I've lost count. Last week Japan's Institute of Cetacean Research (ICR) bleated yet again about an outrageous and highly dangerous attack by those evil eco-terrorists, Sea Shepherd, down in the Southern Ocean. Usual life-threatening stuff: paint pellets, stink bombs and smoke flares - naturally all designed to sink the whaling vessels. Yea, right.
That latest incident brought to nine...or is it 10?...the number of attacks SS has launched against Japanese whaling ships this year, none of which has caused major injuries to Japanese crew. But like I say, I've lost count.I've also lost count of the number of times nasty Nippon whalers have made incursions into Australian waters - despite an Oz federal government demand that they steer clear. They've been closely dogging SS ships, which deliberately led them into Australian waters last weekend, in hopes of shaking their tail and freeing them to go hunt the Nisshin Maru factory ship...
But SS's helicopter found harpoon ship Yushin Maru 3 was 11.2nm off the E shore of sub-Antarctic Macquarie Island, and security ship Shonan Maru 2 was 14nm off the W side.
Attorney-General Nicola Roxon and Environment Minister Tony Burke bluntly warned the Japanese govt against allowing its whaling fleet to enter the Oz exclusive economic zone (EEZ) at Macquarie. They said the government strongly objected to whaling vessels either passing through the 200-nautical-mile zone, or the 12-mile limit of
Australian territorial seas.SS's Paul Watson: "I don't think they take the Australian government too seriously." Ya think...?
This disregard for Oz demands seems to be the norm for the whalers this year...but then, as I've blogged before, quite frankly, what's the Australian govt doing about it? If it won't actively police its waters (whether or not it supports SS's activities), then it's merely crying over spilt milk...and I've lost count of that too.
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