In December, Sea Shepherd’s patrol vessel, the Ocean Warrior, intercepted one of the harpoon ships of the Japanese whale-poaching fleet in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary.
“The crews of the Ocean Warrior and the MV Steve Irwin have been battling through thick fog and ice to protect the whales in the Australian whale sanctuary,” said Captain Adam Meyerson of the Ocean Warrior. “The Yushin Maru was hiding behind an iceberg and came out on a collision course.”
The harpoon ship was located approximately 165 miles northeast of Australia’s Casey base, well inside the Australian whale sanctuary. Foggy weather conditions made for poor visibility for the whaling fleet, which was a great sign for the whales.
“While I applaud the work Sea Shepherd are doing locating the Japanese whaling fleet deep inside the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary, it is appalling that they are having to do the Australian Government’s work for them,” said Australian Greens Senator Peter Whish-Wilson in a statement reacting to the news. “The whales are getting more protection from the weather than from the Australian Government.”
About Operation Nemesis
Operation Nemesis is Sea Shepherd’s 11th Antarctic whale defense campaign. In Sea Shepherd’s past 10 campaigns, over 6,000 whales have been spared the grenade-tipped harpoons of the illegal Japanese whaling fleet. Japan’s so-called ‘scientific research’ program used to justify the killing of whales has been rejected by the International Court of Justice and the International Whaling Commission’s scientific committee. In 2015, the Australian Federal Court fined the Japanese whalers $AU1 million for hunting within an Australian whale sanctuary; however it remains unpaid.
Sea Shepherd Global
Established in 1977, Sea Shepherd is an international, non-profit, marine wildlife conservation organisation. Its mission is to end the destruction of habitat and slaughter of wildlife in the world’s oceans in order to conserve and protect ecosystems and species.
Sea Shepherd uses innovative direct-action tactics to investigate, document, and take action when necessary to expose and confront illegal activities on the high seas. By safeguarding the biodiversity of our delicately-balanced ocean ecosystems, Sea Shepherd works to ensure their survival for future generations. For more information, visit: http://www.seashepherdglobal.
Photo Credit: Ocean Warrior heading past pack ice in the Southern Ocean (copyright Sea Shepherd Global/Simon Ager).
Discover Animals is a small team dedicated to bringing you the latest conservation and nature news. If you enjoy our content, please support our work with a donation from as little as £1.
