Thread: Sea Shepherd to build faster ship for Japanese whaling fight

Hardline marine activists Sea Shepherd have struck it rich, winning an $11.8 million gift that will help it build a new faster ship for its Southern Ocean whaling battles.

Dogged by slow vessels in the past, the purpose built patrol ship will be used for a future campaign in the Antarctic against the Japanese whaling fleet, Sea Shepherd said.

The gift came in an annual disbursement by the Dutch Postcode Lottery, which awards around 50 per cent of its proceeds to charities.

"We are now able to proceed with the purchase of our dream ship and lift our conservation efforts to protect the Southern Ocean from illegal exploitation to the next level," said Alex Cornelissen, chief executive of Sea Shepherd Global.


An impression of Sea Shepherd's new Southern Ocean patrol ship, designed by Dutch ship builder Damen. Photo: Supplied


The group has mounted anti-whaling campaigns since 2002 using a series of re-purposed ships. But the group said the fleet was aging and lacked speed.

While its long range ship, Bob Barker, has had no trouble keeping up with the pirate fisher, Thunder, over the past five weeks in the Southern Ocean, the whaling fleet has been able to out-run the activists.

"Sea Shepherd will now be able to have a custom-designed ship built, capable of achieving speeds that far exceed any of the vessels in our current fleet," Mr Cornelissen said.

Dutch ship builder Damen has drawn up a blueprint for the new vessel, which is to be built in Vietnam and take around 17 months to complete. Damen holds a patent on a wedge-shaped "sea axe" designed hull.

The project awarded the funds was titled: "Stop Illegal Fishing in the Southern Ocean". But a Sea Shepherd Australia spokesman confirmed the ship would be used in the anti-whaling campaign.

"The ship will be a game-changer due to its speed and technology," the spokesman said.

Japan has outlined plans to take a total of almost 4,000 minke whales from Antarctic waters in a new 12 year program of "scientific research" commencing next summer.

The new Sea Shepherd ship is expected to be in operation for the following 2016-17 season.

Federal parliamentary secretary for agriculture, Richard Colbeck, declined to comment on the group's new vessel.

Senator Colbeck said in a recent statement that the Australian Government did not support, and was in no way associated with, the activities of Sea Shepherd.

"No-one should be taking the law into their own hands," Senator Colbeck said. "The law of the sea must be paramount for all parties in all circumstances."

Meanwhile Sea Shepherd USA is fighting in a US District Court against a finding that the group was in contempt of an order not to approach the whaling fleet in a 2013 clash, and should pay damages and costs.

Sea Shepherd to build faster ship for Japanese whaling fight

They'll be wanting a decent one of these on the front:



& a few of these:

I'd like to see it armed with a few of these.

4,000 minke whales..??

Quite the "research" undertaking.

Originally Posted by Necron99

"No-one should be taking the law into their own hands," Senator Colbeck said. "The law of the sea must be paramount for all parties in all circumstances."

Hmm...

Originally Posted by Necron99

Dutch ship builder Damen has drawn up a blueprint for the new vessel, which is to be built in Vietnam and take around 17 months to complete. Damen holds a patent on a wedge-shaped "sea axe" designed hull.

Interesting...Wonder what size, how fast, and how much?...

Originally Posted by kingwilly

Sea Shepard

Shepherd, Will...C'mon, eh?...

ooops.

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

I'd like to see it armed with a few of these.

I thought the same thing but that the Japanese should use them on these environmental fanatics. We kill just about every species on Earth for food, being a nuisance or because some sickos think it's fun, what makes whales any different?

Originally Posted by BaitongBoy

Originally Posted by kingwilly

Sea Shepard

Shepherd, Will...C'mon, eh?...

I bet they're quite a profitable shepherd, as well....

Eco-hypocrisy as Sea Shepherd dumps 500ltrs of diesel into Trinity Inlet near Cairns

Eco-Hypocrisy as Sea Shepherd Vessel Dumps 500 Litres of Diesel Into Sea - Breitbart

^

A load of shit that story innit.

The crew fuked up, did not do that on purpose.

Originally Posted by terry57

A load of shit that story innit.

Most everything that comes from breitbart is.

^ Yes that.

Originally Posted by Hans Mann

Eco-hypocrisy

Noooo, surely not.

Originally Posted by terry57

did not do that on purpose.

Indeed.

“Using a piece of equipment that you do not understand is gross negligence. Sea Shepard’s motto here obviously was: Let’s just get this thing running (and safety be damned!)

“All the crew members came from an advanced technological country. It’s amazing how activists are always calling for more stringent safety regulations and environmental protection laws, yet they themselves can’t even adhere to the most rudimentary and obvious safety rules.”

fair comment.

Originally Posted by BobR

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

I'd like to see it armed with a few of these.

I thought the same thing but that the Japanese should use them on these environmental fanatics. We kill just about every species on Earth for food, being a nuisance or because some sickos think it's fun, what makes whales any different?

I don't give up a fuck about the whales, it's the opportunity to rid the world of a few nips that attracts.

Originally Posted by Bettyboo

Originally Posted by BobR

We kill just about every species on Earth for food, being a nuisance or because some sickos think it's fun, what makes whales any different?

Originally Posted by Hans Mann

Eco-hypocrisy as Sea Shepherd dumps 500ltrs of diesel into Trinity Inlet near Cairns

These aren't exactly anti-whaling arguments of any weight though, are they.

It kinda reads like:

A: I think whaling is wrong, especially when it's done under the guise of science while it's demonstrably to provide a food delicacy.
B: Yeah, but Stallone glorifies killing in his movies, and that anti-whaling bloke has a bad haircut.

No-one complains about catching fish, but we've decimated fish stocks all over the world. The Minke isn't even close to being endangered, so I don't really see what the fuss is about. Except you can't trust the nips, they'll kill anything, endangered or not, to feed their weird eating habits.

Be grateful the Chinese don't eat whales, they'd all be gone by now.

^^^Saving whales is fashionable. 500ltrs diesel probably killed thousands of smaller marine life, intentional or not.

Originally Posted by Hans Mann

^^^Saving whales is fashionable. 500ltrs diesel probably killed thousands of smaller marine life, intentional or not.

You are correct.

It's fashionable to save whales because they have a high intelligence (or at least we measure them to have) and thus treat them differently.

Shrimp and fish and sea cucumbers, etc, don't interest us much because we believe them to be stupid - different from 'higher form' mammals such as ourselves Although, I will freely admit that spending a few hours on TD will certainly challenge this conventional thought!
(not you, Sir, no, but some of the others...)

^I gets what you're saying about intelligence. I'm just not convinced about outfits like Sea Shepherd.

^ I can understand that. The likes of Greenpeace always leave me a bit cold too.

In another way, at least they are trying to something; it's better than apathy which seems to be the norm all around the world.

Originally Posted by Bettyboo

It's fashionable to save whales because they have a high intelligence (or at least we measure them to have) and thus treat them differently.

Pigs are smarter. We eat them.

Anti-whaling is a case of western imposed morals being forced on other countries.