Tag Archives: Sea Shepherd Conservation Society

Sea Shepherd ship films rare species of Orcas

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Another press release from Sea Shepherd:

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SEA SHEPHERD SHIP FIRST TO FILM RARE “ECOTYPE D” ORCAS

On December 26th 2014, the Sea Shepherd ship, Bob Barker, encountered a pod of rare, “Ecotype D” Orcas while passing between the Crozet and Kerguelen archipelagos in the South Indian Ocean, in pursuit of the toothfish poaching vessel,Thunder.

The encounter was photographed and filmed, and images of the encounter were forwarded to Marine Ecologist and (Antarctic) Orca expert, Robert L. Pitman, of Southwest Fisheries Science Center of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra tion in the United States, for review.

Mr. Pitman examined the photographs and confirmed that these were, “definitely a Type D Killer whale,” adding, “I don’t think they have ever been filmed alive.”

First identified in 1955 when a pod stranded on Paraparaumu Beach, New Zealand, the Ecotype D Orca is characterised by large bulbous foreheads, similar to those of Pilot whales, and tiny post-ocular eye markings.

Following the 1955 stranding, this type of Orca was not seen again for almost 50 years. It is believed that there have been approximately 13 sightings to date, including the most recent sighting by the Bob Barker crew.

Bob Barker Chief Engineer, Erwin Vermeulen, was one of the crewmembers who photographed the encounter. He recounts, ”The crew watched in awe as the 13 killer whales, including a small juvenile and a large male, used the six-metre swell to surf across the bow. For almost an hour the surf-show continued and was accompanied by bow riding, tail-slaps and breaches.”

DNA retrieved from the 1955 stranding revealed that Ecotype D’s genetic differences point at a divergence from other Orcas about 390,000 years ago. This makes Ecotype D the second oldest Orca type, and second most genetically divergent.

Determining how many species of Orcas there are is critically important to establishing conservation measures and to better understand the ecological role of this apex predator in the world’s oceans.

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Sea Shepherd vessel pulling another huge gillnet from southern ocean

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I just received another press release from Sea Shepherd, concerning a second expansive gillnet. This effort could save countless marine animals from become trapped in these devices.

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SEA SHEPHERD COMMENCES RECOVERY OF SECOND “MONSTER” GILLNET

Within two hours of successfully recovering the 25 kilometre-long illegal gillnet abandoned by the Interpol-listed poaching vessel Thunder, the Sea Shepherd ship Sam Simon reported that it has located a second, “monster” gillnet.

The second illegal gillnet was found on the December 29, 2014 at 62˚ 20′ South, 081˚ 18′ East, just a few miles from the first net, inside the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) area of management.

Using photographic evidence, Sea Shepherd has been able to confirm that the most recent gillnet is also the property of the Nigerian-flagged, Thunder, which fled from the region on December 17.

The crew of Sam Simon has commenced a recovery operation to remove the illegal gillnet from the Antarctic waters. Captain of the Sam Simon, Sid Chakravarty, said, “With more streamlined and efficient operations in round two, I am confident that we will recover the entire length of this net in just a few days. Thereafter I will move on to scout and clear the Banzare Bank of any other nets laid down by the Thunder.”

Based on the the first 24 hours of the retrieval operation, it is expected that the haul of the “monster” gillnet is twice that of the previously confiscated 25 kilometre-long gillnet.

Captain Chakravarty said, “This monster net has entangled and suffocated marine life, killing them in the most undignified way imaginable. My decks look like a battlefield with many of the recovered creatures in advanced stages of decomposition. The large number of dead animals that we have documented is proof of the wide-spread destruction that the Thunder has wreaked over its decade-long onslaught on the Southern Ocean. ”

Sea Shepherd has reported the second retrieval operation to the relevant law enforcement authorities, including Interpol, CCAMLR, the Australian Fisheries Management Authority and the Australian Federal Police. The confiscated equipment will serve as physical evidence of the Thunder’s illegal activity and will be handed-over to authorities to aid in prosecution of the Thunder.

A known poaching vessel, the Thunder was issued with an Interpol Purple Notice following a joint effort by Norwegian, New Zealand and Australian authorities, and is currently included on CCAMLR’s black-list of Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing operators.

The use of gillnets has been outlawed by CCAMLR since 2004, and the Commission has specifically expressed concerns regarding the impact of this fishing method on the marine ecosystems of Antarctica.

The Sea Shepherd ship, Bob Barker, has been in pursuit of the Thunder for seventeen days and is now in the South Indian Ocean, having escorted the poachers out of the CCAMLR region on December 29. During this time the Thunder has been unable to engage in any further illegal fishing.

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Sea Shepherd ship pulls huge illegal gillnet from Southern Ocean

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This release is from Sea Shepherd. Another great effort from this organization.

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SEA SHEPHERD RETRIEVES 25 KILOMETRES OF ILLEGAL GILLNET FROM THE SOUTHERN OCEAN

In an operation that lasted for five days, the crew of the Sea Shepherd ship, Sam Simon, has successfully completed the retrieval of an illegal gillnet, abandoned by the poaching vessel, Thunder. The outlawed fishing gear was located at 62˚ 16’ South 081˚ 14 East, inside the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) area of management, in the Southern Ocean.

The thirty-strong crew, made up of volunteers from fifteen nations, worked 24 hours a day to retrieve the illegal gillnet, which measured a total of 25 kilometres in length.

Over 200 targeted Patagonian and Antarctic toothfish were found dead in the gillnet, the largest approximately 1.6 meters long. Scientists on board the Sam Simon confirmed that a number of the dead toothfish were females of a reproductive age, and were carrying eggs.

Non-target species including rays, jellyfish, crabs and a staggering number of grenadiers were also found dead after being caught in illegal fishing gear. A majority of the crabs caught in the net were still alive, and were able to be released back into the Southern Ocean.

Captain of the Sam Simon, Sid Chakravarty, said, “With the confiscation of the illegally laid gillnet set combined with the pursuit of the Thunder by the Bob Barker, Operation Icefish has achieved what it had set out to do in less than a month from when it was kicked-off. The shadowlands of Antarctica, used by this wasteful and destructive industry, are being cleared of their illegal vessels, and the marine life of this pristine ecosystem is being given the protection they deserve.”

He added, ““Having hauled in the illegally-set gill net continuously for 5 days, the Sam Simon crew has given the world a chance to observe first-hand the destruction caused by this fishing method. Never has any conservation movement seen the recovery, confiscation and documentation of such length of gear. The onus is now on the relevant international authorities to use this evidence to prosecute the Thunder.”

Starting tomorrow, the Sam Simon will continue to scout the region around Banzare Bank on the lookout for more gillnet sets laid out by the Thunder.

Captain Chakravarty has reported the salvage operation to the relevant authorities, including Interpol, CCAMLR, the Australian Fisheries Management Authority and Australian Federal Police. The confiscated equipment will be kept as evidence of the Thunder’s illegal activity, and handed-over to the relevant port authorities to aid in the prosecution of the vessel.

A known poaching vessel, the Nigerian-flagged Thunder was issued with an Interpol Purple Notice following a joint effort by Norwegian, New Zealand and Australian authorities, and is currently included on CCAMLR’s black-list of IUU fishing operators.

The Sea Shepherd ship, Bob Barker, has been in pursuit of the Thunder since the vessel first fled on December 17. Yesterday, the conservation ship escorted the poachers out of the CCAMLR region.

The use of gillnets has been outlawed by CCAMLR since 2004, and the Commission has specifically expressed concerns regarding the impact of this fishing method on the marine ecosystems of Antarctica.

Operation Icefish is Sea Shepherd’s 11th Southern Ocean Defence Campaign, and the first to target IUU toothfish fishing operators in the waters of Antarctica Sea.

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Sea Shepherd celebrates court finding that Japan is illegally whaling

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Sea Shepherd sent out the following press release today, in response to the report that the International Court of Justice has ruled Japan’s whaling operation is illegal.

Of course, not only is it illegal, it is also immoral.

The Independent ran a news story today concerning the ruling and the finding that Japan’s whaling is not based on scientific research. Finally. We all know it isn’t based on research, unless they’re researching the taste of whale meat.

And the BBC reports Japan will accept the ban on whaling in the Antarctic region. This is great news and I hope the country holds to its acceptance. We can only hope bans can be implemented for all region’s of the Earth’s oceans.

The BBC article quoted Greenpeace UK spokesman Willie MacKenzie as saying – “The myth that this hunt was in any way scientific can now be dismissed once and for all.”

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March 31st , 2014 – Melbourne, Australia —

“The International Court of Justice findings that Japan’s whaling is illegal vindicates a decade of courageous actions by Captain Paul Watson and his crews,” Sea Shepherd Australia Chairman, Bob Brown said.

“All across Australia people will be celebrating this win due to Sea Shepherd and their huge public support for protecting whales in this country that led to the Australian Government to take this legal action,” said Dr Brown.

“Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott should tell Japan, ‘Never cross the equator again with a whale harpoon gun’,” said Dr Brown.

“This result gives further credit to Sea Shepherd for not only upholding Australian Federal laws also International laws in defending the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary for the whales and for future generations.” said Jeff Hansen, Sea Shepherd Australia Managing Director.

“In the absence of law enforcement in the Southern Ocean, Sea Shepherd has been the only organisation upholding the law in defence of the International Whale Sanctuary, while Japan has been consistently breaking the law and this ruling now proves that,” said Mr Hansen.

 

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Today’s update from Sea Shepherd: Under attack from whaling ships

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Sea Shepherd Australia offers another update on the effort to shut down the Japanese whaling fleet:

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SEA SHEPHERD SHIPS UNDER ATTACK FROM WHALING FLEET: BOB BARKER STRUCK BY HARPOON SHIP

Sunday February 2, 2014 – Melbourne, Australia — At approximately 0650 AEDT today, The Bob Barker, was hit by the Japanese whaling fleet’s harpoon vessel, the Yushin Maru No. 2 as the harpoon vessel crossed in front of the bow of the Sea Shepherd ship at 67° 29’ S 164 °01’ W.

The incident is a part of an attack by the Japanese whaling fleets’ three harpoon vessels, the Yushin Maru, Yushin Maru No. 2 and Yushin Maru No. 3 on the Sea Shepherd ships, The Steve Irwin and The Bob Barker, which began at approximately 0001 this morning AEDT. The ships were located at approximately 68° 40’ S and 163° 43’ W at the time the attack began.

The assault is an attempt to deter the Sea Shepherd ships from their current position, blocking the slipway of the Nisshin Maru, preventing the whalers from loading whales poached from the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary.

During the attack, currently ongoing as of 0730 AEDT, the harpoon vessels overtook the Sea Shepherd ships from the stern, crossing the bow, and coming as close as three to five meters. Captain Peter Hammarstedt of The Bob Barker and Captain Siddarth Chakravarty of The Steve Irwin have thus far been able to steer out of the path of the encroaching harpoon vessels, only narrowly avoiding numerous potential collisions.

The whaling vessels have also made consecutive attempts to foul the propellers of the Sea Shepherd ships by dragging steel cable across the bow of the conservation ships. Further, the crew of the whaling vessels threw projectiles at The Steve Irwin’s small boat crew and turned water cannons on The Bob Barker’s small boat crew as they attempted to cut the steel cables.

This season, Sea Shepherd’s direct intervention has led to a disastrous January for the illegal operations of the Japanese whaling fleet. Early interception and a persistent chase has enabled the Sea Shepherd Fleet to effectively suspend whaling operations and allowed the fleet to take up position and secure the slipway of the Nisshin Maru.

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Sea Shepherd Whaling Update from Friday

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Sea Shepherd is seeing more success in blocking Japanese whaling operations:

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SEA SHEPHERD SECURES THE SLIPWAY OF THE NISSHIN MARU:

WHALING HALTED

Friday January 31, 2014 – Melbourne, Australia — As of 1700 AEDT today, the Sea Shepherd Fleet has shut down the operations of the Japanese whaling fleet for seven consecutive days. The Sea Shepherd ships now guard the slipway of the Nisshin Maru, rendering the factory vessel unable to butcher and process whale meat.

Captain of The Bob Barker, Peter Hammarstedt, said, “The primary strategy of our Antarctic Whale Defence Campaigns is to secure the slipway of the Nisshin Maru, and allow no dead whales to pass into this floating abattoir: We have achieved this goal. We will continue to block the slipway of this poaching ship, relentless in our mission to protect the whales and the sanctity of the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary.”

Throughout January, the Sea Shepherd Fleet has engaged the Nisshin Maru for a total of nine days and has monitored the poachers for an additional two days from The Steve Irwin’s helicopter. Further, accounting for the three-day journey it would have taken the whalers to return to their self-designated killing grounds after being chased from the region, Sea Shepherd is able to say with absolute certainty that for at least 14 days of January, the Japanese whaling fleet has been unable to kill whales.

With half of the month of January accounted for, alongside the monitoring program by the Australian government and bad weather conditions that would have made whaling during this period difficult if not impossible, the whaling fleet has had a disastrous month. The whalers rely heavily upon January as their most profitable month, and Sea Shepherd is hailing January 2014 as our most successful in a decade of enforcing the 1986 international moratorium on commercial whaling.

Early interception and a persistent chase enabled the Sea Shepherd Fleet to effectively suspend whaling operations until they were able to take up position and secure the slipway of the Nisshin Maru.

Given the whalers average 25 whale kills on a good day, Sea Shepherd estimates that intervention during Operation Relentless has so far saved the lives of approximately 350 whales.

Captain of The Sam Simon, Adam Meyerson, said, “2014 has been a great year for the whales so far. Now that Sea Shepherd has a small navy, it gives us flexibility to use our ships to keep the whaling fleet on the run and out of the hunt indefinitely. We will not rest until this illegal fleet is driven from the sanctuary.”
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Australia going after Japan’s whaling operations in International Court of Justic

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Australia is standing up for whales, against Japan’s fake and so-called research loophole it uses to defend its commercial whaling operations.

Specifically, Australia will challenge Japan’s slaughter of whales in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary.

Sea Shepherd sent the following press release:

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Sea Shepherd USA Backs Australia in Landmark Legal Case to End ‘Research Whaling’

FRIDAY HARBOR, Wash. – June 25, 2013 – Japan may finally be brought to justice for killing whales in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary under the ‘research whaling’ loophole as a landmark legal case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, the Netherlands, begins on June 26, 2013. Following a 2008 order from an Australian Court to end the Japanese whale hunts that ICR has ignored, the Australian government will present its case against Japan’s whaling operations in the Southern Ocean during the three-week-long hearing scheduled to run through July 16, 2013. Australia launched the case in 2010, asking the ICJ to halt a hunt that violates the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling (ICRW) laws’ moratorium on commercial whaling, and was on a scale far beyond the ICRW’s rules on killing whales for research.

Sea Shepherd Conservation Society will be present at the legal proceedings for the duration of the trial. Sea Shepherd has historically been at the forefront of defending whales in the remote Southern Ocean, reducing the effectiveness of Japan’s annual self-imposed kill quota of more than 1,000 whales. During the 2012-2013 hunting season, Japan only managed to kill 103 Minke whales (including pregnant females), the lowest tally to date, as a result of international volunteers led by Sea Shepherd Australia’s non-violent interventions. Since the whaling moratorium was introduced in 1986, Japan has killed more than 14,000 whales under the scientific research clause, according to the International Fund for Animal Welfare — 14,000 whales, during an international moratorium on whaling and in a designated whale sanctuary.

Sea Shepherd USA hopes the outcome of this case will finally bring redemption to the whales and allow the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary to truly serve as the sanctuary it was designated as and not as killing grounds. “Although the battle to defend whales is taking place in the Southern Hemisphere, people around the world are concerned about the ruling of this case – these are not just Australia’s whales, they are the world’s whales and we all have a vested interest in their survival and well-being,” said Sea Shepherd USA’s Administrative Director Susan Hartland. “A loss in the World Court would be devastating to people worldwide who support the efforts to save the whales, and as more than 90% of the planet’s great whales have been wiped out, we need to fight hard to protect the remaining ones from the same fate.”

While the legal battle of Australia vs. Japan will play out in The Hague, Sea Shepherd USA will continue its battle for the whales in a defense against Japan’s Institute for Cetacean Research (ICR) here on home turf. To take advantage of the research loophole and sidestep the international ban on commercial whaling, Japanese whaling vessels are emblazoned with “RESEARCH.” The ICR was given an injunction against Sea Shepherd USA to halt the non-profit’s participation in effective interventions in order to continue to freely kill whales. In early 2012, the lower court originally denied ICR’s injunction; the judges’ ruling acknowledged SSCS USA’s harmless, low-level harassment and recognized its public benefit. However, on December 17, 2012, a three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the decision with no supporting laws or details. The court injunction prevents Captain Paul Watson, Sea Shepherd USA, and any party acting in concert with them from interfering with the ICR, requiring a 500-yard buffer from ICR vessels. This extreme ruling came with no opportunity for an evidentiary hearing to plead the case. If the ruling stands, the future of Sea Shepherd USA and the marine wildlife it actively defends could be at risk.

The public hearings from the ICJ will be broadcast live and in full on the International Court of Justice’s website at www.icj-cij.org/presscom/multimedia.php?p1=6 and will be available on UN Web TV at http://webtv.un.org/.

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