Japanese Whaling Ship Outlawed from Whale Sanctuary - Greenpeace Action

[Annces]

http://www.smh.com.au/ffximage/2007/02/19/whaler_wideweb__470x312,0.jpg

Whale chase ship left, Nisshin Maru centre, Oriental Bluebird right




Amsterdam, Netherlands — The Oriental Bluebird, re-supply and transport ship of Japan's whaling fleet, has been de-flagged and fined, following a legal ruling by Panamanian authorities. Greenpeace is calling on Japan's government to uphold international law by mothballing the vessel and ending the annual hunt in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary.

The Oriental Bluebird, used to refuel the Japanese whaling fleet in the Southern Ocean and to ship whale meat back to Japan, was fined the maximum penalty, after being ruled in violation of a number of domestic and international regulations by Panamanian authorities in a process that began in April 2008, relating to its permissible use, the safety of human life and the preservation of the marine environment.

This follows action by Greenpeace activists against the Oriental Bluebird in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary in January 2008 and a concerted campaign by environmental groups in Panama. The maximum fine of 10,000 Balboas (US$10,000) was imposed on the owners of the ship, Hiyo Shipping Co. Ltd, in Japan who on October 8th removed its Panamanian registration and flag.

"The Oriental Bluebird has now become an international pariah vessel, and its owners will be urgently looking for a new flag State which will condone its breaches of environmental treaties. It would make a mockery of international law if Japan continued to rely on the services of this vessel," said Sara Holden, Greenpeace International Whales Campaign coordinator. "We are delighted that Panama has found the vessel guilty. Japan must now do the same, not just by mothballing the Oriental Bluebird, but by retiring the entire whaling fleet. The international community has a responsibility to hold Japan to this."

Japan has ratified an international treaty which seeks to end the practice of 're-flagging' vessels in order to circumvent international environmental law. The treaty bars Japan from authorising a ship to participate in the exploitation of marine living resources for at least three years, if that ship has changed its flag after being found in breach of international conservation measures.

The whaling fleet, including the Oriental Bluebird is currently docked in Shimonoseki, from where it is due to depart on its so-called scientific whale hunt in the next few weeks.

In addition to the millions of taxpayer yen spent subsidising the whaling operation; the Japanese government has this year added an extra 800 million yen (US$8 million) for a coastguard ship to act as so-called "protection" for the fleet. Meanwhile, two Greenpeace activists, Junichi Sato and Toru Suzuki, are still under house arrest in Japan and are facing up to ten years in jail, for exposing an embezzlement scandal at the heart of the whaling programme.

"The Japanese government is spending vast amounts of taxpayers' money to defend the indefensible and militarise a hunt of endangered whales inside an internationally designated whale sanctuary, for a programme that is neither scientifically or economically credible, and has now been proven to be using illegal vessels. What more evidence is needed to cancel this programme?" added Holden. "The arrest of Junichi and Toru was a politically motivated attempt to stifle opposition to the whaling programme; the charges against them should be dropped immediately, as should the government's whaling programme."


http://www.greenpeace.org/international/press/releases/oriental-bluebird-de-flagged

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