Anyone watch Whale Wars???

[setxn]

Maybe it shouldn't be legal to kill whales for "research" if this is how they are doing it. Not too often that research projects end up on the supper table. This is the only whale product that hasn't been replaced with something better,cheaper or synthetic.

 

[c.marsh]

CARBON FIBER BOAT

watch what happens when the little super boat gets in to close to the harpoon ship.the colision was on the internet this past spring.the harpoon ship shortened the carbon fiber super boat about 5 feet.the super boat sank about 2 days later.no lives were lost......

 

[dacoontz]

I guess I'm bored today, so I'll chime in. I just wish the eco-terrorists, as they have been called here, were a little smarter with their tactics. Sometimes they don't seem all that smart. I think they lose track of their inflatable on every other episode. And the japenese are starting to sue better firepower like bigger "water" guns and their doohicky that disorientes you with sound waves. Obviously they're well funded, which to me is suspicious for a research vessel.
Having said that, killing endangered species is illegal. I am sure many of us are hunters and can understand the importance of prudent management and harvesting of a species. I would think that their loss would be tragic. I am sure none of you are the type to run out and poach game anytime you choose. The whales they are killing are very low in numbers in comparison to other species.
The reason Japanese whalers get away with it is because they claim it is for "research." If they are guiltless then why do they paint RESEARCH in huge letters on their boats. This seems rather defensive to me.
I am not sure why everyone is ready to defend these Japanese whalers that you likely don't even benefit from anyway.

 

[Forester]

I guess I'm bored today, so I'll chime in. I just wish the eco-terrorists, as they have been called here, were a little smarter with their tactics. Sometimes they don't seem all that smart. I think they lose track of their inflatable on every other episode. And the japenese are starting to sue better firepower like bigger "water" guns and their doohicky that disorientes you with sound waves. Obviously they're well funded, which to me is suspicious for a research vessel.
Having said that, killing endangered species is illegal. I am sure many of us are hunters and can understand the importance of prudent management and harvesting of a species. I would think that their loss would be tragic. I am sure none of you are the type to run out and poach game anytime you choose. The whales they are killing are very low in numbers in comparison to other species.
The reason Japanese whalers get away with it is because they claim it is for "research." If they are guiltless then why do they paint RESEARCH in huge letters on their boats. This seems rather defensive to me.
I am not sure why everyone is ready to defend these Japanese whalers that you likely don't even benefit from anyway.

Have you read the same thread as everyone else? Not everyone is defending the Japanese. Several posters here have said that what they are doing is wrong.. Most people are also saying that the whale warriors are as wrong in their pirate like actions. You appear to want them to be more effective pirates. I do agree with you, though, that they don't seem very smart or effective.

Further, there is a little more involved than you or I going out and poaching an Ivory Billed Woodpecker from the backyard. It is a matter of international law, which is always sketchy anyway. Who enforces it? What if a country simply doesn't recognize that they need to obey you so-called laws.

I think it unnecessary, the killing of these whales, but I won't condemn the Japanese for it.

 

[dacoontz]

True, not everyone is against the ecofreeks here. And to clarify, I am against the Japanese whalers, not the Japanese in general. For all I know they could be chinese guys actually funding the work, or europeans for that matter. It seems that the pro-whale boats have become more aggressive in response to more aggression from the whalers. It seems that most of the time they are simply trying to make it difficult for them to get to the whales and harrassing them seems to be the best method, but I would hardly compare them to the pirates we have been seeing out of Eastern Africa. I don't think they are interested in hurting anyone but just the typical sierra club type tactics like living in trees and stuff. I think a lot of respectable environmental movements get easily grouped with extremists that are resonsible for spiking trees and burning down buildings, not the same by a long shot.

 

[sipowicz]

I'm no ecofreak, but if that "Research" vessel hit a reef and sank, I wouldn't lose any sleep over it...

 

[handejector]

Perspective.

It always comes down to perspective.
The taking of life is about as old as life itself.
Our ethics and morals make us say that it should only be done for food or to preserve life and property. If you don't agree with taking life to preserve property, please throw away your bug spray and mouse traps and quit treating your home for termites.

Back to perspective-
If the whalers are acting legally, we have no right to impose our standards or desires on them any more than they have a right to impose their standards on us. Be careful what you wish for with the 'international treaty' stuff. Bear in mind how many nations think it barbaric that we run around armed to the teeth......

The eco-freaks harassing the whalers most definitely fall into the same class legally as pirates. Simply reverse the circumstances, and tell me when you would tolerate a US ship operating in open water, bothering no one and no nation, being harassed, rammed, or boarded.

I keep drifting, though.
Back to perspective-
The japanese eat whales. I must assume that the whale does not hold his life any dearer than the salmon and tuna and shrimp that I eat. Though I would hate to see whales disappear from the earth, I can't come up with a good argument for forcing other nations to do my will outside my national borders when no threat to my safety and sovreignty is involved.
So, what is it about whales? Is it because they are big, or smart, or fellow mammals, or what? Dunno. Like I said, I'd hate to see a world without whales, but not so much without rats, or flies, or mosquitos.

Interesting what our hearts bleed for. Nobody dares to say they are ambivalent about dogs or even cats. Everybody wants to save every mongrel mutt ever whelped, and find it a good home, and let it live happily everafter. I wonder why they don't feel as warm and fuzzy about all the horses that have to die to feed Fido for the next ten years......

So, perspective.
It always comes down to perspective.
You better defend the japanese whaler like you want your gun rights defended.

 

[gizamo]

Lee said it well...

As a youngin' my Dad's business was offshore Lobstering. We also stuck swordfish for a living. We havested countless lobsters and hundreds of swordfish in the nine years that I lived my life on the Frantic Atlantic.

Unfortunatley, we occassionally had a basking shark roll up in our lobster trawls. They'd do what all sharks do when they hit a line, twist...and they'd ball up five to ten traps with them. They'd simply drown, not being able to swim. Great and amazing creature's that would die so that those able to afford the delicacy of lobster could dine on those crustaceans.

Bet those folks felt no guilt....

 

[sipowicz]

I'd still like to see those Jap vessels hit the rocks.

 

[dacoontz]

I'm with you sip. I think what makes whales different is there diminishing numbers. Bad example, but would you be okay with another nation killing bald eagles because it is part of their diet? I just want to be able to take my kids to the coast in 20 years and still have them see a whale swim in the ocean. Granted, perspective is key and things are not always what they seem as media has a tendency to influence our perspective and since I don't get down to antarctica all that often maybe the issue isn't as dire.

 

[handejector]

I deleted two posts because WW II doesn't really figure into the discussion at hand.

I'm with you sip. I think what makes whales different is there diminishing numbers. Bad example, but would you be okay with another nation killing bald eagles because it is part of their diet?

Me?
Would I be OK with another nation killing bald eagles?
You're right- bad example.
Where are these eagles? Are they in Japan? Are they here?
If they are here, NON issue.
If they are in Japan, who cares?
Do you want Japan telling us we can't hunt turkeys?
Do you want India telling us the burgers and T-bones have to go?

If we can tell Japan they can't whale on the open sea, why can't they tell us we can't fish on the open sea?

Laissez-faire, my friend, laissez-faire.

You only deserve the freedom you are willing to extend to others.

As I said, I would hate to see the whale disappear from the earth.
I would hate seeing the sovreignty of nations (particularly mine) disappear from the earth a lot more.

 

[sheriffoconee]

It is NONE of my business, or Fatbeards on the Sea Shepard business if Japan harvests whales in compliance with the treaties that have been signed, for research or groceries, it matters not to me...
If ships were doing to our fishing fleet what those so called "saviors of the whales" were doing to the Japanese I would hope our Navy would torpedo them to the bottom of the sea...

 

[KLNFrame]

You only deserve the freedom you are willing to extend to others.QUOTE]

This reminds me of a post a couple of weeks ago.International waters,No whales but the ship was boarded illegally.I suppose it's who you call friends and who you call Pirates ( Terrorists ).


Peter

 

[ChattanoogaPhil]

The japanese eat whales. I must assume that the whale does not hold his life any dearer than the salmon and tuna and shrimp that I eat. Though I would hate to see whales disappear from the earth, I can't come up with a good argument for forcing other nations to do my will outside my national borders when no threat to my safety and sovreignty is involved.

Some might say that trading whales for other sea life is an underlying point to this issue.

Interesting article titled: Did Greens help kill the whale?

Summary: Japan objected to the International whaling ban. US told Japan that their fishing quotas in US waters would be cut if they undermined the ban. US and Japan reached an agreement and Japan would stop whaling by 1988. In the meantime.... efforts by US fisherman and Greenpeace led to reducing Japan's fishing quotas beginning in 1984 and by 1988 their quota was zero. Japan continued whaling.

BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Did Greens help kill the whale?

 

[sipowicz]

Good point KLN.

And as Phil pointed out, it's an international whaling ban...not just the US telling Japan not to fish...if we can have a UN to decide what countries can and cannot do (no matter how ineffective the UN is), then the collective world should be able to stop the slaughter of whales. We invaded countries to stop the spread of Communism even though a large part of the word embraced it...Then I guess to be fair, Commies should be allowed to invade countries to stop the spread of Democracy.

 

[ChattanoogaPhil]

Since the IWC (International Whaling Commission) is currently considering lifting the ban on whaling........ plans to invade Japan may be a bit premature.

 

[michael thornton]

what do they get from a whale?meat, blubber, how long does it take for a whale to get big enough to prossess?

 

[sipowicz]

how long does it take for a whale to get big enough to prossess?

Not sure of the time, but once they meet Rosie O'Donnell's weight, the hunt is on.

 

[Kevin G]

I've tried to watch it a few times and ended up shaking my head and walking away. I'm a merchant marine deck officer w/35yrs experience, some of the stuff said and shown on the show makes my blood boil.
I don't like what the Japanese are doing at all, but think this is not the right way to go about changing things. Send a msg through economics, boycott Jap goods, it'll get their attention.
I first became aware of Greenpeace as a cadet while ashore down in New Zealand in the early 70's. Cute gal was passing out leaflets and collecting $ for a Batic Trader sail vessel "FRI" to go and protest/disrupt French nuclear tests in the S Pacific. She was cute as a button, I didn't think much of either the testing or the French so I contributed a few bucks and ended up on a mailing list where I recieved GP info for a few years.
Flash fwd and Watson split or got thrown out of Greenpeace for being too militant a few years later. Went out on his own and rammed and sank a "pirate" whaling ship, the "Sierra" I think.
I met Watson in the late 70's or early 80's when he was up in Portland Maine waiting to go up and disrupt the Harp Seal harvest. He's very good at PR, was on the local TV channels drumming up support for his mission. Spoke of his ship having all this fancy gear, water cannon, electric fencing etc. I was home from sea, had nothing going on and thought a trip up into the ice would be interesting so went up to Portland to check out the operation. Because of my experience and credentials I was a desireable recruit and was given the Grand Tour. The ship was a mess. Old steel N Sea trawler around 100' that was well past its prime and hadn't seen much in the way of maintainence in quite a while, few if any engine and equip. spare parts. The reported fancy electronic nav gear was garbage. Security system consisted of barbed wire strung on insulators around the ship's perimeter where the switch would be thrown at the appropriate time. Wonder to this day what effect the salt water spray residue had. The list went on.
Crew for the most part were young dreamers looking to pretend-play being sailors and save the seals. They were contributing $$$ for the right to be there. Rich kid dreamers.
I had quickly decided this was not for me, I was looking at a potential death trap.
Later I read in the paper the ship got up into the ice, got beset (stuck), crew walked miles over the ice to shore where they were all arrested.
Since then I've seen Watson's name in the news now and then. He now seems to have struck gold by reinventing himself as a whale activist and marketing it.
Watching his behavior on board the ship I've concluded he's got awful leadership qualities, he's really not much of a seaman, and he's morally wrong to be risking human sfety & life in pursuit of his agenda.
No good will come of "Whale Wars".
Tks, Kevin

 

[bk43]

...if we can have a UN to decide what countries can and cannot do (no matter how ineffective the UN is), then the collective world should be able to stop the slaughter of whales.

The "collective world" also wants to disarm US citizens so all our evil, dangerous firearms will stop slaughtering the rest of the world. Screwum. The rest of the world has no business tell us what to do in our own country and we have no business telling other countries what they can do in international waters.

I watched a little last night for the first time just because of this thread. Where do I go to get paid for the 15 minutes of my life I wasted?

Bob