Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Whaling Fleet heading home?

Is it real? Is it a ploy? Is it forever? Is it just for the season? Is it for just for a few weeks or days?  Many question the latest news, but one thing is clear. For today, for this moment in time, Japan has suspended its whaling in the southern ocean, for that we should celebrate. There is no evidence that they will never return to the Southern Ocean, so our celebration might not be forever, but for now, Sea Shepherd has won.

  The headlines are everywhere, and with each one, the victory seems more sweet and more real.
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Wednesday, February 16, 2011
The Whalers Have Been Shut Down!
Commentary by Captain Paul Watson

The three captains of Sea Shepherd's Operation No Compromise. Photo: Sam SielenIs it a ploy or the real deal?

The Japanese Fisheries Agency is saying that the whale hunt has been suspended due to the interventions of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society.

I think it is premature to see this as a victory for the whales yet. There has been no mention of how long this suspension will be. It could be permanent, for this season only, or it could be for a matter of weeks or even days.   Read more Here
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Clash between whaling ship and opponentWhaling: Beginning of the end?

Richard Black | 12:36 UK time, Wednesday, 16 February 2011
Is this the beginning of the end for Japanese whaling in the Antarctic?
The Fisheries Agency (FAJ) hasn't formally declared the season over, but it appears likely that the fleet will soon be on its way out of the Southern Ocean and back to harbour. Read more here.
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Japan halts Antarctic whale hunt

Andrew Darby
February 17, 2011
AFTER decades of bitterly opposed Antarctic ''research whaling'', Japan has suspended its hunt and is near to formally pulling out only halfway through the current season.
Following a sustained Sea Shepherd pursuit, the whalers have had their kills slashed at a time when financial demands are tightening in Tokyo and international diplomatic pressure is rising.
The sudden shift has raised expectations that Japan may be moving to end the 23-year-old program, which has killed around 10,000 Antarctic whales.     Read more here

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Latin America urges Japan to stop whaling
BUENOS AIRES — Latin American members of the International Whaling Commission urged Japan Monday to stop "scientific" whaling in Antarctic waters and respect sanctuaries for the species.
Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama, Peru and Uruguay have refused to hunt nearly a thousand whales, including endangered species, in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary, according to a statement posted on an official Argentine government website.
The countries are members of the anti-whaling Group of Buenos Aires (GBA).
Japanese whalers kill hundreds of the mammals a year in Antarctic waters.  Read more here

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Japan suspends whale hunt after chase by protesters

TOKYO | Wed Feb 16, 2011 12:19am EST

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan has suspended its annual whale hunt in the Antarctic for now after a hardline anti-whaling group gave chase to its mother ship and it may call the fleet back home, a government official said.Regular attempts by Sea Shepherd Conservation Society to interrupt hunts have caused irritation in Japan, one of only three countries that now hunt whales and where the government says it is an important cultural tradition. READ MORE HERE
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Japan suspends annual whale hunt

By Junko Ogura, CNN
February 16, 2011 9:30 a.m. EST
 
(CNN) -- Japan has suspended its annual Antarctic whale hunt because an anti-whaling group is tailing its ship, a government official said Wednesday.
Hirosh Kawamura, an official at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, said the hunt has been "temporarily suspended" since February 10 due to the actions of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society.
"We have experienced the dangerous attacks from them, it might take the life of crews," he said. "Considering the safety as the first priority, we decided to halt the whaling temporarily."
Read more Here
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Regardless to if  this is  temperary or perminate, the crew and supporters of the SSCS deserve a big THANK YOU!

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