, and first let them through a koban for questioning.

I don't buy whale meet and so do 99%of the japanese. The whalers will die out by them selves(when nobody will eat the meat anymore, and to preserve their business , they won't kill all whales either, as they are good business man in first place.

Since we are talking about fishing (whaling) in international waters, the Japanese ships do not have the authority or the jurisdiction to "arrest" anybody. All they can do is forcibly detain them.

RJD yer logic is flawed. These acts of protection are not going to take place in either the US or Japan. They are taking place in the Antactic. So if Japanese whalers are going to conduct their "research" then their vessels shall be at risk. Go Sea Sheppard. I'll be sending my cheque in support next week.

I agree with rjd_jr. There is a right way and a wrong way. One of my favorite phrases, "fighting for peace is like f...ing for virginity", can be applied to this. I am not saying they shouldn't protest against whaling, more power to them, they just need to do it in a legal, non-violent way. Their message would reach a lot more people that way.

Good, let these terrorists and thugs know that there are limits to activism. People here and elsewhere would never condone groups like the ALF bombing meat plants and attacking meat plant workers, or bombing animal testing facilities. I don't care if it's the U.S. or Japan, there's a right way to do things and a wrong way. And so on and so forth, people there is a reason why some activist groups have rethought their methods in terms of the whale issue and resorted to public awaresness campaign, not acts of terorism. I don't care if it's the U.S. or Japan, there's a right way to do things and a wrong way, no double standards.

People on earth make no secret of the fact that they disagree with the way that Japanese 'research' whale meat ends up on dinner tables and accuses Japan of insensitivity to world opinion.

Hantai - arrest the whalers.