Sea Shepherd intercepts Japanese whaling fleet deep in the Australian Whale Sanctuary
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 23, 2016
Yesterday at approximately 6:40pm GMT, 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 (64˚15' S 115˚06' E). Sea Shepherd's vessels are now on the hunt for the centerpiece of the illegal Japanese whaling fleet, the floating slaughterhouse known as the Nisshin Maru.
"Finding one of the hunter killer ships hiding behind an iceberg in a thick fog means that the rest of the fleet is nearby,” says Meyerson. “We all hope to have whaling in the Southern Ocean shut down by Christmas."
In the meantime, foggy weather conditions have made for poor for visibility for the whaling fleet, which is 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.”
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About Operation Nemesis
Operation Nemesis is Sea Shepherd’s 11th Antarctic whale defense campaign. In Sea Shepherd’s past ten 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.
See more here: http://www.seashepherdglobal.org/nemesis/about-operation-nemesis.htmlhttp://www.seashepherdglobal.org/nemesis/about-operation-nemesis.html
For further information, photos and interview requests, contact:
Heather Stimmler, Sea Shepherd Global Media Director
E-mail: heather@seashepherdglobal.org
Tel: +339 7719 7742 (EUROPE, GMT+1)
For Australia and New Zealand media requests, contact:
Adam Burling, Media Coordinator Sea Shepherd Australia
E-mail: adam@seashepherdglobal.org
Tel : +61 409 472 922 (AUSTRALIA, GMT+11)
Photo Captions/Credits:
161223-SA-OW-007: Captain Adam Meyerson on the bridge of the Ocean Warrior (copyright Sea Shepherd Global/Simon Ager)
161223-SA-OW-001: Captain Adam Meyerson and crew on the bridge of the Ocean Warrior (copyright Sea Shepherd Global/Simon Ager)
161220-SA-OW-003: Sunrise over icebergs from bridge of the Ocean Warrior (copyright Sea Shepherd Global/Simon Ager)
161208-SA-OW-001: Captain Adam Meyerson and First Mate Penny Keeling on the bridge of the Ocean Warrior (copyright Sea Shepherd Global/Simon Ager)
161214-SA-OW-001: Captain Adam Meyerson on the deck of the Ocean Warrior (copyright Sea Shepherd Global/Simon Ager)
161215-SA-OW-005: Captain Adam Meyerson of the Ocean Warrior and Captain Wyanda Lublink of the Steve Irwin on the deck of the Ocean Warrior (copyright Sea Shepherd Global/Simon Ager)
161219-SA-OW-012: Ocean Warrior heading past pack ice in the Southern Ocean (copyright Sea Shepherd Global/Simon Ager)
161211-GL-7: Deck of the Steve Irwin (copyright Sea Shepherd Global/Glenn Lockitch)
161220-GL-04: Steve Irwin (copyright Sea Shepherd Global/Glenn Lockitch)
161217-GL-05: Snowman on deck of the Steve Irwin (copyright Sea Shepherd Global/Glenn Lockitch)
161215CMBridge04: Captain Wyanda Lubink on bridge of Steve Irwin (copyright Sea Shepherd Global/Chelsea Miller)
161217CMSteveIrwin37: The Steve Irwin (copyright Sea Shepherd Global/Chelsea Miller)
Sea Shepherd Global
Established in 1977, Sea Shepherd is an international non-profit, marine wildlife conservation organization. Our 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.org/
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