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Sea Shepherd undeterred by US court order

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Sea Shepherd undeterred by US court order

3News NZ

Marine conservationist and Sea Shepherd founder Paul Watson (Reuters)

Marine conservationist and Sea Shepherd founder Paul Watson (Reuters)

By Patrick Caruana and Sarah Malik

Conservation activist Paul Watson says a US court injunction ordering his Sea Shepherd group to keep away from the Japanese whaling fleet will not deter its Southern Ocean campaign.

A US appeals court this week issued an injunction ordering Sea Shepherd and Mr Watson not to physically attack or endanger the whaling ships, and to remain at least 450 metres from them at all times.

The order was sought by the Institute of Cetacean Research (ICR), which undertakes the Japanese government's whaling program through a loophole in International Whaling Commission rules that allows whales to be killed for research.

The ICR has welcomed the injunction, saying Sea Shepherd has engaged in "violent and unlawful attacks".

Mr Watson, the head of the anti-whaling group who is aboard the vessel Steve Irwin, said Sea Shepherd was confused by the decision, but steadfast in its resolve.

"We are 100 per cent committed to saving whales down here, that's why we're calling it Operation Zero Tolerance," he told NZ Newswire on Wednesday.

"This campaign requires courage, passion and imagination - now it's time to throw some imagination into it."

He said the Japanese had engaged in aggressive acts against his group without being held to account.

Lawyers for Sea Shepherd would look at options to appeal the injunction, Mr Watson said.

Australian National University international law Professor Donald Rothwell said the order would be almost impossible to enforce, but could create problems for Sea Shepherd in the future.

"Because Sea Shepherd is a registered company in the United States and has its headquarters in the state of Washington, Sea Shepherd would be subject to consequences under US law if it failed to abide by the injunction," he told AAP on Wednesday.

"Paul Watson does hold a US passport and could be held in contempt of court and arrested in the United States."

NZN

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Comments

24/12/2012 5:30:16 p.m.

Paul Alexander wrote:

To LB from a Kiwi, Australia and NZ stopped whaling during the 50's as the whales were being wiped out along the Fiji to Antarctic migration routes. The whale stocks ran out with the aid of the Russian Mother ships and others from the North whaling in these waters. My uncle, Dr William Dawbin,(Google this name) was with the NZ whalers, as a student, studying whales that NZ whalers caught going through or near the "Cook Straight", between our North and South Islands, until their decline and the eventual closing down of the Tory Channel and other whaling stations in NZ and Australia. Later he also went to the International Whaling Commission meetings around the world trying to stop the Killing providing evidence of the depletion of the stock in this area. The stock has never recovered. I met one of the remaining whalers last year. Strangely enough he and others are now into the conservation of whales and support our Department of Conservation doing non lethal head counts of any whales that pass though the Cook Straight from a new lookout above that route. They learned from their past that the whales "would not survive". Tuna being fished out and stocked in Freezers to push the price up. $$$$$$ Whale meat doing the same but no buyers yet. When the whales go, along with all the rest that is being plundered and dumped in the sea, what chance is there for our survival?

20/12/2012 12:25:54 p.m.

LB wrote:

James, I noticed i made a typo in my comment so i will make my point clearer. There have been several articles on this website regarding whaling in Europe. Most if not all didnt even get comments however when ever there are articles about Japanese and whaling there tonnes of comments. Most of which are racist rants (good to see so far none in this one). So my point is why do kiwis make a huge deal about Japanese whaling but never comment on Europeans whaling? they kill more whales than the Japanese.

20/12/2012 8:55:57 a.m.

Mike wrote:

Watson never follows the law as he is an eco terrorist.

Watson previously claims to have sunk 9 fishing vessels, and with Sea Shepperds instruction to sink their own Adi Gil, that makes 10!

Remember the stink over the french sinking one little boat, well multiply that by 10, and thats how much stink Watson should be in. But because he is a eco terrorist himself, so many consider it okay but if another country sunk as many boats they would be complaining for centuries.

20/12/2012 8:19:01 a.m.

james wrote:

Wrong LB! the way modern day "vikings" kill whales is far more digusting. AWW but theyve been doing it for 1000s of years. . . . no, no they havent been chuging around in MOTOR boats for thousands of years, thats just a flat out lie. Whaling hasnt been done for very long at all and never in the ways we do today! Noboby needs to listen to america anymore, they are full of lies!! After decades of the war on cannabis now the capatle state of america has legalised, and they give no explanation, and they will never admit they were lying the hole time? DO NOT LISTEN TO AMERICA!

20/12/2012 7:41:33 a.m.

Lynne Koenigsberg wrote:

"A US appeals court this week issued an injunction ordering Sea Shepherd and Mr Watson not to physically attack or endanger the whaling ships, and to remain at least 450 metres from them at all times. The order was sought by the Institute of Cetacean Research (ICR), which undertakes the Japanese government's whaling program through a loophole in International Whaling Commission rules that allows whales to be killed for research." ~ What's in it for the ICR? Research... there are plenty of sick and dying cetaceans washing up on our shores!! If Paul Watson is arrested for anything in the US there will be a major uprise of angry activists. ICR, who's lining your pockets?!

20/12/2012 7:04:43 a.m.

LB wrote:

Its funny how when its the Japanese you guys get up in arms but its Europeans(who do the same thing as Taiji) there is never any comments interesting huh?

20/12/2012 5:03:01 a.m.

stopthegreed wrote:

The ships arnt registered in the US. Most of the crew arnt from the US. And the US doesn't have any legal rite in international waters to tell anyone anything. How about telling the dirty Japanese Whaling fleet to go home and stop poaching if your going to mouth off. The US judge is obviously two faced and taking bribes from the Whaling industry.

19/12/2012 11:40:29 p.m.

Teresa Mérida wrote:

I don't think if fair because I see this as poachers of the sea. If Hillary Clinton is pushing for the whole world to stop poaching this and Taiji cove should be included. The land, oceans and sea animals that are getting killed senselessly is poaching anyway you see it.

19/12/2012 9:43:21 p.m.

S. Moore wrote:

We really need someone whose got the knowledge to do it to start petitions online to get this injunctionifted! lifted. Please someone that can find out all the information ad to where it needs to go to do this! I am unable due to disability. Support the Sea Shepherds please!!!! They ate doing our planet a great service! Thank you!!

19/12/2012 6:35:36 p.m.

Ryohei Uchida wrote:

Not quite sure what "Operation Zero Tolerance" is going to entail seeing as Sea Shepherd is legally prohibited from doing anything. Perhaps they could get in touch with Greenpeace and ask to borrow their signs? Although, they'll be holding them up so far away from the Japanese ships that no one will be able to read them... shame.