Nisshin Maru on the move | Home | Meet the Japanese Fleet Fleet - the Nisshin Maru and its friends

According to Kyodo Newswire, the ICR also didn't even tell the family of the missing crewman that he had died, the family found out in the media!!

Terrible.

Well said Dave. Happy news! The threat to the pristine Antartic environment is now lifted with the departure of this Scourge of the South Seas, bringing an ignominious end to this whaling season, but not before the loss of one crewmember's life, and several hundred whales' lives, as well as the reputation of Japan, further sullied by their disgraceful annual quest to kill the largest, gentlest mammals in those seas. Aiding in this descent is the ICR itself, its directors, and its PR propagandist, who have shown at best a cavelier attitude and at worst a contempt for the environment, as well as governments and NGOs that care about that environment and wish to protect it and its living inhabitants. Finally, I think about the lucky few hundred minke, and hopefully fin, whales who were spared a most hideous, excruciating death at the hands of those Japanese crewmen, now allowed, due to happenstance, to live and breathe and enjoy life as they were meant to do. How close they came to a most undeserving end they shall never know...
Esperanza, shadow the fleet closely for as long as you can, for who knows what they will attempt in the next few weeks, irrespective of what their fleet's leader says. I do hope this sad saga has truly come to an end. But I don't trust the ones who are calling the shots in Tokyo.

--Japan is refuelling their ships in the Sanctuary, illegaly and with impunity
--Japan refused earlier help, despite their obligations under the Antarctic Treaty.
--Japan's de facto commercial whalings are in defiance of succesive IWC resolutions
--Japan's actions are in defiance with the Convention on the Consevation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources
--Japan is in violation with the Protocol on Environment Protection on the Antarctic Treaty

--What are you waiting for? Arrest then and bring them to Court !

Press-release ICR:

http://www.icrwhale.org/070224Release.htm

Well Japan, now get the hell out of there and stay away! Although I think they hope they could start whaling again... The bastards.

The Nisshin Maru's departure from the Antarctic is the best news I've heard in a week. Yippee!

Hope the damage to the ship is too great to continue whaling, and hope they never come back.

I agree Eric, ...very well said indeed Dave. And you too Eric, ...that's a really kick butt post by you. I just Loved it. ...and that's upsetting to me too Adele, ...but I guess that's what we've come to expect from those that know no mercy. Echoing all your concerns though, ...I don't trust them, I don't trust them, ...and oh yeah, ...I don't trust them. Did all those ships really have to refuel to make it home? I'm not sure if we're out of the woods, or in this case, the icey waters of deception yet.

Interesting that Mr Inwood is absent from the ICRs press work today :-)

Good news and congratulations to the Nisshin Maru's engineering crew. Pretty impressed they got it going.

However, I see it refueled before heading out. If that's for safety reasons, then fine. But is that their standard practice?

We saw them refuel inside the Antarctic Treaty area last season, but much further north. I have to question whether it is wise to be refueling in what is designated a special marine area.

EXCELLENT news!!! Thanks Dave for keeping us informed. Hoping they'll get to their home port without any further incidents.

Can you tell me if the whole whalingfleet is heading out of the Ross Sea? I cannot understand that the whale murderers go away, they could harpoon a couple of hundred whales.
And if not, I'm very, very glad, that will mean a couple of hundred whales are safe for now, and hopefully forever.
But for Japan, it's all about the money, and not about the whales...

Great news and thanks for the up to date information!!! Good job you guys, thank you so much for the work you do! It is no doubt you were a huge part of them leaving. I hope to someday be out there on the seas with you!!!

today's ICR press release putting words into Greenpeace's mouth again.

Saying that Greenpeace said that the engines were too damaged to fix and that the vessel needed an immediate tow by Greenpeace.

If I remember correctly, Greenpeace always just kept us up to date with where the engines were at, (saying that they were not yet going, which they weren't) and advocated the ship being towed out of there immediately.... which was always the correct course of action.

Hi Ellen - yes, they're heading north right now, and out of the Ross Sea. They could harpoon the whales, but they have told us that they have no way of processing the dead whales.

Where are they headed, Dave? Home?

I'd like to post an update on LighterFootstep.com. Y'all be careful down there.

Hey Chris - that's what they've told us by radio. The ICR aren't saying, however:
http://www.icrwhale.org/070224Release.htm

Australia's TheWest.com quotes Inwood and reports (Feb 25th):

"Inwood said crew would spend the next 2-3 days checking and testing that all systems on the whale processing ship including engines, steering and navigation, are functioning.

"By Wednesday they expect to make a decision to either stay or leave the Antarctic," Inwood said.

"Ideally they can stay down there and spend the next 2-3 weeks completing the research (annual whale hunt)," he said, after it was disrupted by the fire that initially crippled the vessel.

Greenpeace said it hoped the six-vessel Japanese whaling fleet would leave the southern oceans whale sanctuary quickly.

"If they simply sail out of Antarctica and the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary, we will escort them and continue to offer assistance. However, if they attempt to start whaling again then we will take peaceful direct action to stop the hunt," Thomas said.

Said Inwood: "Greenpeace won't be escorting them anywhere."

I take it Inwood does not think much of his "escort service".

Folks - there's been some people trying to post comments here with "made up" email addresses - e.g. noone@nowhere.net - If you're not prepared to back up your statements with your identity, then don't post!