As mentioned in last night's blog, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society had located the Japanese Whaling Fleet and effectively put them on the run. Over the last 24 hours there have been some changes in what is going on in the Southern Ocean. First, the Bob Barker is no longer tailing the Nisshan Maru, the factory ship. Currently the Bob Barker is being tailed in Australia Territorial Waters by the Shonan Maru No.2, which contains armed guards. The Government of Australia has ordered the Shonan Maru No.2 out of Australian waters, an order that so far has been heeded by the Shonan Maru No.2. Elsewhere, the Sea Shepherd vessel Steve Irwin is currently being tailed by the Yushin Maru No.1. The Brigitte Bardot continues to chase the Yushin Maru No.3 some 300 miles away. Sea Shepherd's newest vessel, the Sam Simon is currently chasing down both the Nisshan Maru and the Yushin Maru No.2. Both Japanese vessels appear to be on the run from the Sam Simon. This means that each and every vessel of the Japanese Whaling Fleet is not hunting whales.
Australia continues to bark and bark at Japan to stop whaling in the Southern Ocean, but as expected, Japan has yet to do so. If things continue going the way they are, the Japanese Whaling Fleet will financially be destroyed. Sea Shepherd is performing the justice on the high seas that the nation of Australia has yet to do. Last year, the Japanese Government poured millions of dollars into security of the whaling fleet from the tsunami relief fund and the end result was Sea Shepherd cutting their kills down to a mere 25% of their quota. It is clear that the never quit attitude of the Japanese Government is willing to continue a fight that is all but lost. Every year, the whaling fleet is losing millions upon millions of dollars and even the ICR (Institute for Cetacean Research) wanted to call off the hunt for this year, but the Japanese Government forced it to continue. Morale has to be at an all time low for the whaling fleet. Morale has to be at an all time high for Sea Shepherd. So far no blood has been spilled. No harpoons fired. No whales killed. Hopefully Sea Shepherd will continue to keep it that way. For more information and updates visit www.seashepherd.org.au
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
The Sad Truth About Shark Protection
Greetings once again to all. As you might have guessed, tonight's blog will focus largely on sharks. At the end though I will do an update on Sea Shepherd's Operation No Compromise as big news on that broke yesterday and very early this morning.
Throughout the world sharks are getting more and more protection. The world now sees more shark sanctuaries in it now than it ever has before. There are bills going through state governments seeking a ban of the sale of shark fin soup. Entire countries have began to weed the soup out and thus the demand for shark fin soup has, very slowly mind you, slowed down. I am not ready to say that the demand has decreased by a large number, but it is a start. Last year, several hotels in Beijing stopped serving shark fin soup. The fact that any location in China was willing to do this is a step forward. Taiwan has seen itself become the first nation is Asia to ban shark finning. That is a good step forward. All of these are great things, however the numbers are still horrendous. Over 70 million sharks are finned every year. Some estimates of sharks finned exceed 100 million. That means possibly over 100 million sharks are killed every year as no shark that is finned can survive. Part of the problem right now is implementation of the laws and bans on shark finning. Simply put, the Ocean is a massive, massive place. Shark finning has been illegal in the United States for quite a while, yet every year sharks wash up or are found with their fins cut off. In Mozambique, Africa, where white shark protection is supposed to be very strict, this happens...
What you have in this photo is some locals who caught a immature female white shark and are in the process of finning it. Note that this took place right on the beach, not on a boat somewhere offshore. Now I am not going to go off a crazy rant about how law enforcement needs to find these guys, shoot them all, and throw them into the Ocean. Frankly, I have no idea how they were able to do this in daylight on a beach and not get caught. The point in me sharing this photo right now is to get the point across that just because sharks have protection in places, it doesn't mean they are 100% protected. Sharks are taken out of designated shark sanctuaries as well and meet the same fate as this young white did. Always remember, poachers are no different on the Ocean than they are in the jungle hunting tigers. As amazing as it is to see so many nations stepping up their game in regards to shark protection, the sad truth is that the number of sharks being killed is really not moving much as a result of these protections. Over 70 million killed every years is still way too high of a number for a slow reproducing animal like a shark to survive for very long.
With the demand of shark fin soup being so high, it really makes one wonder, well how much is a shark worth if it's fins can make a bowl of soup that sells for over $100 USD? The answer is next to nothing. Shark fins are very valuable, however shark meat is not, which is why nearly all sharks that are finned are tossed back into the Ocean. So with that being said... Here is some interesting numbers... This shark...
The grey reef shark is worth about $100 dead (largely fins). This same shark, if left alive, can make the tourism industry 1.9 million dollars alone in one year!!!! That is a huge chunk of change compared to how much this shark is worth dead. So what I am getting at here is that financially, sharks are worth more alive than dead, it's as simple as that. Many nations are seeing this and are trying to protect them the best they can. Again, the Ocean is a massive place and many small nations, and larger ones for that matter, simply cannot enforce the laws all that well. Thus the focus remains on China. If China were to ever do something about shark finning, the shark fin trade would fall apart. It sounds highly improbable, but things are starting to move in China and even the Chinese Government is starting to see the dangers that shark fin soup cause. Education is the greatest weapon we have. I've been typing blogs on sharks now for quite some time and that is the main point I've always made. So if someone has an answer to this question, please explain. The entire world can gain so much economically from sharks over a long, long time of tourism. Sure, shark fin soup can make a lot of money, but only for a short time. Once these animals are gone, the world will have to deal with the collapse of shark tourism, shark fishing, the Oceanic food chain, and inevitably, the land food chain as well. It is up to the common people to do their part as well. Governments can only do so much. The more people who see acts such as finning a white shark on the beach and report it, the stronger the protection is. The less people report these actions, the more people are going to think they can get away with it. Again, education is key!
Onto topic number 2. As depressing as the above topic was and as sad as that picture of the white shark being finned is, there is some good news from the bottom of the world. Shortly after midnight last night, Sea Shepherd located the factory ship of the Japanese Whaling Fleet. The Bob Barker is pursuing the Nisshan Maru and just 2 miles behind her is the Japanese Security ship Shonan Maru No.2. Elsewhere, the speed ship Brigitte Bardot intercepted one of the Japanese harpoon vessels, the Yushin Maru No.3.
Photo: Sea Shepherd
So far the Bardot has chased the Yushin some 400 miles from where she originally intercepted her. Sea Shepherd, for the first time was able to catch the whaling fleet before a single harpoon was fired. Meaning, not one whale has been killed in the Southern Ocean so far. All four Sea Shepherd vessels have enough fuel to last until the end of the whaling season. This means that Sea Shepherd will continue to pursue and disrupt the illegal whaling activities until they return to Japan.The first victory of the Whale Wars of 2013 goes to Sea Shepherd! February 1st will mark a blood free January, the month in which is usually the peak of the whaling season!
Throughout the world sharks are getting more and more protection. The world now sees more shark sanctuaries in it now than it ever has before. There are bills going through state governments seeking a ban of the sale of shark fin soup. Entire countries have began to weed the soup out and thus the demand for shark fin soup has, very slowly mind you, slowed down. I am not ready to say that the demand has decreased by a large number, but it is a start. Last year, several hotels in Beijing stopped serving shark fin soup. The fact that any location in China was willing to do this is a step forward. Taiwan has seen itself become the first nation is Asia to ban shark finning. That is a good step forward. All of these are great things, however the numbers are still horrendous. Over 70 million sharks are finned every year. Some estimates of sharks finned exceed 100 million. That means possibly over 100 million sharks are killed every year as no shark that is finned can survive. Part of the problem right now is implementation of the laws and bans on shark finning. Simply put, the Ocean is a massive, massive place. Shark finning has been illegal in the United States for quite a while, yet every year sharks wash up or are found with their fins cut off. In Mozambique, Africa, where white shark protection is supposed to be very strict, this happens...
What you have in this photo is some locals who caught a immature female white shark and are in the process of finning it. Note that this took place right on the beach, not on a boat somewhere offshore. Now I am not going to go off a crazy rant about how law enforcement needs to find these guys, shoot them all, and throw them into the Ocean. Frankly, I have no idea how they were able to do this in daylight on a beach and not get caught. The point in me sharing this photo right now is to get the point across that just because sharks have protection in places, it doesn't mean they are 100% protected. Sharks are taken out of designated shark sanctuaries as well and meet the same fate as this young white did. Always remember, poachers are no different on the Ocean than they are in the jungle hunting tigers. As amazing as it is to see so many nations stepping up their game in regards to shark protection, the sad truth is that the number of sharks being killed is really not moving much as a result of these protections. Over 70 million killed every years is still way too high of a number for a slow reproducing animal like a shark to survive for very long.
With the demand of shark fin soup being so high, it really makes one wonder, well how much is a shark worth if it's fins can make a bowl of soup that sells for over $100 USD? The answer is next to nothing. Shark fins are very valuable, however shark meat is not, which is why nearly all sharks that are finned are tossed back into the Ocean. So with that being said... Here is some interesting numbers... This shark...
The grey reef shark is worth about $100 dead (largely fins). This same shark, if left alive, can make the tourism industry 1.9 million dollars alone in one year!!!! That is a huge chunk of change compared to how much this shark is worth dead. So what I am getting at here is that financially, sharks are worth more alive than dead, it's as simple as that. Many nations are seeing this and are trying to protect them the best they can. Again, the Ocean is a massive place and many small nations, and larger ones for that matter, simply cannot enforce the laws all that well. Thus the focus remains on China. If China were to ever do something about shark finning, the shark fin trade would fall apart. It sounds highly improbable, but things are starting to move in China and even the Chinese Government is starting to see the dangers that shark fin soup cause. Education is the greatest weapon we have. I've been typing blogs on sharks now for quite some time and that is the main point I've always made. So if someone has an answer to this question, please explain. The entire world can gain so much economically from sharks over a long, long time of tourism. Sure, shark fin soup can make a lot of money, but only for a short time. Once these animals are gone, the world will have to deal with the collapse of shark tourism, shark fishing, the Oceanic food chain, and inevitably, the land food chain as well. It is up to the common people to do their part as well. Governments can only do so much. The more people who see acts such as finning a white shark on the beach and report it, the stronger the protection is. The less people report these actions, the more people are going to think they can get away with it. Again, education is key!
Onto topic number 2. As depressing as the above topic was and as sad as that picture of the white shark being finned is, there is some good news from the bottom of the world. Shortly after midnight last night, Sea Shepherd located the factory ship of the Japanese Whaling Fleet. The Bob Barker is pursuing the Nisshan Maru and just 2 miles behind her is the Japanese Security ship Shonan Maru No.2. Elsewhere, the speed ship Brigitte Bardot intercepted one of the Japanese harpoon vessels, the Yushin Maru No.3.
Photo: Sea Shepherd
So far the Bardot has chased the Yushin some 400 miles from where she originally intercepted her. Sea Shepherd, for the first time was able to catch the whaling fleet before a single harpoon was fired. Meaning, not one whale has been killed in the Southern Ocean so far. All four Sea Shepherd vessels have enough fuel to last until the end of the whaling season. This means that Sea Shepherd will continue to pursue and disrupt the illegal whaling activities until they return to Japan.The first victory of the Whale Wars of 2013 goes to Sea Shepherd! February 1st will mark a blood free January, the month in which is usually the peak of the whaling season!
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Dolphinariums and the Taiji Slaughter
The horrific slaughter of dolphins in Taiji continues to disturb the world. Despite being under constant watch by the Cove Guardians, the dolphin hunters and marine parks continue to essentially rape the Ocean of any dolphins that swim near the coast of Taiji. That is about the extent of the news from Taiji. More and more dolphins are being slaughtered or shipped off to dolphinariums around the world. One famous marine facility, Sea World has labeled the Taiji dolphin slaughter as 'horrible'. Sea World no longer imports their dolphins from Taiji. The reason is that they have no interest anymore in importing dolphins from Taiji. In reality though, the reason is that Six Flags Discovery Kingdom wanted to acquire dolphins from Taiji in 1993. It was ruled that Discovery Kingdom could not import the dolphins as a result of the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Since then NO dolphin has been brought into the US from Taiji. This map shows a good look into how the Taiji dolphin slaughter works.
Photo: Sea Shepherd Conservation Society
When push comes to shove, Sea World could lead the way in seeing this horrific slaughter come to an end. However they have done nothing. Since they have stopped purchasing from Taiji, they have taken a stance that makes little sense.The company has done nothing to try to convince other facilities from purchasing from Taiji. Sea World believes that no matter what happens, the slaughter will continue, so the dolphinariums are saving the lives of the dolphins they bring in. The numbers however tell a different story. Financially, the vast majority of the money that the dolphin hunters get is from dolphinariums who purchase the dolphins. Dolphin meat sells for a low price. I do not have the exact numbers, but without the dolphin trade, this industry would be about as worthless as the whaling industry. I do know that a dolphin can sell in Taiji for tens of thousands of dollars. Saying this slaughter would continue without people purchasing dolphins is simply not a true statement. Sea World, the leading facility for seeing marine mammals in captivity, has all of the tools and global influence to really make a push to see this horrific slaughter end. I fully understand that dolphinariums can be amazing educational facilities for anyone interested in dolphins. The dolphins there are certainly ambassadors to their species, but at the same time, the way in which many of these dolphins are obtained are inhumane and frankly brutal. Take a look again at the above map. Two big names stand out. Sea World and Georgia Aquarium. I would love nothing more than to see one of these places step up and fight for these dolphins. I understand how big of an industry the captive dolphin industry is. I understand how good of a thing it can be. It goes horribly wrong though when it winds up supporting such senseless slaughter and hatred. It is the smaller dolphin parks that continue to buy from Taiji. It should be the job of places like Sea World and Georgia Aquarium to educate the smaller facilities on more sustainable and more humane means of bringing dolphins into captivity if it is needed.
Photo: Sea Shepherd Conservation Society
When push comes to shove, Sea World could lead the way in seeing this horrific slaughter come to an end. However they have done nothing. Since they have stopped purchasing from Taiji, they have taken a stance that makes little sense.The company has done nothing to try to convince other facilities from purchasing from Taiji. Sea World believes that no matter what happens, the slaughter will continue, so the dolphinariums are saving the lives of the dolphins they bring in. The numbers however tell a different story. Financially, the vast majority of the money that the dolphin hunters get is from dolphinariums who purchase the dolphins. Dolphin meat sells for a low price. I do not have the exact numbers, but without the dolphin trade, this industry would be about as worthless as the whaling industry. I do know that a dolphin can sell in Taiji for tens of thousands of dollars. Saying this slaughter would continue without people purchasing dolphins is simply not a true statement. Sea World, the leading facility for seeing marine mammals in captivity, has all of the tools and global influence to really make a push to see this horrific slaughter end. I fully understand that dolphinariums can be amazing educational facilities for anyone interested in dolphins. The dolphins there are certainly ambassadors to their species, but at the same time, the way in which many of these dolphins are obtained are inhumane and frankly brutal. Take a look again at the above map. Two big names stand out. Sea World and Georgia Aquarium. I would love nothing more than to see one of these places step up and fight for these dolphins. I understand how big of an industry the captive dolphin industry is. I understand how good of a thing it can be. It goes horribly wrong though when it winds up supporting such senseless slaughter and hatred. It is the smaller dolphin parks that continue to buy from Taiji. It should be the job of places like Sea World and Georgia Aquarium to educate the smaller facilities on more sustainable and more humane means of bringing dolphins into captivity if it is needed.
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Tale of Happiness and Confusion/Tale of Hatred
I apologize if the title of this blog seems to be a little odd. I promise by the end of it you will understand the title much better. So the premises of this blog is two stories that have come out over the past few days. One of these stories has a happy ending, but at the same time sends a confusing message. The second story is simply horrific, sad, and flat out disgusting. So here we go...
There was a pod of orcas that had somehow managed to get themselves trapped in ice in Canada. The pod of orcas were stuck under a sheet of ice that had a hole that was roughly the size of a truck.
Photo by: Marina Lacasse
The winds shifted and with it, the ice. This allowed the orcas to escape yesterday! The news of these trapped marine mammals made headlines worldwide and many rescue operations were being prepared to get underway. The fact that these animals got away and that so many people were ready to risk their own lives to save these orcas is truly an amazing thing. The orcas have not been seen and it is thought that they are trying to make their way to where they should be, roughly 621 miles from the ice in Hudson Bay. It appears that there is a happy ending to this story. Now though comes the confusing part. On the opposite side of the world in the Southern Ocean, Japan has sent it's whaling fleet to poach the sea of whales. They do this every year and outside of Australia, no nation really responds to it. No headlines are made by it, unless a major clash between the whalers and Sea Shepherd Conservation Society takes place. People just seem to have the attitude of that's just the way it is. The orcas that were trapped in the ice were trapped by nature. Ice moves all the time and it is simply a part of nature. Yet people are so quick to fight nature and try to save these orcas. So with that being said. Why are so few people willing to do the same thing for animals being threatened by humans. What's the difference between an animal being caught in ice and freezing as they have done for million of years and an animal getting an explosive harpoon driven into their backs and shot with a shot gun until dead? Why is the latter so much more accepted than the prior? That is what I am so confused about. Yes it is great that so many people were willing to help this pod of orcas, but why are those same people so quiet on hundreds of whales being slaughtered for money? This is something new, but if you have you're own theory on that please do me a favor and say what it is in the comments section. I'd love to hear some opinions on the matter cause for the life of me I cannot figure why...
This is not okay...
Photo by: Marina Lacasse
Yet this is acceptable...
Now for a truly sad and terrible story out of the shark hatred capital of the world, Australia. Fisherman have caught a massive tiger shark just a short distance from the beach in Queensland's Sunshine Coast. The 1102 pound shark was killed because it was simply too risky to let go... What makes matters even worse was that this shark was a pregnant female tiger shark. Yes you read that right, the shark was pregnant.
Why is this allowed to exist? Why is crap like this perfectly okay in Australia. The Australian government has such a fear of sharks that it seems any and all are to be killed if caught. Tiger sharks are very slow at reproduction, there's a chance that this massive girl may have never had pups before. It's just nature's way of controlling shark populations. This shark was not bothering any swimmers in the area. It was not going around eating small children, although given it's size it would not take much. It was not chasing people out of the water. Despite all of that, it was too risky to let it go? That just doesn't add up to me at all. There have been increased shark sighting near the coast, but wouldn't you know it, shark attacks really have not increased at all. The sharks are coming closer to shore because there is less and less fish offshore. So sadly this animal and her unborn baby had to die for literally no reason.
So there you have it. One incredibly sad story driven by sheer hatred for sharks and another that has a happy ending, but a very confusing message...
There was a pod of orcas that had somehow managed to get themselves trapped in ice in Canada. The pod of orcas were stuck under a sheet of ice that had a hole that was roughly the size of a truck.
Photo by: Marina Lacasse
The winds shifted and with it, the ice. This allowed the orcas to escape yesterday! The news of these trapped marine mammals made headlines worldwide and many rescue operations were being prepared to get underway. The fact that these animals got away and that so many people were ready to risk their own lives to save these orcas is truly an amazing thing. The orcas have not been seen and it is thought that they are trying to make their way to where they should be, roughly 621 miles from the ice in Hudson Bay. It appears that there is a happy ending to this story. Now though comes the confusing part. On the opposite side of the world in the Southern Ocean, Japan has sent it's whaling fleet to poach the sea of whales. They do this every year and outside of Australia, no nation really responds to it. No headlines are made by it, unless a major clash between the whalers and Sea Shepherd Conservation Society takes place. People just seem to have the attitude of that's just the way it is. The orcas that were trapped in the ice were trapped by nature. Ice moves all the time and it is simply a part of nature. Yet people are so quick to fight nature and try to save these orcas. So with that being said. Why are so few people willing to do the same thing for animals being threatened by humans. What's the difference between an animal being caught in ice and freezing as they have done for million of years and an animal getting an explosive harpoon driven into their backs and shot with a shot gun until dead? Why is the latter so much more accepted than the prior? That is what I am so confused about. Yes it is great that so many people were willing to help this pod of orcas, but why are those same people so quiet on hundreds of whales being slaughtered for money? This is something new, but if you have you're own theory on that please do me a favor and say what it is in the comments section. I'd love to hear some opinions on the matter cause for the life of me I cannot figure why...
This is not okay...
Photo by: Marina Lacasse
Yet this is acceptable...
Now for a truly sad and terrible story out of the shark hatred capital of the world, Australia. Fisherman have caught a massive tiger shark just a short distance from the beach in Queensland's Sunshine Coast. The 1102 pound shark was killed because it was simply too risky to let go... What makes matters even worse was that this shark was a pregnant female tiger shark. Yes you read that right, the shark was pregnant.
Why is this allowed to exist? Why is crap like this perfectly okay in Australia. The Australian government has such a fear of sharks that it seems any and all are to be killed if caught. Tiger sharks are very slow at reproduction, there's a chance that this massive girl may have never had pups before. It's just nature's way of controlling shark populations. This shark was not bothering any swimmers in the area. It was not going around eating small children, although given it's size it would not take much. It was not chasing people out of the water. Despite all of that, it was too risky to let it go? That just doesn't add up to me at all. There have been increased shark sighting near the coast, but wouldn't you know it, shark attacks really have not increased at all. The sharks are coming closer to shore because there is less and less fish offshore. So sadly this animal and her unborn baby had to die for literally no reason.
So there you have it. One incredibly sad story driven by sheer hatred for sharks and another that has a happy ending, but a very confusing message...
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Operation Sadistic Truths Update
Greetings everyone, here we are closing in on mid January. Operations Sadistic Truths has been underway since September and I have done 15 blogs in that time. Honestly, that is nowhere near the number of blogs I wanted to do for the first half of this campaign, but thanks to Hurricane Sandy making November seem like a blur, it is what it is. So far this campaign I feel has covered things just the way I had hoped. There has been a good amount of information on the current plights of dolphins, whales, and sharks. Again, I would like to thank each of you who read these blogs. I don't know who most of you are, but the fact that I can look at the number of hits this blog gets and can see a slow increase shows that someone is reading. I'm not going to sit here and preach about how one person really can make a difference and cause a chain reaction, etc. etc.
So what's left for Operation Sadistic Truths? Expect to see an increased number of blogs for here on in for a few reasons. The first of which is that the Japanese Whaling Fleet is on it's way to the Southern Ocean to once again slaughter whales. Expect to see quite a few whale blogs showing up through March. On the dolphin front, expect to see more of what you have seen already. Things have not changed at all in Taiji. The Japanese continue to slaughter and enslave dolphins. They continue to do this despite the world looking down on them about it. Again, expect to see more heartbreaking blogs about dolphins as there is only one way to deal with what is going on in Taiji, spreading awareness. On the shark front, big news can occur at any given moment. The fight to save sharks is still gaining momentum and more people are starting to understand just how needed sharks are in the world. You may recall my most recent blog also involved manta rays, but they are not a major part of Operation Sadistic Truths and might not be mentioned again in this campaign, but if any kind of major news comes about them I will be sure to comment on it and bring it to you. So in the simplest words I can think of. Expect to see a lot of whale blogs in the near future with embedded shark and dolphin blogs.
There are just a couple of quick things I want to touch on before closing out this blog.
Back on September 24, 2012 I did a blog on the proposed seismic testing off the coast of California. To this point, the tests have not occurred as the California Coastal Commission had shot the proposal down. In fact, news broke about a day ago that the plan was once again shot down and now PG&E will seek an alternative way to map out Diablo Canyon. This will save countless numbers of marine animals as well as the coast of California around Diablo Canyon that would probably have been severely damaged.
On September 14th, 2012 I did a blog on the world's largest humpback whale nursery being possibly turned into a gas rig. As it stands now, the Western Australia Government has given the green light to begin the process of building that rig. The Wilderness Society is taking legal action in an attempt to save the sanctuary. If anything comes of this legal challenge I will let you all know as soon as I read something about it. If this is the last you see of this issue on this blog, than take it as the world's largest humpback whale sanctuary is lost.
So now that those two things are caught up with. Thanks for reading! We are at the halfway point of Operation Sadistic Truths!
So what's left for Operation Sadistic Truths? Expect to see an increased number of blogs for here on in for a few reasons. The first of which is that the Japanese Whaling Fleet is on it's way to the Southern Ocean to once again slaughter whales. Expect to see quite a few whale blogs showing up through March. On the dolphin front, expect to see more of what you have seen already. Things have not changed at all in Taiji. The Japanese continue to slaughter and enslave dolphins. They continue to do this despite the world looking down on them about it. Again, expect to see more heartbreaking blogs about dolphins as there is only one way to deal with what is going on in Taiji, spreading awareness. On the shark front, big news can occur at any given moment. The fight to save sharks is still gaining momentum and more people are starting to understand just how needed sharks are in the world. You may recall my most recent blog also involved manta rays, but they are not a major part of Operation Sadistic Truths and might not be mentioned again in this campaign, but if any kind of major news comes about them I will be sure to comment on it and bring it to you. So in the simplest words I can think of. Expect to see a lot of whale blogs in the near future with embedded shark and dolphin blogs.
There are just a couple of quick things I want to touch on before closing out this blog.
Back on September 24, 2012 I did a blog on the proposed seismic testing off the coast of California. To this point, the tests have not occurred as the California Coastal Commission had shot the proposal down. In fact, news broke about a day ago that the plan was once again shot down and now PG&E will seek an alternative way to map out Diablo Canyon. This will save countless numbers of marine animals as well as the coast of California around Diablo Canyon that would probably have been severely damaged.
On September 14th, 2012 I did a blog on the world's largest humpback whale nursery being possibly turned into a gas rig. As it stands now, the Western Australia Government has given the green light to begin the process of building that rig. The Wilderness Society is taking legal action in an attempt to save the sanctuary. If anything comes of this legal challenge I will let you all know as soon as I read something about it. If this is the last you see of this issue on this blog, than take it as the world's largest humpback whale sanctuary is lost.
So now that those two things are caught up with. Thanks for reading! We are at the halfway point of Operation Sadistic Truths!
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Three Horrific Images to Start 2013
I was trying to find a way to incorporate a few different current events into this blog in a way that they would blend together. Well I figured out how to do that and what I wound up looking at is a rather sad blog to start off the new year. So before I get started, let me warn you that the three images that I'll be looking at and reflecting upon are disturbing and very sad. The first image is just ahead...
Upon first look, this just looks like a rooftop colored to look like a cow or something. Upon further inspection and a tad bit of research the image is much different. Ladies and gentlemen, what you are looking at right now is a rooftop in Hong Kong that had over 10,000 shark fins drying on it. Yes, each and every one of those black and white things are hundreds and hundreds of shark fins. If this is not a sad and scary picture, then I don't know what is. The species of shark that these fins came from are unknown, but the fact remains that an insane amount of sharks had to die for these fins. The shark fin industry is being pushed hard as more and more regulations are being are being installed world wide. However, the shark finners are thinking of new ways to try and hide their catches. The sheer number of fins in this picture alone speaks volumes as to why this insane trade needs to be end for good. The fight against shark finning continues to pick up speed, but the poachers are not giving in without putting up a fight of their own. Marine parks are still being poached and millions and millions of sharks are being slaughtered every year. The next picture is a disgusting reminder of the horrific activities that take place in the cove in Taiji...
The first time I saw this image, I wanted to vomit. Plain and simple. It still makes me sick to look at. This is an image of a dead bottlenose dolphin that was found in floating in the cove. This dolphin was found floating by Sea Shepherd's Cove Guardians on January 5th. This dolphin was a part of the massive pod of 101 dolphins that were chased int the cove. The majority were taken into captivity, 23 were slaughtered, 3 died in the cove before the slaughter. Of those three, 2 were recovered. This one however was not. Despite the cove being blue on January 5th, this dolphin showed a horrific reminder of what goes on in that cove on a regular basis. As I type this blog, the Japanese fishing fleet is herding another pod of dolphins towards the cove where they will be slaughtered or sold into captivity. Of all the evils in this world, slaughtering dolphins is probably one of the worst. If you were to pick one animal on this planet that could probably outlive humans based on sheer instinct, it would be the dolphin. They are so incredibly smart and yet, here we are, killing them for no real reason. Same goes with sharks, they are being slaughtered simply because of the fact that they can make a dollar. Again, this image is a harsh reminder of the horrors that take place in the cove in Taiji, Japan. The third image is a total heart breaker...
At the start of Operation Sadistic Truths, I did not say that manta rays were going to be a focus of this campaign, unless something serious or new came out regarding their position in the world. Well something did. This did. This heart breaking, enraging picture of a giant manta ray, dead, and clearly having to had suffered a great deal. Giant manta rays, along with whale sharks and basking sharks are some of the world's gentle giants. They have never harmed a person, and never will harm a person. They do not have barbs like stingrays. They do not have teeth that can do anything to a human. They are filter feeders. However, they are mercilessly slaughtered. Take a look at this image and you can see what people want from this animal. Well you kind of can see. Take a look at where all of the blood is pouring out. Those are the animal's gills. Inside of those gills are gill rakers that filter food out and push water back out of the gills. That is what people want from these animals. Again, it's all about the dollar. Some Chinese believe that the gill rakers hold some magical medicinal power. Of course, they don't really have any medicinal properties, but again, some people believe they do. The rest of this manta, odds are was chopped up and sold for a very low price, or simply tossed.
These three images are horrific reminders of the nightmares that are happening in the Oceans. It also is a reminder to people like myself, and hopefully you as well, that there is still a ton of work to be done. As long as the demand for dolphins in captivity, shark fins, and manta gill rakers continues to be so high, people will continue to rape the seas of these animals. It doesn't matter how important sharks are to the health of the Oceans. It doesn't matter what secrets the minds of dolphins have that we could benefit from. It doesn't matter how gentle and majestic an animal the size of a giant manta ray is. All that matters is that all three of these animals make a dollar. That is the mindset of the people who go out and slaughter these animals. That is the mindset that we need to continue to try and change if any of these animals have a hope in this world.
Upon first look, this just looks like a rooftop colored to look like a cow or something. Upon further inspection and a tad bit of research the image is much different. Ladies and gentlemen, what you are looking at right now is a rooftop in Hong Kong that had over 10,000 shark fins drying on it. Yes, each and every one of those black and white things are hundreds and hundreds of shark fins. If this is not a sad and scary picture, then I don't know what is. The species of shark that these fins came from are unknown, but the fact remains that an insane amount of sharks had to die for these fins. The shark fin industry is being pushed hard as more and more regulations are being are being installed world wide. However, the shark finners are thinking of new ways to try and hide their catches. The sheer number of fins in this picture alone speaks volumes as to why this insane trade needs to be end for good. The fight against shark finning continues to pick up speed, but the poachers are not giving in without putting up a fight of their own. Marine parks are still being poached and millions and millions of sharks are being slaughtered every year. The next picture is a disgusting reminder of the horrific activities that take place in the cove in Taiji...
The first time I saw this image, I wanted to vomit. Plain and simple. It still makes me sick to look at. This is an image of a dead bottlenose dolphin that was found in floating in the cove. This dolphin was found floating by Sea Shepherd's Cove Guardians on January 5th. This dolphin was a part of the massive pod of 101 dolphins that were chased int the cove. The majority were taken into captivity, 23 were slaughtered, 3 died in the cove before the slaughter. Of those three, 2 were recovered. This one however was not. Despite the cove being blue on January 5th, this dolphin showed a horrific reminder of what goes on in that cove on a regular basis. As I type this blog, the Japanese fishing fleet is herding another pod of dolphins towards the cove where they will be slaughtered or sold into captivity. Of all the evils in this world, slaughtering dolphins is probably one of the worst. If you were to pick one animal on this planet that could probably outlive humans based on sheer instinct, it would be the dolphin. They are so incredibly smart and yet, here we are, killing them for no real reason. Same goes with sharks, they are being slaughtered simply because of the fact that they can make a dollar. Again, this image is a harsh reminder of the horrors that take place in the cove in Taiji, Japan. The third image is a total heart breaker...
At the start of Operation Sadistic Truths, I did not say that manta rays were going to be a focus of this campaign, unless something serious or new came out regarding their position in the world. Well something did. This did. This heart breaking, enraging picture of a giant manta ray, dead, and clearly having to had suffered a great deal. Giant manta rays, along with whale sharks and basking sharks are some of the world's gentle giants. They have never harmed a person, and never will harm a person. They do not have barbs like stingrays. They do not have teeth that can do anything to a human. They are filter feeders. However, they are mercilessly slaughtered. Take a look at this image and you can see what people want from this animal. Well you kind of can see. Take a look at where all of the blood is pouring out. Those are the animal's gills. Inside of those gills are gill rakers that filter food out and push water back out of the gills. That is what people want from these animals. Again, it's all about the dollar. Some Chinese believe that the gill rakers hold some magical medicinal power. Of course, they don't really have any medicinal properties, but again, some people believe they do. The rest of this manta, odds are was chopped up and sold for a very low price, or simply tossed.
These three images are horrific reminders of the nightmares that are happening in the Oceans. It also is a reminder to people like myself, and hopefully you as well, that there is still a ton of work to be done. As long as the demand for dolphins in captivity, shark fins, and manta gill rakers continues to be so high, people will continue to rape the seas of these animals. It doesn't matter how important sharks are to the health of the Oceans. It doesn't matter what secrets the minds of dolphins have that we could benefit from. It doesn't matter how gentle and majestic an animal the size of a giant manta ray is. All that matters is that all three of these animals make a dollar. That is the mindset of the people who go out and slaughter these animals. That is the mindset that we need to continue to try and change if any of these animals have a hope in this world.
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Australia Barks Again at Japan's Whale Hunt, Sea Shepherd Readies to Bite
So before this thing kicks off, this blog is a joint blog. Meaning that I will be talking about stuff for Operation Sadistic Truths as well as bringing up some news about Sea Shepherd's Operation No Compromise.
On December 28th, the Japanese Whaling Fleet left Japan en route to the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary. It is here that they will attempt to slaughter 935 Minke Whales and 50 ENDANGERED Fin Whales. For the past few years, the nation of Australia, who controls the whale sanctuary, has condemned Japan for performing the hunt in the sanctuary. The International Whaling Commission (IWC) had banned commercial whaling, but a few nations, such as Japan utilize a legal loophole stating that they are killing whales for scientific research. This is permitted by the which then allows the excess meat of the whale to be sold rather than discarded. This is the loophole that Japan continues to exploit despite not turning out any form of scientific research on whales in several years. Australia continues to threaten and actually take legal action against Japan, but until any form of verdict is reached, Japan intends to continue doing what they do in the Southern Ocean. As has been the case for the several years now, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society will be attempting to uphold international law and attempt to reduce the Japanese kill count to zero.
To clarify the kill quota for 2013...
935 Minke Whales
50 ENDANGERED Fin Whales
Australia, along with New Zealand will be heading to court against Japan on the issue of whaling in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary. The outcome of this, I suspect, will do very little to deter Japan from performing its illegal activities. Australia has been asked multiple times by Sea Shepherd to send a vessel down to the Southern Ocean to observe the hunt for themselves. This would be an incredible weapon for Australia to use in court, but every year, including 2013, they refuse to send a ship south to record the illegal activities for themselves. At this point though it is starting to look like the whale hunt is far more than people just trying to make a living or keep a dying industry afloat. According to Sea Shepherd Captain, Paul Watson, the Institute for Cetacean Research (ICR) wanted to call off the hunt for the year because their ships are in such poor condition. The Japanese government however insisted the hunt continue and poured 24 million dollars into refitting the factory ship. It's almost looking like the Japanese Government just does not want to fold on the whaling issue. It has not brought them a single dollar for 3+ years now and has cost the country millions and millions of dollars. Some of this money lost was money that was given to Japan to help it recover from the tsunami and earthquake. Instead of helping it's people, Japan put some of the money towards beefing up security on it's whaling vessels. With Japan doing all of these things, including sending the whaling fleet south when the RESEARCH institution said they don't want to send them is really nothing but further proof that no research is going on. It's a sick truth that the IWC continues to turn a blind eye to. It is a truth surrounded by greed, broken promises, lies, bribes, and so many more things that are just disgraceful. Japan has to be stopped, but until recently, no one has frankly had the guts to challenge Japan in any shape or form.
While Australia continues to push against Japan, alongside New Zealand. For the longest time, Australia has condemned the hunt, but taken no action to put an end to it. This could be the start of the end for the Japanese Whaling Industry in the Southern Ocean. Australia's environmental minister has said in a recent interview “In the interim it is open to Japan any day of the year to take the same action that the rest of world has taken and that is to observe a moratorium in the Southern Ocean. That is to accept that commercial whaling is wrong and scientific whaling is a joke." he later goes on to say “We cannot continue to have a situation where everybody knows it’s nothing to do with science and yet, with a nod and a wink, Japanese fleets travel from one side of the globe to the other to engage in this, and to break the moratorium year after year”. While Australia aims to take Japan down in court, Sea Shepherd is ready to defend the whales through direct action in the Southern Ocean. (This concludes the portion of this blog dedicated to Operation Sadistic Truths, stuff about Sea Shepherd's Operation No Compromise is ahead after a brief subliminal message)
( Sorry, saw that and couldn't help myself. Back to the whales!)
Currently, Sea Shepherd is waiting for the Japanese Whaling Fleet to arrive in the Southern Ocean. It is thought that they should arrive sometime around January 19th. Currently, the thought is that even without Sea Shepherd interference, Japan has lost so much time refitting the factory ship that they would be hard pressed to reach 50% of their quota. Last year, Sea Shepherd prevented the fleet from catching roughly 75% of its quota. With Sea Shepherd lying in wait for Japan, it could be the first season that Japan kills zero whales. That would probably deliver a killing stroke to the operation. In order to prevent this, Japan was rewarded by a United States Court that says no Sea Shepherd vessel shall come within 500 feet of a Japanese whaling vessel. There is a problem with that order though. The order was put on Sea Shepherd USA. The ships and operation are all based out of Sea Shepherd Australia. Sea Shepherd USA will not send a ship near a whaling vessel, but there is no reason Sea Shepherd Australia needs to obey this order.
The Japanese Whaling Fleet this year consists of 4 ships. One factory ship, two harpoon ships, and a security ship. For the first time, Sea Shepherd has matched the number of ships with 4. One of which is a high speed vessel, and two are fitted to cut through ice. One of those ironically is a former Japanese whaling vessel. For those of you who are for the whales, here are the ships to be rooting for until the killing stops.
The Steve Irwin
The Bob Barker
The Brigitte Bardot
and introducing...
The Sam Simon
This is Neptune's Navy for Operation No Compromise.
On December 28th, the Japanese Whaling Fleet left Japan en route to the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary. It is here that they will attempt to slaughter 935 Minke Whales and 50 ENDANGERED Fin Whales. For the past few years, the nation of Australia, who controls the whale sanctuary, has condemned Japan for performing the hunt in the sanctuary. The International Whaling Commission (IWC) had banned commercial whaling, but a few nations, such as Japan utilize a legal loophole stating that they are killing whales for scientific research. This is permitted by the which then allows the excess meat of the whale to be sold rather than discarded. This is the loophole that Japan continues to exploit despite not turning out any form of scientific research on whales in several years. Australia continues to threaten and actually take legal action against Japan, but until any form of verdict is reached, Japan intends to continue doing what they do in the Southern Ocean. As has been the case for the several years now, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society will be attempting to uphold international law and attempt to reduce the Japanese kill count to zero.
To clarify the kill quota for 2013...
935 Minke Whales
50 ENDANGERED Fin Whales
Australia, along with New Zealand will be heading to court against Japan on the issue of whaling in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary. The outcome of this, I suspect, will do very little to deter Japan from performing its illegal activities. Australia has been asked multiple times by Sea Shepherd to send a vessel down to the Southern Ocean to observe the hunt for themselves. This would be an incredible weapon for Australia to use in court, but every year, including 2013, they refuse to send a ship south to record the illegal activities for themselves. At this point though it is starting to look like the whale hunt is far more than people just trying to make a living or keep a dying industry afloat. According to Sea Shepherd Captain, Paul Watson, the Institute for Cetacean Research (ICR) wanted to call off the hunt for the year because their ships are in such poor condition. The Japanese government however insisted the hunt continue and poured 24 million dollars into refitting the factory ship. It's almost looking like the Japanese Government just does not want to fold on the whaling issue. It has not brought them a single dollar for 3+ years now and has cost the country millions and millions of dollars. Some of this money lost was money that was given to Japan to help it recover from the tsunami and earthquake. Instead of helping it's people, Japan put some of the money towards beefing up security on it's whaling vessels. With Japan doing all of these things, including sending the whaling fleet south when the RESEARCH institution said they don't want to send them is really nothing but further proof that no research is going on. It's a sick truth that the IWC continues to turn a blind eye to. It is a truth surrounded by greed, broken promises, lies, bribes, and so many more things that are just disgraceful. Japan has to be stopped, but until recently, no one has frankly had the guts to challenge Japan in any shape or form.
While Australia continues to push against Japan, alongside New Zealand. For the longest time, Australia has condemned the hunt, but taken no action to put an end to it. This could be the start of the end for the Japanese Whaling Industry in the Southern Ocean. Australia's environmental minister has said in a recent interview “In the interim it is open to Japan any day of the year to take the same action that the rest of world has taken and that is to observe a moratorium in the Southern Ocean. That is to accept that commercial whaling is wrong and scientific whaling is a joke." he later goes on to say “We cannot continue to have a situation where everybody knows it’s nothing to do with science and yet, with a nod and a wink, Japanese fleets travel from one side of the globe to the other to engage in this, and to break the moratorium year after year”. While Australia aims to take Japan down in court, Sea Shepherd is ready to defend the whales through direct action in the Southern Ocean. (This concludes the portion of this blog dedicated to Operation Sadistic Truths, stuff about Sea Shepherd's Operation No Compromise is ahead after a brief subliminal message)
( Sorry, saw that and couldn't help myself. Back to the whales!)
Currently, Sea Shepherd is waiting for the Japanese Whaling Fleet to arrive in the Southern Ocean. It is thought that they should arrive sometime around January 19th. Currently, the thought is that even without Sea Shepherd interference, Japan has lost so much time refitting the factory ship that they would be hard pressed to reach 50% of their quota. Last year, Sea Shepherd prevented the fleet from catching roughly 75% of its quota. With Sea Shepherd lying in wait for Japan, it could be the first season that Japan kills zero whales. That would probably deliver a killing stroke to the operation. In order to prevent this, Japan was rewarded by a United States Court that says no Sea Shepherd vessel shall come within 500 feet of a Japanese whaling vessel. There is a problem with that order though. The order was put on Sea Shepherd USA. The ships and operation are all based out of Sea Shepherd Australia. Sea Shepherd USA will not send a ship near a whaling vessel, but there is no reason Sea Shepherd Australia needs to obey this order.
The Japanese Whaling Fleet this year consists of 4 ships. One factory ship, two harpoon ships, and a security ship. For the first time, Sea Shepherd has matched the number of ships with 4. One of which is a high speed vessel, and two are fitted to cut through ice. One of those ironically is a former Japanese whaling vessel. For those of you who are for the whales, here are the ships to be rooting for until the killing stops.
The Steve Irwin
The Bob Barker
The Brigitte Bardot
and introducing...
The Sam Simon
This is Neptune's Navy for Operation No Compromise.
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