The icy Earth from above | Home | Nisshin Maru on the move

Dave,

Can you provide a direct quote for your 3,500 tonne "target" thing, or is this another example of Greenpeace's creative interpretation of second hand information received through someone who understands Japanese?

Some facts for your readers:
- 3,435.8 tonnes of whale meat by-products resulted from the first JARPA II cruise.
- At the end of December 2006, 3,904 tonnes of whale meat was held in stockpiles around Japan.
- Total volume of outgoing whale meat stock in 2006 came in at around 8,500 tonnes. JARPA II by-products will go on sale around June / July 2007.

Ha, you're making me laugh out loud Dave (well, at least, Mr Inwood is unintentionally hilarious).

Thanks for the weather report, I can just picture you in a pastel suit explaining that to me. Take care out there!

p.s. If it makes you feel any better, Stockholm's looking a bit like the Antarctic itself right now. It's been snowing for days, the water is frozen over and if I'm not careful I'll need ice-class boots to get home.

Greetings from Sunny South Africa,

It is sad to see that the situation still remains unresolved. I certainly hope the appeal to the Japanese PM will have an impact, and that the Nisshin Maru will accept assistance shortly, leaving the area while it still can. The weather will also, I can savely say, have an impact on this situation. Not to mention the pack ice.

Esperanza staff - Stay warm and positive - all will be well!! Thank you for the constant updates, it is greatly appreciated, making us feel like we are there with you, experiencing all the drama with you.

Brightest Blessings,

Earth Spirit

Thanks for the update - don't suppose there's any word on whether any whale meat was spoiled in the fire?

As most of us, I'm still hoping for a tow-acceptation by the Nisshin Maru, although i think they will put it off untill the very end...

Can you tell me if the two ships holding the N.M. steady, can also keep it from running into the ice?

Thanx for your good work!
Daniel

David@Tokyo:

We are in VHF contact with the whaling fleet. You - and Glenn Inwood, evidently - are not. Dave is simply reporting what the fleet says. That's his job.

This is for you david@tokyo. You always seem to appear here with your poison in hand. My suggestion to you is to hop on board the Esperanza some day, and to experience the real meaning of compassion and Love for all living things you'll find burning in the hearts of the brave men and women that grace her decks. For now though, ...just try to make a real effort to feel something for once in your life, for these magnificent creatures. Try somehow to feel the excruciating pain and fear, and how it feels to have a harpoon explode inside your body, ...and soon, ...I promise, ...things will become more clear to you. How blind can we be, that we cannnot even perceive this suffering. Hurry home to your heart, ...before it's too late. This message is a gift of Love to you.

"Everyone wants the Nisshin Maru moved as soon as possible … no-one more than Japan"

Glenn Inwood, Japan's Institute for Cetacean Research

more

isn't that interesting? This guy needs our help!!!

and what about the USS coast-guard POLAR SEA cutter ? Where is that vessel right now ? Isn't it THE appropriate kind of vessel for towing the Nisshin Maru ?

Martin, there's no information on "spoiled what meat" at the moment.

Daniel - so far the two ships are holding the NM steady...

David@tokyo - sorry if that seemed unclear- I've amended the text so that it's clear that those figures came from the Japanese minister for agriculture.

Hi Francois - we haven't seen the Polar Sea in over a week - it dropped by for about an hour last Saturday, took a look at the fleet, had a conversation with the whaling fleet (translated and relayed by us) and then left.

They didn't even say goodbye, and we haven't heard from them since.

In a press conference on Feb 20th the agriculture minister in Tokyo said there was 1,000 tons moved onto the OB and 1,050 still left on the Nisshin Maru. He also said that they were aiming to get 3,500 tons, which is not a good thing to have said, as they should not have had a calculation of how much meat they wanted prior to carrying out the "scientific" research

just a quick thought, it struck me today that what if the japanese fleet had another factory ship, do you know if they have or not? it would seem a good diversion to keep you guys tied up down there whilst they whaled elsewhere?im most likely wrong, but is it possible that this might be some bizzare bluff to keep you all out of the way whilst other catchers and processers carry on elsewhere. have you any actual evidence that there has been a fire.
just playing devils advocate here.

good luck with everything you are doing down there. youve no idea how proud i am to be a member of an organisation that is represented by people like you lot.

Hi John - there *is* no other Japanese factory ship or whaling fleet. This is it. I don't think they're so crazy that they would make a distress call, fake a person's death, draw worldwide attention to whaling, while tying up one factory vessel, one tanker, 3 catchers and two sighting vessels, along with hundreds of crew in one of the harshest oceans of the world... just to keep us occupied!

I've the strong feeling thet Mr Inwood will be Out of ICR business once the whaler's expedition is over - he's a really weak PR man...

Hey, it looks like you're in the midst of the ice, on the webcam-
Has the ice reached the Nisshin Maru too?

Sakyo,

I believe that you are reading what you like into the Minister's statements. Everyone knows that the quota is 850 minke and 10 fin, just like last year. The 3,500 figure is not mentioned as a target or aim (i.e., "mokuteki") as you and Dave have said, but in the context of a forecast ("yotei"). Alas, misinterpretation appears to be a "teiban" in Greenpeace's repertoire.

Indeed forecasting how much meat will result from the programme in advance is natural in light of the obligation that the meat by processed to the fullest extent possible.

Adele,

You'll note that Dave amended his report, and I can tell you that Sakyo's interpretation of the Minister's comments is highly dubious. I feel quite comfortable with the level of information I have available as compared with what readers of this weblog are exposed to.

Hi Cary - check the update. Yes, we're all close to the ice (we were actually IN it for a while). the Nisshin Maru has now disengaged from the rest of the fleet.

could Japans refusal of assistance have something to do with salvage rights, also what about the embarassment of their face being saved by Greenpeace.

David - you're missing our point. The minister is obviously thinking in terms of forecasting how much meat can be brought home from the annual whale hunt - which shows, once again, that the Japanese government's "scientific whaling" programme is just a thinly veiled excuse for commercial whaling.

The 3,500 figure is not mentioned as a target or aim (i.e., "mokuteki") as you and Dave have said, but in the context of a forecast ("yotei").

"yotei" is not a forecast (yosou)
it is a plan.
i.e. they are planning for 3,500 tons.
plan (yotei) is related to target (mokuhyou), wouldn't you say?
quite simple, no?
stop making up excuses.