Day 2 - boats away | Home | And then there were two...

Hola a todos los activistas de greenpeace, me da gusto ver como gente todavia esta preocupada por el medio ambiente que nos rodea, por los animales, las plantas, los oceanos en si toda la vida marina, la vida gentica que en cierto punto hay cosas que nos afectan, y hoy nos esta afectando esa caza inmoderada de ballenas, que segun los pesqueros japoneses son para fines de investigacion, pero lo mas triste es que a fin de cuentas no sirven para eso solo para vender su carne ya que esta tiene un costo muy elevado en el mercado, y la verdad no creo justo esto, por eso espero que todos ustedes puedan al menos calmar esa furia de las peronas o ese pensamiento de la matanza de ballenas que solo sirven para ser comercializadas en el mercado japones.

Ojala y este mensaje sea confortable para ustedes ya que hacen una labor muy humanitaria, una felicitacion muy grande por todo lo que hacen a favor de la tierra y los oceanos.

Me gustaria aportar algo a greenpeace pero no me es posible en el aspecto economico, pero aqui esta mi correo por si quieren enviarme algun comentario.

Gracias y muchas feliciades en estas Fiestas de Sembrina

Is terrible.........Horrible.....we have to do something.. the world has to stop the killers

You guys are doing an amazing job and please know there are so so many people supporting you.
keep it going!!!

they're killer someone stop them

Hi, great work. I visited Arctic Sunrise in La Paz Mex a year ago and I have just sailed my 42 foot sailboat from Vancouver to New Zealand -- I wish I was there with you right now. However, I am very disappointed that you have not cooperated with Sea Shepard, who could assist you in your justified response to this illegal hunt. Please reconsider. Thanks, Kevin

Those pictures are so outrageous. This situation is to real. You guys are so wonderful, risking your lives for these beautiful creatures! There are lots of us who back you up.

Hello you all out there,
there are many, many people who support you,
and much more who don't know,
and much, much more who don't metter...
Only your work can change these sad reality!!!
Keep on going, rock them hard !!!
?mary christmas?

that's great job you've been doing..
keep prevent that killer fish from doing it!!!
i wish i was there with you all...
sumeday maybe....
just keep fighting to save our environtment.
go..fighters..go, i supports you, and may god bless you all!!!

Amazing work, your bravery is saving the precious lives of whales worldwide. At certain times of the year in Japan, whalemeat can be brought in supermarkets throughout the country. Scientific purposes... yeah right, stay strong guys, we support all the way. New zealand does too!!

You are doing such a wonderful job! really wish I can be there with you to help stop those insensible whale`s killers. Keep on going!!! and God bless you all!!

Thanks Kevin. Vancouver to NZ sounds like an awesome voyage. As for the Sea Shepherds, we wish them safe sailing, and all the success in the world with any peaceful action to stop commercial whaling. Still, the fact remains that their organization, led by Paul Watson then as now, has in the past used tactics that Greenpeace cannot condone nor support. Therefor we can not work with them at this time.
-- Andrew

i hate to japan government that legalize whale hunt.i'm afraid i cannot see whale again in 5 years from now.please keep the whales in earth,i support u greenpeace!!!!!!!!!!!

Go GP...

From Santiago- Chile

Go go gooo GP,
Survive the whales....
Faith and Hope...much.
GP Cl.

When the human race looks back at this time period - it will be you guys whom are remembered as the Heros! Keep up the good work - I will do my best to support Greenpeace in any way i can - and i suggest everyone else whom is considering it do the same!!

You guys matter - your actions matter - In my eyes you are real Heros - and i do not say that lightly!!
Thankyou for giving me hope in the human race!

No cabe duda que el ser humano es la peor bestia que existe en el planeta... estamos terminando con todo y la razón es el egoísmo que hay dentro de nosotros, me parece indignante lo que les estan haciendo a esas ballenas..por favor paren eso!! greenpeace gracias por existir..

Hiya guys,
Fantastic job you are doing out there. Know that the world opinion is on our side! We're behind you in the millions. Thank God we have guys like you out there.

Respect!

The photographs of bleeding whales is extremely discomforting. Thanks for helping a lot of those creatures, escape the murderers. Please keep up the great work. You have our best wishes and support.

A lot of people talking about whales being near extinction. I certainly hope they are able to differentiate between minke whales, and the whales that are ACTUALLY endangered.

Minke whales not only are not endangered, they're expanding like rats. I'll be the first person to volunteer when only those harming endangered animals are being harmed, and not the ones that are surviving in the millions in our waters.

Perhaps Greenpeace can redirect their efforts where they're actually needed?

it is unbelievable and heartbreaking to learn about what is happening. you are doing such an important and worthy job. best wishes.

RESPONSE TO PAZREAL FROM GREENPEACE WHALE CAMPAIGNER JOHN FRIZELL

If you can demonstrate that the Antarctic minke whales are
'expanding like rats', then the IWC Scientific Committee needs
your input. They currently have no agreed estimate for the size of the Antarctic minke population and there has not been one since 2000 (although that has not stopped the Japanese whaling
establishment from using the old discredited estimate of 760,000).

Current surveys indicate that the abundance is substantially lower than the old estimate and the the Committee is still working to identify factors contributing to the differences between the two surveys. A substantial decline in the minke population has not been ruled out.

Commercial whaling began in Antarctic waters in 1904 and by its conclusion had removed over 90% of the biomass of whales in those waters. Some of the species and populations affected show little sign of recovery, even after decades of protection.

Every one of those populations was once at a high level. The
whalers argued that their operations were not harming abundant
stocks and took what they considered to be a reasonable catch.
When those stocks were depleted, they turned to other, smaller
species, made the same arguments, and again depleted them.

When the International Whaling Commission was set up in 1946,
its preamble said:

'Considering that the history of whaling has seen over-fishing of one area after another and of one species after another to such a
degree that it is essential to protect all species of whales from
further over fishing;'

But despite the clear lessons of history the IWC was unable to
regulate whaling and under its attempts at management the blue
whales, fin whales and sei whales of the Antarctic all became so
depleted that they required total protection.

Our efforts in the Antarctic are needed because 'scientific' whaling is commercial whaling in disguise and is intended to pave the way for a reopening of the commercial whaing industry. And commercial whaling has always been a disaster for populations of whales.

When Ralph Abernathy said
"I don't know what the future may hold, but I know who holds the future." He was obviously was talking about Greenpeace.
Bravo! whale campaigers, volunteers, each of you who so tirelessly are working towards the stop of Commercial whaling aka research and the Oceans.

Vinaka

Josephine Prasad
Fiji Islands

I am watching you guys and have a great pleasure in seeing what you guys are doing, stop these bastards doing this, it makes me sick in the guts to see them doing this, gd luck. Darryl Jenkins , Auckland New Zealand.

I commend you and wish you all the best with your incredible efforts to stop barbaric whale hunting. I really thought we had progressed past such barbaric treatment of magnificant animals but clearly the Japanese have not. It appalls me that the Australian governnment sits by and lets it happen. Clearly keeping onside with Japan for trade reasons is considered more important to our 'government without a conscience'. Please keep up your amazing work.

Thanks for your courageous and necessary work in the antarctic. I do want to stress that I agree with one of the comments I read commending you folks with Greenpeace, but also stressing that it would be even better if you coordinated your efforts with the Farley Mowat -- Sea Shephard.

I have posted some pictures at my blog which appear to show Greenpeace's Arctic Sunrise ramming the Japanese whaling boat the Nisshin-Maru earlier today.

I understand that Greenpeace have issued a press release stating that it was the other-way-around i.e. that the Arctic Sunrise was rammed by the Japanese ship.

I assume Greenpeace has photographs or video footage of the collision?

As I explain at my blog, it would be good if Greenpeace posted its photographs or footage which could perhaps clarify the situation: see
http://www.jennifermarohasy.com/blog/archives/001097.html .

RESPONSE FROM ADELE, GREENPEACE WEB EDITOR:

Hi Jennifer,

We have posted our version of events here:
http://oceans.greenpeace.org/en/the-expedition/news/whalers-ram-ship-111

along with video, photos and the press release you refer to (more photos and versions of the video will be uploaded as they come to hand). The second half of the video in particular, which was shot from the Esperanza, clearly shows the events.

Adele

The video clearly shows the little Arctic Sunrise heading towards and then ramming the much larger and near stationary Nisshin Maru. In the video the Greenpeace captain states that he "maintained course at speed". Clearly Greenpeace could have avoided the collision but choose to maintain course - that is to ram the large Japanese vessel.

RESPONSE FROM ADELE, GREENPEACE WEB EDITOR:

Hi Jennifer,

Actually, our captain tried to avoid collision. The important thing to note here is that we are to their starboard, their right hand side, meaning under Rule 15 of the international collision regulations we have the right of way.

Under Rule 17, our ship was required to maintain our course and speed, which was dead slow at any rate. The purpose of this rule is to avoid any confusion about who should turn. Once an imminent collision became apparent, our captain went full astern attempting to avoid it, as also required by Rule 17.

Shane Rattenbury was on the phone to The Age newspaper in Australia at the time of the collision and the reporter heard everything over the phone. You can read the article here.

Additionally, you can read the accounts from Andrew on the Esperanza and Shane on the Arctic Sunrise in this blog.

I think the video shot from the Esperanza shows pretty clearly that the Arctic Sunrise was not moving at the time of impact, and was hit across the bow by the Nisshin Maru. Additionally, as Shane points out in his blog, for us to ram the Nisshin Maru would be a "suicide mission" since it is 6 times heavier than the Arctic Sunrise. And if, as you say, we hit the Nisshin Maru head on into her side, then why do photographs clearly show damage to the *side* of our bow?

Our evidence seems to be convincing enough for the UK government which according to Channel 4 in the UK is considering launching a diplomatic protest.

And lastly, Greenpeace is committed to non-violence and ramming is not a tactic we would ever consider. Besides, an impact would clearly damage the Sunrise more than the Nisshin Maru and in temperatures where any crew member unlucky enough to end up in the water would be in mortal danger, why on Earth would Greenpeace take this kind of action in violation of our principles?

Adele

Thank you and your efforts to help save our lovely creatures of the open waters. Without you, our grandchildren may still be able to see a live and free whale. God bless you all!

you guys & girls are doing a top job keep up the good work

dear greenpeace,
god love ya!!!!!!!! I totally love whales, and spew seeing the murdered brutally. don't you dare give up now.. i'll be joining you in fifteen years time! save them,
love danish

I can't believe that the U.S. news networks aren't covering this story. I'm having to follow it on the web by reading Australian newspaper sites daily.


Keep up the great work !

Stop these murderers now! I feel sick watching your videos and watching those bastards doing that to those beautiful animals. Its heartbreaking. :(

You go guys & girls. With more support from us on shore and more pressure from us on our governments, we can and will stop this shitty practice. Thank you dedicated friends, you have all our support all the way.