Whaling conflicts escalate in Antarctica

Whaling conflicts escalate in Antarctica
Al Ritter

The Sea Shepherd Conservation Group, an extremist activist group funded by people in favor of whale conservation, has come into the lime light for taking an active role in a collision in the Antarctic Sea. Sea Shepherd Conservation Group, founded by Paul Watson, one of the original founders of Greenpeace, has taken an active confrontational stance against Japanese whaling research ships, which Watson claims are nothing more than Japanese Governmental sponsored whaling ships.

The most recent confrontation made by SCG, was made with a new state of the art $1.5 million dollar, high speed trimaran, the Ady Gil, named for one benefactor, the other benefactor is Bob Barker, an outspoken animal rights game show host who recently donated $5 million to the Sea Shepherd Conservation Group.

Watson’s group was involved in trying to ensnare netting in the Japanese ship’s propeller. Watson has claimed that the huge whale research vessel purposely steered towards them and ended with a collision, even though the attack craft was faster and far more maneuverable.

The Japanese ship claims that the Ady Gil’s crew was firing projectiles at them prior to the collision. Whale Wars, a reality based show on the Animal Planet started last year as vehicle to air the cause of Watson. The show clearly shows the inexperience of crew to even be on a boat let alone cold water survival in Antarctic waters in case of an emergency.

This whole effort by Watson is a ticking time bomb awaiting a serious accident, and possible death to one or more of the inexperienced aggressive activists. The Australian Prime Minister has begged both sides to stop these confrontational attacks, before a tragedy occurs. Watson’s group claims that the Japanese use the cover of “research” to continue the whaling industry through a global ban. The amount of money spent through Watson’s actions in the last 10 years could have probably been spent more wisely in an international court, but that wouldn’t make for very exciting TV now would it?

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