The Greenpeace vessel protesting against Japanese whaling vessels has been denied port in Tokyo Bay. Greenpeace calls this action "using politics to shut down freedom of speech," whereas the sailor's union probably sees it as keeping pirates and other criminals away from other vessels that Greenpeace may seek to harm. Even though Greenpeace tepidly denounced the Sea Shepherd group, whose ship was responsible for assault and sabotage on several Japanese whaling vessels earlier this year, it's obvious the Japanese sailors would rather be safe than sorry.
Hi Joe,
ReplyDeleteGreenpeace has been sending ships down to block the hunt in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary for over a decade.
In all that time, we have never done anything that has ever put the whalers at risk in any way.
The crew on the whaling ships know this. And the whalers video tape everything we do. If we ever did anything dangerous (to them) you can bet bottom dollar the media would hear about it.
By contrast, the whalers have put our lives at risk quite a few times. This is not something we're making a bid deal of right now because we're trying to jump start a conversation in Japan.
Which is what the Fisheries Agency of Japan and the ICR don't want. So they try to muddy the water, and make it look like Greenpeace works with the Sea Shepherds. (At the same time, we get tons of grief from Sea Shepherd supporters for not working with them!)
Sorry for the long comment, but felt a correction was in order.
Hello Andrew, Willkommen.
ReplyDeleteLooks like you're adding background to the story, not really making any corrections to my reaction and commentary. It also appears that the Sea Shepherd guys have miscalculated public perception and generated sympathy for the whalers. Perhaps Greenpeace would have better luck "having a conversation" about their methods. I guarantee the transcript of those meetings would make headlines around the world, put the anti-whaling wing of Greenpeace in a much better light, and further isolate Sea Shepherds.
Honestly, a whaling vessel rescues two of their guys, and they repay them by throwing acid on their decks? I know protestors have a cause, but respecting maritime traditions would go a long way towards jumpstarting that conversation. Right now, all of you guys look like crazy foreigners trying to take away sailors' livelihoods. Political pressure on Japan works better coming from within their insular society, not from without.
Greenpeace has done well with helping bring back the populations of the Grey Whale in most parts of the world (not so much on the Right Whale), but you guys are not having a good year so far, and the faster you distance yourselves from the Sea Shepherds, the better.
Technically, the Sea Shepherds found their own people (story here), but in fairness the whalers did respond to the distress call.
ReplyDeleteWhile I am not a fan of the Sea Shepherds, I feel they have enough critics as it is without me piling on. And I want to keep the focus on whaling, not on tactics.
But thanks for the view from Japan. Is useful feedback.
Have you seen the Whale Love Wagon episodes?