Now I know most of you won't care...but nonetheless...
Theres a small Japanese whaling fleet in Antarctica's Ross Sea.
Sea Sheppard Protestors have hassled the fleet.
They left, then there was a fire (coincidental, but not regarded as suspicious) onboard the whaling fleets "mothership", the Nisshan Maru. One crew member of the Nisshan Maru is missing, and has been for about two days now, though it is believed he has not been lost overboard. Most of the crew have been evacuated to the support ships, with 20-30 out of 130 or so remaining on board. Theres also a bit of fuel oil and other nasty chemicals there, and the ship is right on the doorstep of one of the world's last untouched areas.
There seems to have been no formal dialogue between NZ and Japan, though ministers and officials have had their say...the area is a NZ antartica territorial claim and as I understand NZ has to help if Japan asks, according to various treaties/agreements.
The closest ship to the Nisshan Maru is the Greeanpeace vessel Esperanza, this vessel was going to the area to protest/attempt to disrupt whaling attempts. There has also been talk of asking the US to send an icebreaker from McMurdo Station.
The problem is, Greenpeace has (not formally) been called a "terrorist organisation"; by the same Japanese official who asked for Australian and NZ assistance.
What do you think should be done and who do you think should do it? What do you think NZ should do?
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Now, even if you're in the "fuck hippies" crowd, environmental shit is part of who you are here. But also, so is staying true to your word...sometimes belatedly, but better late than never, right?
Now I don't like the fact that I think this...I really don't like it, but I believe that even though the whalers are being cunts and fishing illegally on our turf, we should just bite the bullet; help their ship get back to safety and do what we can for the crews wellbeing, even if it means telling Greenpeace to STFU and tow the ship to Invercargill or Dunedin (the nearest reasonable-sized NZ ports) for repairs. Protesting and shit is one thing, but when lives are at stake it should be put on hold until everybody can yell at each other safely.
Damn identity conflicts aye...
Theres a small Japanese whaling fleet in Antarctica's Ross Sea.
Sea Sheppard Protestors have hassled the fleet.
They left, then there was a fire (coincidental, but not regarded as suspicious) onboard the whaling fleets "mothership", the Nisshan Maru. One crew member of the Nisshan Maru is missing, and has been for about two days now, though it is believed he has not been lost overboard. Most of the crew have been evacuated to the support ships, with 20-30 out of 130 or so remaining on board. Theres also a bit of fuel oil and other nasty chemicals there, and the ship is right on the doorstep of one of the world's last untouched areas.
There seems to have been no formal dialogue between NZ and Japan, though ministers and officials have had their say...the area is a NZ antartica territorial claim and as I understand NZ has to help if Japan asks, according to various treaties/agreements.
The closest ship to the Nisshan Maru is the Greeanpeace vessel Esperanza, this vessel was going to the area to protest/attempt to disrupt whaling attempts. There has also been talk of asking the US to send an icebreaker from McMurdo Station.
The problem is, Greenpeace has (not formally) been called a "terrorist organisation"; by the same Japanese official who asked for Australian and NZ assistance.
What do you think should be done and who do you think should do it? What do you think NZ should do?
...
...
...
Now, even if you're in the "fuck hippies" crowd, environmental shit is part of who you are here. But also, so is staying true to your word...sometimes belatedly, but better late than never, right?
Now I don't like the fact that I think this...I really don't like it, but I believe that even though the whalers are being cunts and fishing illegally on our turf, we should just bite the bullet; help their ship get back to safety and do what we can for the crews wellbeing, even if it means telling Greenpeace to STFU and tow the ship to Invercargill or Dunedin (the nearest reasonable-sized NZ ports) for repairs. Protesting and shit is one thing, but when lives are at stake it should be put on hold until everybody can yell at each other safely.
Damn identity conflicts aye...
Last edited by Pubic (2007-02-16 03:02:56)
<Why would we wanna save these Whales?
