New Sea Shepherd vessel and shes a beauty

[bgallinger]

The boat looks ok. With Martin Sheen, Tom Watson and Bridgit Bardot its perfect for a reality show.

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by bgallinger

The boat looks ok. With Martin Sheen, Tom Watson and Bridgit Bardot its perfect for a reality show.

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by bgallinger

The boat looks ok. With Martin Sheen, Tom Watson and Bridgit Bardot its perfect for a reality show.

I'm sure many are saying Bridgit who. Son Charlie needs to be in it.

[Coops]

I'm ok with Bridgit but who is Tom Watson?

Coops.

[David M]

Originally Posted by barnaclejim

It surprises me how many boat and sea lovers on this forum react with disdain towards an organization that seeks to protect marine wildlife and the life of the oceans in general. I have lived on or near the sea my whole life and in a short 50 years have seen the decline in fish and the mountains of floating trash and plastic and abandoned nets that kill most everything in its wake. But as a species we are really a bunch of selfish ********. I expect more from seamen.

All of us are for preserving the oceans. We all know the oceans quite literally keep all of the life on this planet alive. This is why conservation groups and others with an agenda to preserve the Earth's environment are so important.

What seems to be bothering so many people is the calling of an advocacy groups boat a "research vessel". If a group does not stick to the Scientific Method when doing research, then it is not scientific research, by definition.

Secondarily, the press does not seem to know the difference between a group doing science and an advocacy group pretending to be doing science. The press will report the Sea Shepherds findings as "scientific findings" to the general public.

[Cheechako]

What Sea Shepard really needs is a sub with torpedoes.....

[Parmenter]

Originally Posted by europaflyer

A joke because, in spite of spending every summer the last ten years steaming round the southern ocean, the Japanese are still able to kill hundreds of whales a year, often in full view of Sea Shepherd vessels. A joke because for all their big talk of being 'pirates' and 'ready to die to save whales' the worst they often do is throw bottles of acid on the decks of the whaling ships, or steer in front of the ships so they can say on camera how they were rammed. A joke because they call themselves environmentalists yet burn thousands of tonnes of fuel a year and regularly dump dozens of bucketfuls of nylon rope in to the relatively unpolluted Antarctic ocean knowing full well that it makes good television but is totally ineffective at entangling the propellors of the whaling ships. A joke because they have proven time and time again that the biggest danger to their lives is their own poor seamanship and undisciplined, amateurish command structure rather than the Japanese.
.

And what are you doing to help?
Anything?

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by europaflyer

A joke because, in spite of spending every summer the last ten years steaming round the southern ocean, the Japanese are still able to kill hundreds of whales a year, often in full view of Sea Shepherd vessels. A joke because for all their big talk of being 'pirates' and 'ready to die to save whales' the worst they often do is throw bottles of acid on the decks of the whaling ships, or steer in front of the ships so they can say on camera how they were rammed. A joke because they call themselves environmentalists yet burn thousands of tonnes of fuel a year and regularly dump dozens of bucketfuls of nylon rope in to the relatively unpolluted Antarctic ocean knowing full well that it makes good television but is totally ineffective at entangling the propellors of the whaling ships. A joke because they have proven time and time again that the biggest danger to their lives is their own poor seamanship and undisciplined, amateurish command structure rather than the Japanese.

I would like to believe that I am as strong an environmentalist as anyone on those boats, but I have the sense to realise that the biggest step in stopping Japanese whaling was the ICJ ruling in March of this year, which Japan has agreed to abide by, and which looks set to stop southern ocean whaling for good. If a tenth of the effort which has gone in to Sea Shepherds haphazard 'direct action' over the last decade had gone in to campaigning for this ruling, it could have been made years ago. Of course, it wouldn't have made nearly as good television, or kept Sea Shepherd in funds...

Because of Sea Shepard you/we are even aware of the situation. The Japanese are allowed to harvest whales only for "research..." They have chosen to research the whales by eating them.... I heard recently that that is changing as the International community has (finally) decided that what the Japanese do is a scam. All this is due to Sea Shepard making all aware.... Me? I'd rather they were using torpedoes... but that would be piracy....

[europaflyer]

Originally Posted by Parmenter

And what are you doing to help?
Anything?

Well, my strategy has been to sit on my ar$e waiting for a legal solution to the problem to be found. Thankfully it was a good plan, and saved me a lot of tedious weeks chugging around the southern ocean throwing stink bombs and pretending to be a badass eco warrior.

[Coops]

Originally Posted by europaflyer

Well, my strategy has been to sit on my ar$e waiting for a legal solution to the problem to be found. Thankfully it was a good plan, and saved me a lot of tedious weeks chugging around the southern ocean throwing stink bombs and pretending to be a badass eco warrior.

Now that is funny.

Coops.

[Tellie]

Originally Posted by Coops

Now that is funny.

Coops.

Yes it was.

[Cadence]

It is nice to see a pic of a beautiful vessel turned into so many concerned with environment.

For those not seeing the holes in that Sea Shepherd reality show, I hope you get a chance to watch it.

[Rustic Charm]

Interesting response so far, which was somewhat expected given the topic. Initially it was the vessel I was interested in. Though I suspected the subject would illicit all sorts of emotions. Are we mature enough on this forum to discuss this without the name calling?

Firstly, if anyone knows anything about the vessel, can you post it here. I'm suspecting it was once known under a different name.

Re the value of Sea Shepherd - Someone suggested the the High Court action of Australia recently has done more than Sea Shepherd over a decade. Well, I'm at a loss to understand how anyone could think this. For a start it's taken more than ten years to make that application for what was clearly known to be a commercial operation for the entire time. The Japanese have clearly identified that Sea Shepherds actions have crippled their operations just about every year. Their kill rate has each season been reduced to the mere hundreds and some times even less. I'm really at a loss to understand how anyone can suggest Sea Shepherds actions has not had a significant impact when the Japanese themselves say it has. But will the High Court action result in any change. NO! The Japanese are returning this season intent on ignoring the court decision. So much for that. But it had to be done and Sea Shepherd supported the High Court Challenge and lobbied for years for it to occur. Australia had to move on from John Howard as Prime Minister and the Libs to get this initiated. Unfortunately the Libs are back in power and so anything to do with the welfare of the oceans or the climate will be ignored again. And seriously, Australia with either a Liberal (especially a Liberal) or Labour government will stand by and let it happen in our own protected waters. I hope New Zealand will get involved. I think they are more likely to take action.

Pirates? Seriously? well, all I can only say is look at a definition of 'pirate'.

What are people to do, if governments won't take action? If it wasn't for Sea Shephered, some whales would possibly be extinct by now and others would be critically endangered. If governments won't do anything to a nation blatantly ignoring international law even after the International Court has clearly identified their 'science' as nothing more than 'commercial whaling', then who/what should be done? Sea Shepherd is only enforcing laws that are already in place, but are being ignored by Japanese Government. If Sea Shepherd doesn't do this, then what?

Research - Green Peace is another organisation that for many years has completed genuine scientific research. Anyone who claims they don't have a 'desire' or 'feeling' towards a subject is lying. All true scientists have some sort of 'desire'. Think of those scientists trying to cure/kill cancer. They have a 'desire' to eradicate cancer. In the same context you may say that's a 'bias'. It does not colour their research though. Neither does an organisation who's 'bias' is conservation. Most scientists who do research on the environment, have a bias. They generally all want to see the oceans' cleaned up, fish stocks preserved, the climate saved. This does not mean they can't carry out research without their bias colouring their science. Sea Shepherd has a number of arms, like Green Peace. This one little ship is not part of the whaling disruptions and it's not intended to be. Whether the science it gathers will be legitimate will be determined by it's peers, not by it's anti whaling stance.

Peace now. No name calling. It's not necessary to discuss.

[Rustic Charm]

Originally Posted by europaflyer

Well, my strategy has been to sit on my ar$e waiting for a legal solution to the problem to be found. Thankfully it was a good plan, and saved me a lot of tedious weeks chugging around the southern ocean throwing stink bombs and pretending to be a badass eco warrior.

yes very funny.

But, seriously, what have you been doing? , more to the point what would you have be done?

The High Court action, which took a Labour Government (with Greens presure) to action, and is unlikely with a Liberal Government to do anything when the Japanese willfully ignore this coming season. So, tell me, without the humour , what do you propose?

[Rustic Charm]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

Because of Sea Shepard you/we are even aware of the situation. The Japanese are allowed to harvest whales only for "research..." They have chosen to research the whales by eating them.... I heard recently that that is changing as the International community has (finally) decided that what the Japanese do is a scam. All this is due to Sea Shepard making all aware.... Me? I'd rather they were using torpedoes... but that would be piracy....

Another thing Sea Shepherd has done in relation to Whales and the Japanese is informed the Japanese. Whilst there has been no census done as it's not permitted, social media and news reports seem to indicate many young Japanese were not aware of the scam being done.

Whale meat is being stock piled in great numbers because fewer and fewer japanese will eat it as well. If it was not for huge government financial backing, Whaling in Japan would have ceased many years ago.