Sea Shepherd Conservation Society releases video showing vessel rammed by Japanese whaling ship

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      Recently released video footage supports the Sea Shepherd's claim that the Japanese whaling fleet has taken aggressive action against one of its ships.

      The video below from Russia Today shows how the Japanese boats sandwiched the much smaller vessel, The Bob Barker, which was sent out to prevent the capture of whales in the Antarctic.

      The Japanese claim that their annual whale hunt is for scientific purposes and is therefore legal under the International Whaling Commission's moratorium.

      The Sea Shepherd Society, which was founded by former Vancouverite Paul Watson, takes a different view.

      Japan claims that The Bob Barker was interfering with refueling.

      The Sea Shepherd Society, on the other hand, has characterized the Japanese ships' actions as an "assault", claiming that the Japanese crew threw ice at people onboard The Bob Barker.

      Comments

      15 Comments

      Linda Batrick

      Mar 1, 2014 at 7:34pm

      what bullies the big death ships are. they should be ashamed of themselves.
      scientific purposes, what a crock. if they don't know what they need scientifically by now they will never know.they are very bad neighbors in our region.

      Goggi

      Mar 2, 2014 at 2:47am

      This is not new. This happened a year ago. Why is this page posting a old news sé a new one

      Linda Batrick

      Mar 2, 2014 at 4:09am

      when the sea shepherd crew tries to stop the Japanese ship from refueling with its other refueling ship, and sails between them, it is illegal. the video shows the illegal action by sea shepherd causing a bump as the Japanese ship merely tries to refuel.

      Albert

      Mar 2, 2014 at 1:52pm

      good for the Japanese ships..defend yourselves best way possible

      Doesn't matter

      Mar 2, 2014 at 8:55pm

      The sea shepards have a goal and that is to stop whaling and that's what they are trying to do so if that envolves risking their lives then they will do it. I'm with the sea shepards

      land locked sailor

      Mar 2, 2014 at 9:50pm

      If they are refueling then why are there no lines crossing between the two ships which are necessary to support hoses/booms to deliver fuel? It seems that the Sea Shepard boat was actually trying to get out of there but the other ships were preventing that action. It would seem that escape is not an attack. Or maybe having the large ships slam into the much smaller vessel and blow it's tire bumpers is a friendly thing, maybe trying to share sea stories?

      Nanar

      Mar 3, 2014 at 1:31am

      If the sea sheperd didn't do anything wrong why would their video start only at that point?

      eric76

      Mar 3, 2014 at 2:35am

      The Sun Laurel is NOT a Japanese whaling ship.

      It was the refueling vessel contracted by the Japanese to refuel the whaling vessels at sea.

      And as others pointed out, this appears to be from last year.

      The Baby Jesus

      Mar 3, 2014 at 10:43am

      The Sea Shepard Society is only demanding the Japanese keep to the agreement they signed banning whaling. The "research" they do has never produced anything resembling serious scholastic work and, yet, they kill about 100 or more each year. They then claim that it is against the law to discard the bodies which are then used for food. It is a thinly disguised ploy to continue the commercial exploitation of these endangered species.

      That no government or international authority has taken action against these criminals is hardly a reason to defend them. If the Sea Sheppard Society is willing to do the work the rest of us are not then all the more power to them. If the Japanese did not wish to stop whaling then they should not have signed an agreement do just that.