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© 2015 AFPSea Shepherd to pay $2.55 mil to Japan whalers
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Yubaru
So how long before SS decides to not follow the ban?
some14some
Hope money will be "honestly" used for research purpose only...!
Disillusioned
The money should go back into the Tohoku rebuilding fund that they raided to send coast guard ships to the southern ocean. The 2.5 million bucks will soon be recouped by SS in donations.
Onniyama
What a joke. If anything, the whalers are the radical group, defying international law (or at least the spirit of it). They should be fined every time they hunt in international waters.
smartacus
I wonder what all the people who donated money to Sea Shepherd, including some Japan Today readers, think about this.
Nessie
Sea Shepherd: Literally subsidizing whaling.
Steve Yochim
wow.... some pirates.....
Never saw BLACKBEARD getting sued and paying back his booty to The Frenchies he stole it from!!!!
Moonraker
Fighting narrow-minded self-interest on behalf of the environment and our common future is the only noble direction so I expect Sea Shepherd to continue.
wakawaka225
I can't help but laugh at this. I wonder what their donors are going to say about this.
cleo
Any hindrance of your illegal 'research' is far from being unreasonable.
This court order stinks of corruption at a high level. (Japan wipes America's bum with the shreds of its peace constitution and promises to send young Japanese men and women into harm's way in America's illegal wars, and in return America protects the illegal Japanese whaling industry? Is that the game being played here?)
arrestpaul
Hooray! The eco-terrorist SS are being penalized $2.55 million for breaching a U.S. court injunction to stay clear of Japanese whaling vessels in the Antarctic Ocean. Plus, they have to pay for two years of failed litigation. And every dollar is coming out of the pockets of those eco-terrorist SS supporters who believe that violence is the answer.
Sioux Chef
This is beyond ridiculous.
gstar
SS funds whaling for another few years
igloobuyer
BrainiacJUN. 11, 2015 - 07:42AM JST
Like me, pretty disappointing I imagine.
OssanAmerica
As you can see, continued denial of realty and lack of understanding or respect for the rule of law. There are real conservation groups out there but those who have bought into Watson's eco-terrorism are going to keep paying SSCS's legal fees. You know what they say about a fool and his money...
Andre Hut
As a supporter of Sea Shepherd, I find the injunction disturbing because SS USA was not involved. The action in question was performed by SS Australia, by ships flagged in Australia and The Netherlands, manned by people from every nation except the US, in Australian waters. The US court thinks it has jurisdiction over the seas of the world and all the ships who sail on it. Another fine example of American imperialism. I will be sending SS more money to help recoup this minor loss. As long as Japan sends illegal whaling ships to the Southern Ocean and the whale sanctuary, SS will be there to do whatever is required short of hurting any person, to stop whaling. I am proud to call Paul Watson my friend.
HongoTAFEinmate
What will this buy Sea Shepherd? Naming rights to a Japanese whaler?
TheRat
Good for you Andre Hut! It is AMAZING to see how many lackeys and water carriers the rich have, and these people actually think that with each whale destroyed, and with each forest blown up, that their pathetic existences are fulfilled and improved. And most of these people are YOUNG, so they are the ones who will have to live in a environmental wasteland, with lifeless oceans filled with garbage and plastic. And defending a FAILED industry that culls intelligent mammals for "research" (papers I have never seen) and then "tries to sell this poisoned meat (from all of the pollution), which it CAN'T because no one wants to eat it!! So stockpile is added to stockpile, and the system goes on and on. And the young right-wingers STILL SEE NO PROBLEM with this! I am glad I was born in the 60s and at least have some "insight." The younger generation here is pathetic! Fools in America, and apathy in Japan.
Mike Critchley
Japanese tax payers should send them a thank-you card for paying a share of that money-bleeding industry.
gogogo
Just pull out of America 100%, I can't see how an Australian company needs to pay fines in America
Christopher Glen
To begin with, this is nonsense. The U.S. 9th court has no jurisdiction over Antarctica. Sea Sgepherd has been operating from Australia, and the vessels are foreign flagged. I'm sure the ICR is very glad to receive this boost to their funds
m6bob
Victory for the whalers over SS! Can't stand these terrorist.
nakanoguy01
so US judges have been bribed by the japanese gov't? over whales? do you realize how ridiculous that sounds?
and do you condone terrorism? even if it's for a "noble" cause? if you reject the basic tenets of terrorism then you should be applauding the victory by japanese whalers.
Stephan Lawarie
If we look at the full history of whaling, the japaneses hunted whales well before the Americans and some industrialized european countries. Everything was used, bones, guts, meat and so on. With the industrializaion, the US and European whalers, almost destroyed the whale populatiion, for what?.... Just for the oil (as everything else was throwed overboard). the population of Japan, grew and of course also the demand of whale meat.
and then came the "good" people telling Japan, you cannot eat whale anymore because YOU kill them all..... what an irony....
Moonraker
Those who demand the law be upheld no matter how ridiculous it is are generally fearful and known as right wing authoritarian followers. Look them up. For some it will be like a personality test result.
theeastisred
This is really strange. Why on earth did they agree to pay? I don't fully support the methods of SS but I do fully support their goals and most of what they are doing is not illegal and has nothing whatever to do with the US. Hard to imagine any sort of deal Japan could have done with the US to achieve this result but there must be something going on in the background that we are not aware of.
Meanwhile, maybe Japan should hire the soon-to-be unemployed Sepp Blatter as its global ambassador of whaling, to improve its image!
nath
Because they knew they were going to have to pay even more when they lost their next suit.
roughneck
I wish their fine was 255 millions.
There are thousands of human being dying everyday, and all these morons, err, rich volunteer care about is sea creatures. Talking about wrong cause!
There were few thousands of people stranded and floating on the sea at the border of Thailand, Malaysia, Indonasia, with no food or water....no sea shepherds were there to help or rescue them!! Oh wait, they are just filthy human, not media's eye catching whale and dolphins!
Cyrus Wu
I imagine the every day tax paying japanese citizen would be happier if their money didn't go into wasteful, nonsensical whaling.
toshiko
The United States-based Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and former senior officials of the group last week agreed to pay the sum to resolve civil contempt charges against them in the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, court documents showed.
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Doesn't sound Auatralia based/ They probably have plenty money in their banks,
ebisen
Bwahahaha!
Iowan
Wow! I'm stunned by this. What irony! Watson must be going nuts. "Bwahahaha" says it all.
Wakarimasen
Sea shepherd is a vanity project - fact that they have this kind of money to throw away is a travesty
Supey11
@roughneck
While I wouldn't necessarily say the fee should be 255million, I fully agree with the rest of your comment, and the fact that people actually downvoted you only highlights the ignorance and disregard for humanity you point out.
USNinJapan2
For the umpteenth time, SS Australia is merely an arm/branch of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society which is based in and operates out of the US and funded extensively by funds raised in the US. It also benefits greatly from SSCS's tax-exempt status as a non-profit organization in the US. There is no SS USA because that's what the SSCS is, fundamentally an American organization. Like it or not, SS Australia, along with any other foreign branch of SS that may exist, answers to US-based SSCS and in return SSCS is responsible for the operations and actions of the foreign SS organizations. That is why a US court has jurisdiciton over SS actions conducted outside of the US. SSCS understands this and accepts that its global operations are indeed subject to US laws. It's high time its supporters did the same.
jerseyboy
Ossan -- as usual, pure nonsense. Did you actually read the article? How is paying $2.55 million a "denial of reality and lack of understanding or respect for the rule of law"? In fact, it is just the opposite. They admitted they violated the court order, and they are paying for it. That is taking the moral high ground, and is actually a win-win for Sea Shepard, since they managed to significantly disrupt the hunt, and, all it cost them was a slap on the wrist. And, with regards to who is the "fool and his money", I'd say that is clearly the Japanese taxpayers who keep footing the bill for this foolishness which does nothing to help Japan economically, and severely damages its reputation/standing worldwide.
Nessie
I can see how it might look like a conspiracy to those unfamiliar with the rule of law.
Red herring. Money is fungible. Look it up.
Disillusioned
A few years? 2.5 million bucks is less than half of the public money wasted by Japan every year on this farcicle escapade.
Vincehwr
Like people in Fukushima. But I bet none of that money will. Pretty sad that money will be spent in the industry no one benefits from.
Nessie
This is just like when the Japanese government said they wouldn't use 311 earthquake donations to subsidize Tohoku whaling. And I made the exact same point about the fungibility of money back in 2012, in criticism of those who thought you could "quarantine" money.
Christopher Glen
Going down to Antarctica to harpoon whales in the name of tradition, culture, and science research is "eco-terrorism". Sea Shepherd does what it has to, to stop it
Mike O'Brien
Yes they were. No matter where they were flagged the ships belong to SSCS USA. Plus SSCS Australia receives most of its funding from SSCS USA.
Wrong, there were US citizens in the crews.
in International waters
The US court knows it has jurisdiction over a US registered 501(c)3 charity based in the US and what that charity does with its donations.
25% of the average annual donations is hardly minor.
Any computer on the internet can be used to to find and read them if you desire.
SwissToni
Cheap at the price, considering the 'harassment' continues to expose the ICR and the whalers farcical 'research'.
NihonRyu
Justice served finally! Gonna celebrate with some whale sashimi tonight!
Christopher Glen
The whalers have won this skirmish, the rest of the civilised world is going to win the war
Elizabeth Heath
I think this is hilarious.
Hugo Kempeneer
It's about time they get what they deserve
Cortes Elijah
As a news reporter I don't think it's a good idea to take "sides". Using the so-called. We all know what there up to, but keep professional.
cleo
The ICJ has legitimised the use of 'so-called'. The court declared that what goes on is not research. Calling it a research whaling programme, no quotation marks, no 'so-called', would be very unprofessional and biased. Not to mention dishonest.
Nessie
Zichi,
Thank you for your post.
I'm not sure you're understanding what fungible means. Here's an example. Imagine there's a fellow who hits you up for 800 yen money for a sandwich. You say, "Sure, as long as you don't spend it on booze." He agrees. You see him go into the liquour shop and come out with a six pack of happoshu. You say "Hey, you weren't supposed to spend that on booze." He says, "I didn't. I used the 800 yen I already had for booze. I'll buy a sandwich with your money." I think you can see where I'm going with this. For every yen that was donated, the j-government was able to spend more on bailing out the whalers. Same deal for Sea Shepherd.
DaDude
Every Sea Shepherd article either has Pro-Sea Shepherd or Anti-Sea Shepherd wining the votes. Today Pro-Sea Shepherds wins the votes.
CoconutE3
Hopefully whaling companies don't have to harvest $2.55 mil worth of whales now.
gareton
The main issue here is not that Japan carries out whaling, for commercial reasons or otherwise, it is where they do it! Why don't they get their catch in the Sea of Japan? There are plenty of whales surrounding Japan, yet they hunt farther afield? Why is that?? Could it be something to do with the Japanese people being unwilling to actually witness the slaughter of such majestic beasts? The same reason why most Japanese people are not only unaware of what happens at Taiji but have never seen any photos or footage and refuse to acknowledge what actually happens.
toshiko
The payment will go to the Institute of Cetacean Research and Kyodo Senpaku, the two main bodies behind Japan’s so-called “research” whaling program.
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Mike CritchleyJUN. 11, 2015 - 09:17AM JST Japanese tax payers should send a thank-you card for paying a share of that money-bleeding industry.
??????????
Japan and Japanese tax payers ??? They have nothing to do with this verdict.
wtfjapan
SS funds whaling for another few years considering it cost the J taxpayer 2.5billion yen $21million each season, the SS funds wouldnt even be enough to get the whaling fleet to the Antartica let alone hunt whales.. never mind few more donations will ensure that theyll be done there again stopping the whalers , give em hell SS
OssanAmerica
Jerseyboy the article itself is evidence that what I say is not "nonserse". Please refrain from constanstantly addressing my posts as "nonsense: when you obvuously don't have the understanding of legal systems to be commenting.
Himajin
No, back then they just hanged them.
zichi, wasn't there a flap about reconstruction money being used for road repair far from the quake zone?
Ramming ships and endangering lives is against the law, whether done for a good cause or not. The law doesn't differentiate.
Christopher Glen
Hunting whales in the name of "scientific" research isn't any better.
Nessie
The point is that every yen spent through private donations is one less yen the government needs to spend through its public relief funds. Not sure why this is so hard to understand.
arrestpaul
LOL. The eco-terrorist SS received a "donation" from the Dutch Lottery. It looks like the eco-terrorist SS lied (again?) when they stated the fine wouldn't be paid from donations.
toshiko
SS stated it will pay. From what fund they pay has nothing to do and it hasn't got time to lie yet/ They will pay somehow.
Mike O'Brien
So what other legal actions and settlements equaling $2.55 million have the SSCS received? The only legal win I know about them having was the case with Fish & Fish in Scotland which was for less than $500K.
Nessie
Huh?
What I'm saying is that Sea Shepherd's claim to not use donations to pay the award is bogus. At some point, the money came to Sea Shepherd as a donation. If they use previous donations to fund the award, then they will need to use incoming donations to replace shortfalls from disbursement of the award. The bottom line: Despite what Sea Shepherd might say, if you donate to Sea Shepard, your donations are helping to fund Japanese whaling.
arrestpaul
The eco-terrorist SS runs on donations. Donations from people who believe in the eco-terrorism SS acts of violence. If the eco-terrorist SS choses not to pay the fine, the U.S. court can seize their assets. Maybe they'll start with that brand new garbage scow some people have been talking about?
kcjapan
Either whales are endangered or they aren't. If they are, commercial whaling is sanctioned extinction. Sea Shepherd would better serve their goals simply paying whalers to stay home.
"The Japanese whaling fleet departs twice a year. In the North Pacific, Japanese whalers can kill up to 200 minke whales, 50 Bryde's, 100 sei whales and 10 sperm whales under the guise of scientific research. Vessels had been killing up to 935 minke whales and 50 fin whales each year in the Southern Ocean Sanctuary before the International Court of Justice ruled that this was illegal."
source: http://www.ifaw.org/united-states/our-work/whales/which-countries-are-still-whaling
Iceland and Norway also engage in commercial whaling.
"Norway is now hunting a higher proportion of breeding females which could put the long-term survival of minke whales in the North Atlantic in severe danger." . . . "In 2006, Iceland resumed commercial whaling, targeting minke and fin whales. In 2010 alone, Icelandic whalers killed 148 endangered fin whales and 60 minke whales." (source above)
Deutsche Welle reported in February of 2014 "85 percent said they were opposed to billions of yen in taxpayers' money being used to prop the industry up. Japanese quake victims cheated out of aid . . . consumption of whale meat among the Japanese public today is around 1 percent of its peak, in the early 1960s "
"There was also public anger when it was revealed that some Y2.28 billion were diverted from funds set aside to help communities struggling with the aftermath of the March 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and instead spent on "research whaling, stabilization promotion and countermeasure expenses."
source: http://www.dw.de/japan-struggles-to-keep-whaling-alive/a-17457909
As it has all been said before; Sea Shepherd is wasting their money and subsidizing a dying industry based on disgusting slaughter of a species is wasting money on a product no one wants.
In the end it's just killing for the sake of killing to put a lump of dead flesh in your mouth. Very civilized.
Simba British Blue
This is so outrageous. How can anyone believe the science BS when it comes to whales? I think Sea Shepherd should work hard to get an international ban on all whaling without any exception. But people are also to blame. Why eat whale meat in the first place??? A good start would be to ban selling whale meat in the restaurants, on the Internet, at the markets, EVERYWHERE in the world and people should be educated about not consuming meat that comes from endangered species full stop.
arrestpaul
Even Greenpeace refuses to be associated with the eco-terrorist SS. The eco-terrorist SS have been banned from the IWC, many nations have refused to register eco-terrorist SS vessels, and the eco-terrorist SS brags that they have sunk 10 vessels of various countries (11 if you count their own Ady Gil). The eco-terrorist SS long history of violence precludes their ability of forming an international anything. Except for an INTERPOL red notice.
globalwatcher
They have no financial resources to pay for the fine, so this is meaningless. At least, hopefully, they will stop this nonsense. We will see.......
Mike O'Brien
And how are they suppose to do this? The UN has said the IWC is the only international organization with cognizance over whaling. The IWC regulations explicitly allow a member country to object to any new regulation. So to do what you suggest would require changing the IWC charter which would take a 100% agreement of all members. Add to this the fact that membership in the IWC is voluntary. So a country that isn't a member can legally ignore any IWC regulation.
Why eat beef in the first place??? Why eat brussel sprouts in the first place???
And just who would make these worldwide laws?
Would people also be educated about which species are and aren't endangered? To help with that education Minke whales aren't endangered.
toshiko
SS has to do fund raising alone. SPA does fund raising for a whole aimals and they have stiffs who are not get paid. and tget rescue a;; animals including tigers. SPA has retired actors who work free and do commercials free. Maybe SS in USA learn how to be popular in USA by recxruiting free workers to rescue endangered whales population like /sPA is doing.
nath
@Mike
There is more to it than just the question of endangerment. The why is a valid question today.
The primary concern would related to the whale slaughter men's inability to carry out humane slaughter which would exclude it, and invoke severe punishments, under any agricultural laws.
If I were to kill elephants by shooting a spear through them and then dragging them behind a big truck for 45 minutes as they trashed about and until they finally drowned in their own blood, or by firing an RPG at their heads, then I would rightfully be prosecuted and punished.
There is no difference in the way they slaughter whales.
We have to regard the industry as it is, an anachronistic cabal feeding parasitically off government funding while producing no good.
nath
As an Australian I am disgusted that Japan thinks they can hunt whales in our water and claim its for science.. Whale meat should be like sturgeon eggs, rare and expensive so that only a few whales are killed, not tens or hundreds.
Want to hunt whales, then be honest about it say its for meat, don't prance around thinking the world believes this scientific research bs.
nath
They don't.
OssanAmerica
A great many Australians are under the erroneous impression that the Antarctic waters are Australian waters. That is not correct. Australia, along with three other nations does have a claim, but one that is not recognized by most of this planet. Because of this the Japanese Reasearch Whaling has been and is conducted in International waters. What is really disgusting is that so many Australians seem to be under this misconception of territorial ownership, allowing Watson and his eco-terrorsts to play upon Australian nationalism to support his violent and illegal cause.
Mike O'Brien
@Luce-A I was responding to another commentor's statement, hence why I quoted there comment.
Yes there is. The whales died within about 1 minute and they don't use RPG's. They use the method prescribed by the IWC. Your belief that the method isn't humane is just that an opinion.
As a non-Australian I am disgusted that you think they are your waters.
So you are OK with killing whales just not in "your waters"?
nath
Mike, if you look at the - dare I say it - "scientific research", you will discover that the kill rates and kill times just do not match what you claim.
There is also a problem with the Japanese specifically because they like certain cuts from the head and so, unlike the Norwegians habit, will aim for the body instead causing it to take more time to die.
In one study, times of up to 50 minutes were not rare. The percentage of whales NOT killed instantaneously using the Norwegian method is 55.2% (the Japanese method is higher), the percentage of whales who are still alive after harpooning, and require shooting is 34.4%.
Trust me, suggesting a 45 minute death is not humane, is not a "subjective opinion".
There is no humane way to kill a whale, we do not need to, it is an extremely inefficient way in which to provide food. We should not do it.
OssanAmerica
Yes it is. The former is called Piracy. Piracy is illegal everywhere all over the world. http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/feb/27/sea-shepherd-pirates-us-court In contrast, scientific whaling is sanctioned by the IWC under Article VIII. Said article exempts research whaling from recognizing moratorums and sanctuaries, and requires that the proceeds of the program be consumed. Therefore nothing about scientific whaling is "illegal".
Wolfpack
Good news. These environmental whackos are going to kill someone with their dangerous antics at sea.
Christopher Glen
More likely the whalers will first
Mike O'Brien
You don't beleive that it is scientific research but you are willing to use it if you think it supports your claims. Interesting. So it isn't research unless you want to use it then it becomes valid.
I have look at the 'scientific research', I have also looked at the scientific research and the kill rates (which I never mentioned) and kill times do match what I said, mainly because that is where I got the data.
No the Japanese aim further back on the head than the Norwegians because one piece of data they are collecting is age and you tell the age by plugs that form in the ears which will be damaged with a point of impact like the Norwegians use.
Well yes if you go back and use decades old data from decades old studies.
And we don't do it, the people of Japan, Norway, and Iceland do.
The whalers try to avoid the environmantalists while the environmentalists actively seek out the whalers. The whalers run from the environmentalists if they encounter them, the environmentalists attempt to get as close as they can to the whalers, board the whaling vessels and throw glass bottles and fire flares at the whalers.
No all the evidence seems to point at any deaths that occur being the fault of the environmentalists.
cleo
One of the problems SS encountered in the last few seasons was the fact that the Shonan Maru did no active whaling but spent all its time tailing the SS ships, so avoiding - ? No.
There have been 3 deaths so far, all on the whaling vessels.
One crew member died in the fire on board the Nisshin Maru that left the ship dead in the water in January 2007.
Another crew member died in September 2007 when he was crushed in the conveyor that loads whale meat into the hold.
A third crew member was lost when he fell, jumped or was pushed overboard in January 2009.
There was no SS involvement in any of the incidents, the whalers did it all by themselves.
nath
Facts don't seem to concern Mike. Mike, when I say "we" I mean humanity.
The kill rate and times are not from decades old studies.
Something else worth remembering is that the whale slaughter men target pregnant females (the near term fetuses are not counted in their kill rates), nor to they figure in the stress caused during the hunt.
I think the best analogy to make is, image some Americans went to Africa, chased a pregnant elephants in big trucks for 45 minutes until they became exhausted, shot one with an RPG (rocket propelled grenade) but did not kill it, and then dragged it behind the truck by a barbed hook and cable in its flesh for another 45 minutes, until it finally drowned in its own blood. While shooting at it with rifles.
All to make school lunches for children.
That is exactly what is going on with whale slaughter which is why it is inhumane and should be stopped.
It is worse though because it is now not even about supply school lunches, it's just a way of funding an unprofitable corporation and some bureaucrats who are exploiting its value as a political football for reactionary conservatives.
Mike O'Brien
Ah so you believe that you speak for all humanity. Interesting.
Then provide your current sources for this data.
Really? And just how do they do that? From onboard a ship a pregnant whale looks no different than a non-pregnant whale. Heck for most whale species a male and female aren't distinguishable from simply viewing their backs.
You have made this same analogy before and it is still a very bad analogy.
cleo
Would you like to explain why you think it is a bad analogy? A large mammal, most likely pregnant, chased to exhaustion, shot but not killed outright, allowed to suffer a slow and agonising death. All totally unnecessary.
Which bit do you think is not analogous, apart from one being on land and one being at sea?
Moderator
No analogies please.
nath
@Mike
The slaughter men target pregnant females because they cannot dive so deeply and tire more quickly.
Please do your own homework on this.
Why is the issue important to you? Are you one of those "liberal hating conservatives" who just hates Sea Shepherd?
I say "we" as I consider all humanity to be one. I regard racism and nationalism as kinds of mental illness manipulated by small elites for their own benefits.