Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Back Into The Fray

A Japanese whaling vessel's entry into NZ's 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ) has stirred up the pot.
After Foreign Munster Muzza McCully described the journey as "disappointing" , the Green Party has demanded a strong censure. Spokesman Gareth Hughes said it was "offensive" that whalers were in our waters. He called on the govt to lodge a formal diplomatic protest.
Steve Irwin's captain Siddarth Chakravarty said the whalers were making a mockery of NZ's request to stay out of the EEZ.
Meanwhile, NZ-based spokesman for Japan's Institute of Cetacean Research, Glenn Inwood, said vessels had a right to enter other countries' waters. He says Japanese vessels needed to defend themselves: "It's important the Japanese monitor the group's vessels and whereabouts." "Ginza Glenn" said it was unfortunate that SS was allowed to refuel and resupply in NZ and Oz. If its ships were refused entry, then Japanese vessels were unlikely to need to enter either country's EEZ.
Now that Steve Irwin has refuelled in Dunedin, it's en route to the Southern Ocean again...
Meanwhile, SS claims the Nippon harpooner Yushin Maru No.3 briefly entered the whale sanctuary near Macquarie Island, within Australia's EEZ, while tailing protest ship Bob Barker late last week. If confirmed, the incursion would be a breach of a 2008 Oz court injunction that declared Japan's whaling operation to be in violation of Oz law. But as history shows, Japan doesn't give a f***.
Yushin Maru blocks Bob Barker from tailing factory ship Nisshin Maru:
Southern Ocean, Feb.10, 2014
Update: 11 Feb.2014 - PM John Key is now demanding an apology from Japan.

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