Japan

HSI warns of pending legal action over japanese whaler spy flights

Media Release - January 6, 2010

Humane Society International (HSI) has warned it is prepared to take legal action against Australian companies that are reported to have been assisting Japanese whalers in the Southern Ocean, by providing their services to operate spy flights.

In January 2008, HSI secured an injunction against Japanese whale hunts in Australia's Antarctic territorial waters.

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Sea Shepherd sues Japanese whalers for Piracy in Dutch Court

Sea Shepherd lodged on Friday writs to sue the crew of Japanese whaling ship Shonan Maru 2 for piracy in the Dutch court system for threatening the lives of the six crew members of the Ady Gil and destroying their vessel. Conservation pirates suing pirates of profit and environmental slaughter and destruction.

Other News: Bethune files for arrest of Japanese Captain | Ady Gil commits to fundraising for a new Ady Gil | Bob Brown serves $2million demand on Japan | Australian Government delays legal action decision until after IWC meeting in June | New Video from Ady Gil - final 3 minutes before ramming | How Whaling is Illegal

Ady Gil sinks, Sea Shepherd pursuing Whaling Fleet

The Sea Shepherd high speed powerboat, Ady Gil, has now sunk according to Paul Watson interviewed on ABC morning radio. The stationary ship was purposefully rammed by a Japanese whaling security vessel endangering the 6 Sea Shepherd volunteers on board.

Sea Shepherd vows to continue campaign after destruction of Ady Gil by whalers

Yesterday was a hectic day in Commonwealth Bay, near Antarctica, in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary. The Ady Gil, while stationary, was puposefully rammed at speed by the Japanese whaling security vessel, the Shonan Maru 2. And the Japanese whaling fleet, and the world discovered Sea Shepherds surprise new conservation ship, the Bob Baker, an ex-Norwegian Antarctic ice-class whaling vessel that was bought in 2009 and secretly refitted in South Africa.

Updates: Ady Gil sinks, Sea Shepherd pursuing Whaling Fleet | Sea Shepherd sues Japanese whalers for Piracy in Dutch Court | Real reasons for weak Australian Government response | Legality of Whaling | Legal action over spy flights

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Sea Shepherd ship Steve Irwin resumes pursuit of whaling fleet

On New Year's Eve The Sea Shepherd ship Steve Irwin successfully left the Australian Economic Zone (EEZ) without any sign of the Japanese whaling fleet security ship Shonan Maru No. 2. In gale force winds and heavy swells the Steve Irwin departed Hobart after 60 hours refuelling and reprovisioning.

"It's a big ocean down here they have no idea where we are," said Captain Paul Watson. "I'm now confident that we can proceed with our search for the Japanese whaling fleet without further interference from the Shonan Maru No. 2."

Sea Shepherd awaits second vessel to shake Japanese shadow

When the Sea Shepherd ship Steve Irwin left Fremantle on December 9, the Japanese ship Shonan Maru No 2 was waiting to intercept and has continued to tail the whaling conservation ship south to Antarctica. Aleady there has been some initial conflict in the icy Southern Ocean near the French Base at Dumont D'Urville.

Overfishing: Bluefin tuna crashing toward extinction

The 25% cut in the Australian quota for Southern Bluefin Tuna has been described by the Wilderness Society as a step in the right direction, but the cut is too little too late with the fish species teetering close to the edge of extinction. The Quota reduction was made in an agreement at the Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna meeting in South Korea in October 2009. The fish was listed in 1996 as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Related: Papua New Guinea tuna factories threaten regional ecology, livelihoods

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