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I'm glad to see the link to this. One of the things I couldn't locate in my search before on GP's whales.greenpeace.org site and it is referred to my only other posting ctiticizing the money machine. I've not got one piece of information. What teeth does this treaty have and is their an international court that GP's lawyers can file a motion, writ, cause of action, lawsuit, etc. to prosecute Japan for junk science in disguising their whaling expedition in violation of this treaty?

The hard-boiled, aloof, callous officials of the JFA, the ICR, and probably the Env Ministry are not going to accept help from an organization that they have gone great length to portray as 'terrorists.' They would open themselves up to ridicule and rebuke (their thinking). They have not shown ANY respect to the environmental concerns of New Zealand the last week, and have come across as typically arrogant. I fervently hope that if this ship gets towed out, it is NOT allowed to enter port in NZ or AU to undergo repairs...let them haul it all the way back to Japan. Too bad NZ doesn't confiscate the Nisshin Maru for environmental crimes.

Eric: I understand your sentiments about sending the ship all the way back to Japan, but under international maritime law, the ship should actually come in to New Zealand, as the environmentally safe thing to do.

Get it off the water so it won't spill oil everywhere.

Of course that would pose interesting problems for the NZ Government. But imagine if NZ said no to it, then it broke up as it went up through the Pacific, or elsewhere?

If it went into NZ then the Govt could then impound the ship and refuse to let it back out!

It would also mean that the whale meat wouldn't go back to Japan, which isn't a bad thing.

Email sent, and I'm spreading the word: http://www.felyne.com/stalkings/2007/02/a_quick_email_t.html

According to ABC NEWSONLINE, engineers aboard the Nisshin Maru have restored electrical power and are working to restart the main engine. The vessel's crew, the report states, are preparing the vessel for towing should restarting the main engine fail. The report does not say which vessel would do the towing should that prove necessary.

Given the time that has elapsed since the initial incident, the preferred option now must be for the vessel to leave the area under its own power. There is always some risk involved in towing, particularly in the event of adverse weather conditions. Moreover, the vessel is likely to make better speed under its own power than it would under tow. (Although the Esperanza has the capability to tow, its prop design would make it less efficient than a vessel designed for the purpose.)

From media reports, it seems that the major damage caused by the fire was to the production area. There is no reason to assume that the vessel is in danger of breaking up or sinking, but without exact details being available, it is not possible to know what damage occurred to the engine room. However, restoring power would probably have been the most complex task the vessel's engineers faced. With that accomplished, one can only hope that they are now able to restart the main engine and get underway.

If the vessel is able to manoeuvre under power, then the Japanese might avoid much of the political fallout from the incident that one could otherwise have expected. I suspect that that has been to the forefront of the minds of the shore-based decision makers, who have until now been so reluctant to accept offers of assistance.

If the vessel can't be restarted within the next few hours, then I expect that the Japanese will arrange to tow it from the area. It will be interesting to see if they agree to let the Esperanza do the towing should that be necessary, but I wouldn't take any bets on that happening! Politics?—Bah, humbug!

Regards Doug

Hey guys, i also sent an email to the Consulate General of Japan in Canberra, Australia, yesterday, in a moment of anger... It was rather strongly worded (but I think my frustration is warranted as some of the campaigners would know!), so I thought I'd post it for your info!

Japanese consulate email: cultural@japan.org.au

"Dear Consulate-General of Japan,

I am writing to express my disgust as an Australian citizen, and ex-pat from Japan, at the current Japanese Government’s response to the fire on the Nisshin Maru in the Southern Ocean.

The Government of Japan, whom you represent, has failed to show due respect and concern for the family of the 27 year old man, Kazutaka Makita San, who lost his life in the fire that broke out last week.

Furthermore, the Japanese Government is currently disregarding the Law of the Sea, as well as the Antarctic Treaty, through its lack of haste and concern in accepting an offer to tow the Nisshin Maru to safety, in advance of any worsening weather conditions, which if they worsen in a few days as anticipated, will put the Nisshin Maru at high risk of an oil spill. (I am aware at current the weather conditions are preventing such an unprecedented environmental tragedy). This stubbornness is also preventing the family of the deceased sailor being laid to rest and having some closure to such a horrible tragedy.

Greenpeace and the staff on board the Japanese Whaling Fleet boats are working together, through radio communication, utilising the Greenpeace helicopter to survey the ice conditions, and ensure the Japanese crew have enough medical supplies, food and are safe.

It is clear their only intention is to help a distressed vessel at sea, and it has been proven over the past 4 days.

Yet, in Tokyo, the stubbornness of the Japanese Government is putting at risk hundreds more lives, and the pristine Antarctic Continent, for what?

Sincerely..."

Hopefully they don't look it up next time I apply for a visa to Japan!

New Zealand's Prime Minister Helen Clark held a press conference today and in responding to a querry about the Nisshin Maru said: "We believe the japanese ship has to be moved north. Obviously the first priority is to safeguard life. We have a stricken ship that's an issue...one crewman's life has already been lost. Secondly, we have a huge concern for the pristine environment, in the area of Antartica where New Zealand has a claim. So we would like to see that stricken ship out of there."
A reporter then asked "Would you be prepared to have the ship in port in NZ if it's towed here?" She responded "I think it needs to be towed back to where it came from, and one would hope that the fact that the season has been so ghastly for the Japanese whaling fleet might give cause for some reflection on whether they come back again."
If NZ accepts the vessel into port, then by all means take a tack from the japanese and do some lengthy "research" on it, to assertain and verify its seaworthiness. Say, 1 or 2 years of research. Hah!

Why does Greenpeace still handle Japan with kid gloves, with regard to their whaling and drift net activities, for more than 20 years?

This high-tech nation with its stone-age behaviour could be hit very effectively by relating all its high-tech products to umpteen-thousands of whales tortured to death by Japanese harpoons, millions of sea birds, sea mammals and turtles drowned in Japanese drift nets, ravaged rainforests in Southeast Asia, and so on! Did perhaps some Japanologist tell you to stay polite and reserved with the Japanese, because of their uptight etiquette? Forget this, after all! They hide behind a front of politeness and smile, but their activities on the oceans (that belong to all of us, and not to them alone) show a presumptuous arrogance against the rest of the world.

In all seriousness, fisheries official Mr. Morishita declared in German television, that they continued their whaling activities mainly because of the impertinent "Western" protests against them! Have you got that – a politician obviously battling with puberty manifestations is responsible for their annual whale slaughter! Well, and Greenpeace slogans like "We love Japan, but whaling breaks our hearts" are just laughed at by those whaling fanatics! For them, Greenpeacers are terrorists for more than 20 years now! Greenpeace, catch on to this fact, after all! Don’t just stand there smiling back, do something!

Against every other opponent, Greenpeace knows very well to use the only pressure man understands: the fear to lose some money! Why not use this pressure against Japan? Greenpeace, threaten them with a worldwide boycott campaign if they don't IMMEDIATELY allow the removal of their disabled junk vessel from antarctic waters!!! Let them know that you wouldn’t hesitate to publish photos of oil-spilled Adelie penguin colonies decorated with Toyota, Sony, Nikon logos and so on, all over the world! "Don't buy Japanese" would then be a fine caption that could seize them with panic ... But hopefully such photos will never be shot – PLEASE USE ANY PRESSURE TO GET THE "NISSHIN MARU" FAR AWAY FROM ANTARCTICA AT ONCE!!!

Hi Matthew - let's be clear here. We ARE NOT targetting the Japanese people here. The whaling industry and the relevant section of the governmentis very small, and NOT representitive of Japanese people. In fact, 92% of people in Japan do not know that their government is involved in whaling in the Southern Ocean.

While I admire your passion on the matter, I do suggest that you peruse the literature!

Read more here

Finally Matthew - have you written to the Japanese government?
Don't let the crippled Nisshin Maru become an Antarctic disaster »

Hi Dave – that's the point! Like everywhere, the most part of the people is not at all interested in what their government really does! That's what also Hitler made good use of.
Well, I mean, a massive worldwide appeal to boycott Japanese products would certainly serve well to wake up these sleeping 92% of the people and make them demand an explanation from their government. In a way, you have to target the Japanese people too! Ignoring and thereby tolerating such facts comes up to endorsing and supporting them. Go and wake them up, those 92% - who else than Greenpeace has the means to do it?
All the best for you all on the Esperanza!

I agree with Matthew in that if no one can affect or shape the public opinion in Japan and educate the public about horrible whaling going on, then the only answer is to put economic pressure on Japanese companies, with the threat of lost sales due to boycotts and a loss of tourism. Does anyone doubt that the powerful executives of Toyota, Honda, Sony, etc, wouldn't be strongly demanding reform at the Fisheries Dept. and a cessation of whaling with billions of dollars in losses at stake? Those kind of numbers make the monies involved in whaling look like peanuts. The internet can help spread the boycott support. BOYCOTT JAPANESE, ICELANDIC, AND NORWEGIAN PRODUCTS AND TOURISM!

We are hearing reports on the news that the Nisshin Maru has restarted it's engines. Is it actually under it's own power now? or is it just more supposition?

Anne, from where I'm sitting, they might have started em, but they haven't gone anywhere...

I recommend you read this article »