Greenpeace Finally Finds the Japanese Whaling Fleet: in port,in Japan,weeks after they quit whaling!

[Kolesar]

Captain Watson can be a real pain in the ass sometimes, but his commentary about his rivalry with Greenpeace is a gem of dry humor.
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Greenpeace Finally Finds the Japanese Whaling Fleet

Commentary by Captain Paul Watson, from his Facebook feed

The Japanese whaling fleet has returned to Japan where Greenpeace yesterday decided to intercept them at dockside with a demand to stop whaling. Not exactly good timing, considering that whaling is now over for the season, and Sea Shepherd stopped them from whaling weeks previously.

Of course the official Greenpeace position is that Sea Shepherd could not have stopped whaling because the official Sea Shepherd position is that the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society does not exist.

Greenpeace made no mention of Sea Shepherd’s successful interventions nor did they explain why the whaling ships at dockside were splattered with red paint.

We did not see any Greenpeace ships in the Southern Ocean this year, or last year, or the year before last year or even the year before that. The last time a Greenpeace ship went to the Southern Ocean to protest whaling was during the 2006/2007 season when they refused to accept Sea Shepherd’s directions on where to find the whaling fleet citing that they would not take positions from us because well, we don’t exist.

During the time since then Greenpeace have raised tens of millions of dollars on their non-activist campaign to “defend” the whales and they built a new ship at a cost exceeding $30 million dollars. That ship was launched last year and has yet to do any serious campaigning. In fact its mission is to do fund raising junkets from port to port. I suspect they will be in Brazil in June of this year to exhibit their magnificent new “eco-friendly” luxury yacht to the conference on the Environment called Rio plus Twenty. That’s in reference to the 1992 Conference on the Environment that produced absolutely nothing, so it is I suppose appropriate that a ship that has done nothing be the main attraction at the U.N. Conference on doing nothing.

We have been trying to encourage Greenpeace to join us to take an activist stand on Japanese whaling for the last few years without much luck. Last year their strategy was to send origami whales to President Barack Obama. I’m not really sure why, because the United States is not whaling in the Southern Ocean. I have been told that the reasoning behind it was that if Obama got enough origami whales he would call up the Prime Minister of Japan to request that they stop whaling.

It seems that he did not get enough origami whales and the call was never made.

This season Greenpeace was very silent, except for the canvassers on the streets asking for money to support “their” ships in the Southern Ocean. We caught quite a few claiming that the Sea Shepherd ships were Greenpeace ships. The look on their faces when Sea Shepherd volunteers told them who they were was priceless.

Last October Greenpeace Japan Executive Director Junichi Sato accused me of lying (he conveniently forgot I do not officially exist) when I broke the story that the Japanese Fisheries Agency had allocated some $30 million U.S. to support the return of the Japanese whaling fleet to the Southern Ocean. He said it was a “disgrace” that I made such an irresponsible statement.

And yet in this article Sato is quoted as saying:

"The fleet killed 267 whales for a market that does not exist, and it only managed to escape its mounting debts this season by appallingly siphoning off US$30 million in taxpayer money away from the victims of the tragic March 11, 2011 earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear disaster." .

I don’t hold it against Junichi Sato. After all he has to parrot the Greenpeace party line from the head corporate office of Greenpeace while pretending that Greenpeace is actually doing something to end whaling in the Southern Ocean. I’m certainly glad I don’t have his job.

I am in a funny position when it comes to Greenpeace. As an original co-founder of Greenpeace I feel responsible for what Greenpeace has become and I feel badly that I am forced to be critical of something I helped to create.

Of course the official revisionist history of Greenpeace holds that I was not a co-founder but merely an “early member.” I was a co-founder even on the Greenpeace website until just a couple of years ago when my status changed at the same time Greenpeace decided that Sea Shepherd does not officially exist. I suspect they will be air-brushing me out of the archival photos soon although they are probably waiting for me to die first to make that decision much easier.

Anyhow thank-you Junichi Sato for telling us that the Japanese whalers need to stop whaling. With that announcement, I’m sure they will take notice and next season if the whaling fleet decides they don’t wish to tackle Sea Shepherd ships again for a third humiliating financial disaster, Sato can announce – “see the whalers are not going back, because on March 31st, 2012, I Junichi Sato told them to stop.”

If the whalers do return, I will of course once again extend my invitation to Greenpeace to join us where we have been so effective – on the high seas at the bottom of the world amongst the icebergs. I suspect however that come December, Sea Shepherd will still be officially non-existent so once again we will have to return alone and Greenpeace will be left with the mundane unappreciated task of sending out mailings to millions of people around the world to request funds to do……….whatever it is they do with the money they collect.

Article link:

http://www.panorientnews.com/en/news.php?k=1674 —

Watson's crew bombed the Yushin Maru with beer bottles filled with red paint--very Australian!


Perfect use of imagery--it looks like blood!


I don't throw down much beer, but when I do, ...


http://www.planetoceanalliance.org/forum/showthread.php/12941-New-ICR-Photos

[FBaggins]

1. Greenpeace has been more effective on the issue in Japan than Watson could ever be.

His ongoing attempts at self-promotion are just childish. He remains bitter that they expelled him 35 years ago.

[GliderGuider]

2. They have, have they?

Not from where I'm sitting.

[FBaggins]

4. Greenpeace has no trouble risking their OWN lives to defend others.

What they oppose is the use of violence (risking the harming of others) to accomplish it.

Until SS got themselves a TV show, most progressives agreed.

Not from where I'm sitting.

Then you're sitting in the wrong place.

[Downtown Hound]

6. Oh please, Sea Shepard doesn't risk their own lives?

And how is throwing foul smelling rotten butter on a whaling ship endangering the whalers lives? Or throwing red paint on the side their massive ships?

And has Greenpeace caused the whalers to go home year after year with far fewer whales killed than their quota called for? No. Sea Shepard has.

Greenpeace, LOL. What a joke of an organization they've become.

[FBaggins]

8. Where did I say that?

They risk their lives just about every day... since they're just this side of being entirely incompetent seamen. They're also willing to risk their lives when they go up against the whaling fleet.

It isn't an issue of bravery or willingness to sacrifice. Nor has that ever been Greenpeace's objection to Watson.

And how is throwing foul smelling rotten butter on a whaling ship endangering the whalers lives? Or throwing red paint on the side their massive ships?

Are you seriously going to pretend that that's all they do?

I repeat what I said above. Greenpeace's tactics are far more effective than Watson's. Watson has had variable annual success... but he's also a big part of the reason the whaling fleet comes back year after year. Greenpeace alone probably would have ended this years ago.

[Downtown Hound]

10. "Are you seriously going to pretend that that's all they do?"

Here's a list of everything I've seen Sea Shepherd do:

Throw Butolic acid on whaling ships (very bad smelling, but totally harmless).

Use prop foulers on their ships (these rarely work, but on the few occassions they have, no one was injured or even in any real danger of being injured)

Board whaling ships in the middle of the night and peacefully allow themselves to be taken into custody.

Throw red paint on the sides of whaling ships.

And although I've never seen them use this, they also have a chemical that they can shoot into the carcass of a dead whale which makes its meat inedible and unusable. In the event that this will ever be used, a radio call will be made to the whalers telling them the meat is no good.

By contrast, the whalers have thrown flash bang grenades at Sea Shepard, rammed one of their much smaller boats with people still on it, and taken a shot at Watson.

Who's really being violent here?

And I think I'll just LOL at your insistence that the reson Japan is still whaling is because of Sea Shepherd and that without them, Greenpeace would have stopped them long ago. Greenpeace has had decades to do this, and they've failed.

[FBaggins]

12. "Taken a shot at Watson"

You actually fell for that cr@p? He was miraculously saved by the tin toy police badge he wore under his jacket? Did you see the "bullet"?



And no... that isn't all they've done. They've sunk ships (and bragged about it)... and they've rammed them intentionally. A prop fouler is no small matter either.

[Downtown Hound]

13. If you'd actually watched the show you'd know that Watson was wearing a BULLET PROOF VEST

at the time and that he often wears a bullet proof vest when in close proximity with the whalers. His badge was shattered UNDERNEATH the vest. What could do that except for a bullet? But if you want to lie to yourself, go ahead.

Name one Japanese whaler that has been injured by Sea Shepherd. Just one. Can you do it?

Oh and, I'm sure that the whales, who are sentient, highly intelligent and posses a complex emotional system just like humans, are really grateful to you for your committment to non-violence and "changing hearts and minds." All you're saying with that is that you're perfectly willing to allow hundreds of them to be slaughtered every year so you can boast about how non-violent you are.

Non-violence is a good thing, but I also think that a lot of the time, people just use it as an excuse to cover for cowardice and inaction.

[GliderGuider]

14. +1

There come times when you have to say, "Enough! No more!" - especially when what is at stake is the future of life itself.

The forces that oppose the preservation of life have gained de facto control over every major government on the planet though the policy, regulatory and enforcement agendas of the IMF, WB and WTO. You want a New World Order? Look no further. Their slogan paraphrases the first spokesman for the 1%, Gordon Gekko: "Growth, for lack of a better word, is Progress."

We are drowning in appeasement, accommodation, cowardice and genteel inaction. For what? A flat-screen and a chance to die from a heart attack at your desk?

I refuse.

[WaveRider]

17. You seem to have confused what is violent

What is more violent: killing whales or sinking an illegal whaling ship with no person or animal harmed. What is more violent, a prop fouler or shouting a harpoon into whales. You like to protect whales? Then I suggest you look at your priorities.

[WaveRider]

16. Can you be more specific, please?

"I repeat what I said above. Greenpeace's tactics are far more effective than Watson's. Watson has had variable annual success... but he's also a big part of the reason the whaling fleet comes back year after year. Greenpeace alone probably would have ended this years ago."

How exactly is GP more effective? What are they doing and how do you measure it's effect?

[Downtown Hound]

3. Hahahahahaha!

Boy, you have a great sense of humor!

[GardeningGal]

5. Can you provide some examples on how Greenpeace has been more effective?

Aside from lots of fund raising.

[Downtown Hound]

7. I'm sure the poster is thinking long and hard about this question. LOL.

[FBaggins]

9. Changing hearts and minds in Japan.

Whaling has no market if people stop eating whale meat. Many in Japan didn't even consider it an issue until Greenpeace opened their eyes.

Watson's tactice turn most Japanese against them. They don't understand Japanese culture. They're actually encouraging more agressive whaling. Which, given Watson's desire for publicity, may not even concern him.

[Downtown Hound]

11. I want some of what you're smoking. n/t

[GardeningGal]

15. Do you have any articles I can read?

But not ones from the Greenpeace website, something neutral.

[WaveRider]

18. So we should all bow to one people's pride issues?

Last edited Thu Apr 5, 2012, 09:32 PM - Edit history (1)

If Japanese government and/or society (or any other group of people) for that matter are stubborn asses, then it's Paul Watson fault for being in their face about committing illegal slaughtering of whales? So we should all tippy toe around sensitive cultures and first learn to work with their intricacies instead of stopping them when caught red handed? How about in the case of the plight of the poor fisherman who fin sharks to feed their families. Should we let them be until they have caught up economically? More foreign aid maybe? How about the Somalian pirates who are sometimes forced into raiding ships and taking hostages. How can we accommodate them? How about my Mexican neighbor who plays music too loud at night sometimes, should I just work with his culture and party all night instead of telling him to turn it down so I can sleep before getting up for work at 6am? Not in my opinion. The Japanese government and society at large will just have to get over themselves (just as Iceland, Norway, whoever else).