Category Archives: Sea Shepherd Conservation Society

Sea Shepherd ship films rare species of Orcas

Posted on by
No Gravatar

Another press release from Sea Shepherd:

“” “”

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.

“” “”

PACK MENTALITY BLOG: Compassion - teamed with Science and Logic

Japan to launch “non-lethal” whaling program (wink, wink)

Posted on by
No Gravatar

Japan’s whaling industry seems to be stupid enough to think the entire world is stupid. In a stunningly asinine move to coverup what we all know is going on, the industry is claiming it will move its so-called research (another wink, wink) into the non-lethal area.

These people are out to sell whale meat for human consumption and product manufacturing – period. Their attempts to claim other motivations are at play are nothing more than propaganda, in the worst way.

The Japanese government and this industry are willing to send whales into extinction for noting more than profit. It is sick and disgusting.

I received the following press release today from Sea Shepherd:

“” “”

SEA SHEPHERD RESPONDS TO JAPAN’S FARCICAL NON-LETHAL WHALING PROGRAM

Today, the Institute of Cetacean Research (ICR) announced that Japan’s whaling fleet will depart from Japan on January 8, 2015, in order to undertake non-lethal research on the Antarctic whale population.

In response to the announcement, Captain Peter Hammarstedt of Sea Shepherd stated, “The Government of Japan’s farcical, non-lethal whaling initiative must be seen in the context of a greater criminal conspiracy. The Government of Japan has already announced their plans to resume the killing of whales in 2015/2016, despite condemnation from the highest court in the world, the International Court of Justice. Therefore, the data collected during this upcoming season will be used to kill whales in as little as one year from now. Japan’s non-lethal program is the equivalent of robbers casing a bank in preparation for a robbery; the heist that robs the world of its most majestic creatures.”

“Sea Shepherd has at times been labelled as radical, however its these whale poachers from Japan that continue to snub their nose at the Australian Federal and International Court of Justice that are the radical ones. As these butchers depart to stake out the scene for their criminal acts against the whales in 2015, it is the Japanese whale poachers and the Governments of the world that sit idle, they are the radical ones. Sea Shepherd, the upholders of the law are the conservative ones,” said Sea Shepherd Australia’s Managing Director, Jeff Hansen.

“” “”

PACK MENTALITY BLOG: Compassion - teamed with Science and Logic

Sea Shepherd vessel pulling another huge gillnet from southern ocean

Posted on by
No Gravatar

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.

“” “”

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.

“” “”

PACK MENTALITY BLOG: Compassion - teamed with Science and Logic

Sea Shepherd ship pulls huge illegal gillnet from Southern Ocean

Posted on by
No Gravatar

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

“” “”

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.

“” “”

PACK MENTALITY BLOG: Compassion - teamed with Science and Logic

Sea Shepherd halts another poaching ship

Posted on by
No Gravatar

I received the following release from Sea Shepherd:

“” “”

Wanted Poachers Try To Shake Pursuit Through Treacherous Ice Chase

Yesterday, at approximately 2300 hours AEDT, at 61˚ 32’ South, 075˚ 27’ East, the wanted poaching vessel, Thunder, attempted a hazardous escape from the Sea Shepherd ship, Bob Barker, by fleeing at speed through a field of pack-ice.

The Nigerian-flagged Thunder, which has been issued with and Interpol Purple Notice, and which is on the CCAMLR black-list of illegal unreported and unregulated (IUU) vessels due to its poaching activities, led Captain Peter Hammarstedt and his international crew of 28 volunteers on a three-hour long chase through the ice-field.

The Bob Barker was forced to break-through ice in order to maintain the hot pursuit. Captain Hammarstedt said, “At times the ice was almost impassable. I had to use my ship as a snow plough in order to break-through and continue chase.”

The incident comes two days after the Bob Barker intercepted the poaching vessel engaged in illegal fishing activities inside the CCAMLR area. Thunder is known to utilise gillnets – a method of fishing that has been outlawed by CCAMLR since 2004.

On locating the Thunder two days ago, Captain Hammarstedt notified Interpol, CCAMLR, the Australian Federal Police and the Australian Fishing Management Authority of the vessel’s activities. As yet, there is been no response to these reports.

Captain Hammarstedt has called on the Australian government to assist with the arrest of the illegal vessel. He said, “We have caught these poachers in blatant violation of international fishing regulations. We have documented their poaching activities, we have reported them, and we are ready to hand them over to the authorities. It is not the responsibility of Sea Shepherd to uphold CCAMLR regulations, but in the absence of legal action from Australia, we remain the only sheriff in town.”

IUU (Illegal, Unregulated, Unreported) fishing of toothfish continues inside the CCAMLR region, despite the Commission’s efforts to eliminate this threat to the Antarctic ecosystem. Currently six operators, including Thunder, are known to be involved in IUU fishing of toothfish inside the area.

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.

“” “”

PACK MENTALITY BLOG: Compassion - teamed with Science and Logic

Sea Shepherd Radio hits the online airways

Posted on by
No Gravatar

I received the following press release today from Sea Shepherd Australia:

“” “”

Sea Shepherd takes fight to the airwaves with Sea Shepherd Radio

Sydney – 16th July 2014: Sea Shepherd Australia has launched an online radio station to raise awareness about the conservation work it does for the world’s oceans.

Music from artists including Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Aerosmith, Queens of the Stone Age, Robert Plant as well as Australians such as Xavier Rudd, John Butler and Missy Higgins, all previous supporters of Sea Shepherd, will play on the station. In addition, news updates on its frontline conservation work and features on ongoing Sea Shepherd operations will be broadcast.

The Sea Shepherd Radio App, which can be downloaded for free from the App Store and Google Play, is a collaboration between advertising agency The Works and audio content agency The Honourable Society.

Jeff Hansen, Sea Shepherd Australia’s Managing Director said: “Sea Shepherd always had great support from musicians here and across the globe and Sea Shepherd radio features many of them and more. The station also aims to raise awareness of the plight of oceans worldwide and our work to defend them, through education, empowerment and direct action.”

“With Sea Shepherd radio you can listen to some great music, hear the latest campaign news and support our work defending oceans worldwide,” added Adam Burling Sea Shepherd Radio Manager. “It’s a station with sounds of the sea and the sounds of musicians who care as much for the oceans as we do.”

Andriod App:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=au.com.seashepherdradio

Apple App:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/sea-shepherd-radio/id881417804?ls=1&mt=8
“” “”

PACK MENTALITY BLOG: Compassion - teamed with Science and Logic

Sea Shepherd celebrates court finding that Japan is illegally whaling

Posted on by
No Gravatar

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.”

“” “”
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.

 

PACK MENTALITY BLOG: Compassion - teamed with Science and Logic

Sea Shepherd: More whales horribly slaughtered within sanctuary

Posted on by
No Gravatar

Sea Shepherd has some sad news to report this morning. The full media release follows:

“” “”

MORE WHALES SLAUGHTERED IN WHALE SANCTUARY

Sunday March 2, 2014 – Melbourne, Australia — Today, at approximately 10:05 AEDT, Sea Shepherd located the factory vessel of the Japanese whaling fleet, the Nisshin Maru, at 74°23’ S, 178°55’ W inside the Ross Sea Dependency, with a dead, protected Minke Whale onboard, and blood running from the side of the ship. Slabs of whale meat were also photographed on the deck, along with the severed head of a recently butchered whale.

The factory vessel was located by The Steve Irwin’s helicopter, which has found the whaling fleet on four occasions this season. The Steve Irwin and The Bob Barker are now closing in on the factory vessel.

Captain of The Bob Barker, Peter Hammarstedt, said, “Each time we have located the Nisshin Maru, the Sea Shepherd Fleet has been attacked by the whalers in night time ambushes. With darkness just a few hours away, as we close the distance to the slipway of the Nisshin Maru, we are well aware that we are soon likely to have harpoon ships crossing our bows towing steel cables, and the strong possibility that our ships could become disabled in the treacherous and frigid Antarctic waters. After sustaining two grueling assaults, we believe a third attack by the whaling fleet is imminent. We have thirty-eight Australians and three New Zealanders on board the Sea Shepherd ships. We call on the governments of Australia and New Zealand to stand up to the Japanese government and send a clear message that they will not tolerate another unprovoked attack on their citizens upholding international law.”

It is the second time this whaling season that Sea Shepherd has documented the Japanese whaling fleet in the act of poaching whales within the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary. On January 5, Sea Shepherd released damning images and footage of the Nisshin Maru with three dead, protected Minke Whales killed in the Sanctuary. The blood-stained decks of the factory ship were smeared with the remains of a fourth whale, including a head and spinal column.

It is the second time in six days that Sea Shepherd has located the Japanese whaling fleet. The whalers have remained outside their preferred self-allocated hunting grounds of the Ross Sea due to Sea Shepherd’s relentless patrolling and monitoring of the region. Sea Shepherd believes that, at the first opportunity that the whalers have had to resume operations, they have successfully interrupted whaling once again.

In July 2013, the governments of Australia and New Zealand challenged the legality of Japan’s so-called “scientific research” whaling at the International Court of Justice. A decision on case is pending.

Captain of The Steve Irwin, Siddharth Chakravarty, said, “It is not enough for the politicians, whose obligation it is to keep these whales alive and protected, to ignore their international responsibilities and the wishes of their constituents. I urge the Australian Environment Minister Greg Hunt and the New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs, Murray McCully, to look at this dead Minke Whale, brutally killed in an internationally recognised Whale Sanctuary that both Australia and New Zealand claim a commitment to uphold, and ask themselves if they truly believe that they and their governments have done everything within their power to stop this illegal slaughter.”

Sea Shepherd remains the only organisation in the Southern Ocean committed to upholding the sanctity of the Whale Sanctuary, directly intervening against the illegal operations of the Japanese whaling fleet.
“” “”

 

PACK MENTALITY BLOG: Compassion - teamed with Science and Logic

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

Posted on by
No Gravatar

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

“” “”

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.

“” “”

PACK MENTALITY BLOG: Compassion - teamed with Science and Logic

Sea Shepherd Whaling Update from Friday

Posted on by
No Gravatar

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

“” “”

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.”
“” “”

PACK MENTALITY BLOG: Compassion - teamed with Science and Logic