Red herrings allow protest group to target Japan's whaling

[frigidmagi]

the age

SEA SHEPHERD activists have bought a $2 million Japanese government ship to turn against its whalers.
The 56-metre ship was purchased through a disguised US company from its berth next to the whaling fleet in Japan, the activists said.

Renamed New Atlantis and registered in Tuvalu, it was delivered by an unwitting Japanese crew to north Queensland, where they thought it was to be converted into a pleasure craft.

Throughout the sale, the Japanese government was unaware that it was doing business with Sea Shepherd, skipper Locky McLean said on Monday. ''They'll probably be a bit peeved,'' Mr McLean said.

Following a refit, the ship was reflagged to Australia and it is due in Hobart on Tuesday for unveiling ahead of the summer's Antarctic conflict, where the hardline activists will make their strongest bid yet to disrupt the whaling season.

Its New Atlantis disguise has been dropped and the vessel named Sam Simon, after the American founding producer of The Simpsons, an animal welfare advocate who donated its purchase price.

Built as Seifu Maru in 1993 by IHI shipyard in Tokyo, the ice-strengthened vessel was operated by Japan Meteorological Agency's Maizuru observatory before being laid up in 2010 alongside the whaling fleet in Shimonoseki.

''We first came upon it June, and began negotiations in July,'' Mr McLean said. ''We set up a company called New Atlantis, in Wilmington, Delaware, which was wholly owned and controlled by Sea Shepherd. We told the Japanese it was to be converted into a private yacht.''

A Korean ship's surveyor was contracted to inspect the vessel, also without knowing he was acting for the group.
''The Japanese did a great job of building this ship,'' Mr McLean said. ''And they maintained it like new.''

After purchase, the delivery crew sailed the ship to Cairns in September, and from there it was transferred to Brisbane, where it was dry-docked and $500,000 was spent to increase the ship's speed and range.

Sea Shepherd also painted a further taunt on Sam Simon's side: the word ''RESEARCH'', in imitation of the whaling ships that bear the same word, but whose science is hotly disputed.

The group's leader, Paul Watson, said the fourth ship in the group's flotilla would be able to match the key factory ship Nisshin Maru for speed and ability to enter the pack-ice zone.

''It's also got the psychological impact for the whalers of seeing one of their own against them,'' Mr Watson said.
He said the whaling fleet had left Japan within the last two days and was likely to reach the Antarctic for a reduced season around the end of the month.

Comment was sought from the Japanese government.

[Josh]

Fuck Sea Shepherd and fuck that pompous windbag Watson. It's a miracle that incompetent fuckwit hasn't gotten anybody killed down there. The irony of it is that their moronic TV show has done more damage to their cause than anything else in several decades.

[Norseman]

Fuck Sea Shepherd and fuck that pompous windbag Watson. It's a miracle that incompetent fuckwit hasn't gotten anybody killed down there. The irony of it is that their moronic TV show has done more damage to their cause than anything else in several decades.

This is the man who says he can't go to Norway to stand trial, because he'd never be able to survive in a Norwegian prison. Meanwhile Anders Behring Breivik seems to manage just fine.

[Josh]

Fuck Sea Shepherd and fuck that pompous windbag Watson. It's a miracle that incompetent fuckwit hasn't gotten anybody killed down there. The irony of it is that their moronic TV show has done more damage to their cause than anything else in several decades.

This is the man who says he can't go to Norway to stand trial, because he'd never be able to survive in a Norwegian prison. Meanwhile Anders Behring Breivik seems to manage just fine.

Dude's a low-rent L. Ron Hubbard out there living his pirate fantasy.

[General Havoc]

I have to admit that I didn't expect to walk into this thread and agree with someone...