Buccaneer a badge of honour for whaling opponent (Sea Shepherd flag struck)

[Barrett808]

Buccaneer a badge of honour for whaling opponent
Andrew Darby
January 6, 2007

FOR years the hardline anti-whaling activists of Sea Shepherd have played the buccaneer, to the point of carrying a brass cannon and painting their version of the skull and crossbones on the black flagship, Farley Mowat.

Now as they sail into the Southern Ocean with the means to confront and damage the Japanese whaling fleet their leader, Paul Watson, has admitted that for the first time they may truly be regarded as pirates.

After struggling with authorities in six countries over the ship's papers, Farley Mowat has been stripped of its latest flag, from Belize, only hours after Captain Watson decided it was time to get out of Australia.

According to a maritime law specialist this in effect makes the converted fisheries research vessel a pirate ship.

It can be arrested by any naval or other official ship - just as it attempts to take on a whaling fleet whose ownership recently shifted to a Japanese Government agency.

"Pirates we may be," Captain Watson told the Herald. "But if so we are pirates of compassion in opposition to ruthless whale-killing pirates profiteering off the illegal exploitation of whales. I say in absolute seriousness at the risk of sounding dramatic, but my crew and I are prepared to die for these whales if need be."

(more)

http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/buccaneer-a-badge-of-honour-for-whaling-opponent/2007/01/05/1167777279081.html

Pirates of Compassion Sail into Hostile Waters

Sea Shepherd Conservation Society ship Farley Mowat is now officially a pirate vessel.

We are at sea without a flag, in search of illegal whaling operations in hostile and remote waters at the bottom of the world. The Farley Mowat cleared Australian Customs in Hobart, Tasmania on December 29, 2006 only hours before the nation of Belize struck our flag.

The Belize registry had only been issued ten days before on December 19, 2006. The registry was sought in Belize after Britain pulled the registry in early December the same day it was issued.

In October, the Farley Mowat registered under the Canadian flag since April 2002, had the registry suspended by Canada.

This is all apparently part of a strategy by Japan to use its economic muscle to lean on any nation that allows us to be registered under their flag. According to a credible legal source in Melbourne, the Farley Mowat, as an unregistered pirate vessel, may be interdicted at will by any naval vessel of any government, its crew arrested, and the ship sunk.

“This is incredible but not surprising,” responded Captain Paul Watson, founder and president of Sea Shepherd. “The oceans are crawling with poachers flying flags of convenience. The Japanese and Norwegian registered whalers are illegally slaughtering whales in sanctuaries and killing endangered species, yet we are forced to have our flag struck for opposing these illegal activities.”

(more)

http://www.seashepherd.org/news/media_070105_1.html

Video letter to Captain Toyama, from Martina



"Why don't you go home with your fleet, take out all the harpoons, and come back to the Sanctuary full of tourists for whale watching."

Video:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=o6CbG7qopX0