UK Ocean Defence Newswire Archive
Greenpeace claims success on bottom trawling but what about enforcement?
12-05-2008 21:22
According to Greenpeace Ocean's campaign, The Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO), whose members include Canada, the European Union, Norway, Iceland, Russia and the US, has announced plans to regulate the activities of its fleets in line with a 2006 United Nations resolution. The resolution calls for urgent action to protect deep-sea corals and other vulnerable ecosystems from the impacts of bottom trawling on the high seas. The UN originally set a deadline for all regional fisheries treaty organizations to fully implement its plans by December 2008.
Norway Starts Whale Hunting Season
08-05-2008 12:54
The Norwegians murdered their first whale of the season this week-end. They slaughtered a calf. The Norwegian pirate whalers have set a quota of 1,052 whales for 2008. This despite the fact that the International Union for the Conservation of Nature estimates that Minke whale populations are only half of what was previously thought.
Jolly Roger - 2 weeks away
08-05-2008 11:14
The more people who come the better a chance we haveof future gigs at the venue, so come - it will be fun : )
Sea Shepherd Sets Conditions for Canada to Release seized Ship
26-04-2008 11:30
The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society today has set the conditions for the Canadian government to release the Farley Mowat. The 657 ton Farley Mowat was taken by armed force by agents acting under the direction of the Federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans in waters outside the Canadian twelve mile territorial limit. At no time did the Farley Mowat, a Dutch registered yacht, ever enter the twelve mile territorial limit. Therefore the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society considers this action to be an act of high seas piracy.
In addition to seizing the ship and terrorizing crewmembers on board with firearms and excessive force, the agents acting like pirates seized personal property of crewmembers who were never charged with any offense by the government of Canada. It is the opinion of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society that when armed men board a ship at sea in international waters and steal property at gunpoint that such an act can be legitimately defined as piracy.
Also on the newswire: Canada To Charge Sea Shepherd Crew For Documenting Seal Hunt | Sea Shepherd Crew Attacked By Mob Of Seal Hunters | Interview With Captain Onboard Sea Shepherd Ship On Current Seal Hunt | Canadian Coast Guard Rams Sea Shepherd Ship (twice) | Sea Shepherd Moves In On Canadian Seal Slaughter
Tuna traders shut down at world's largest fish market
24-04-2008 09:06
Five of the world's principal tuna suppliers were forced to stop doing business at the seafood industry's largest trade fair by almost 100 environmental campaigners this morning.Scuba Divers Pressure Goverment on Marine Bill
15-04-2008 10:26
Armed Canadian Coast Guard Storms Sea Shepherd Ship and Arrests Crew
12-04-2008 22:17
At 0700 Hours (PST) and 1100 Hours Atlantic time the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society vessel Farley Mowat was attacked by officers from two Canadian Coast Guard icebreakers the Des Groseilliers and the Sir Wifred Grenfell. Captain Alex Cornelissen informed the boarders that the Farley Mowat is a Dutch registered ship in international waters and that Canada had no legal right to restrict the free passage of the vessel through international waters. The ship was in the Gulf of St. Lawrence well beyond the Canadian twelve mile territorial limit. It has been reported that both the 1st officer and the captain of the ship have been arrested and will be brought before a court in Sydney, Canada. According to Federal Fisheries Minister Loyola Hearn, the "safety and security" of the sealers is the government's main focus and the seizing of the Sea Shepherd vessel will ensure a "safe and orderly" seal hunt. Last week, the same Mr. Hearn announced that Canada would lay charges against the captain and first officer of the anti-sealing vessel for coming too close to the seal hunt.
Captain Paul Watson was speaking by phone with Farley Mowat communications officer Shannon Mann when he heard the voices of men screaming for the crew to fall to the floor. The men carried guns according to Mann and could be heard by Captain Watson threatening the Farley Mowat’s crew. As Captain Watson was speaking with Shannon Mann, the Satellite phone went dead and nothing more has been heard from the Sea Shepherd crew. The Farley Mowat was documenting violations of the humane regulations and gathering proof that the seals were being killed in an inhumane manner. The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society is assuming that the video tapes will be seized by the Canadian authorities. There are 17 crewmembers onboard the Dutch registered Farley Mowat from the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, France, Sweden, South Africa, Canada and the United States.
Also on the newswire: Canada To Charge Sea Shepherd Crew For Documenting Seal Hunt | Sea Shepherd Crew Attacked By Mob Of Seal Hunters | Interview With Captain Onboard Sea Shepherd Ship On Current Seal Hunt | Canadian Coast Guard Rams Sea Shepherd Ship (twice) | Sea Shepherd Moves In On Canadian Seal Slaughter
Canada To Charge Sea Shepherd Crew For Documenting Seal Hunt
07-04-2008 09:54
Canadian Minister of Fisheries and Oceans Loyola Hearn has decided to charge the Captain and 1st Officer of the Sea Shepherd ship Farley Mowat with the "crime" of approaching too close to a seal slaughter without permission from the Minister.
The Sea Shepherd argues that their vessel has "right of free passage" through the waters they have been navigating in: "The problem for Hearn is that the Farley Mowat is a Dutch registered yacht not engaged in economic activity navigating with the right of free passage as allowed by International Maritime law in waters beyond 12 miles of Canada. .. If the Canadian government forcefully boards a Dutch registered ship in international waters that will not be looked on very kindly in Europe. If they actually arrest two Europeans for the "crime" of documenting a seal being skinned alive, that will not play very well in Amsterdam, Stockholm or London or Paris."
Also on the newswire: Sea Shepherd Crew Attacked By Mob Of Seal Hunters | Interview With Captain Onboard Sea Shepherd Ship On Current Seal Hunt | Canadian Coast Guard Rams Sea Shepherd Ship (twice) | Sea Shepherd Moves In On Canadian Seal Slaughter
Charity Gig (in aid of the sea shepherd)
07-04-2008 09:27
In aid of everyones favorite Pirates the Sea Shepherd.
the gig starts at 7pm on the 21st May at Junction 7 (canning circus) and will feature 5 good Nottingham bands.
Verbal Warning
www.myspace.com/verbalwarningpunk
Rebel Soul Collective
www.myspace.com/rebelrebelrebel
Synat
www.myspace.com/synatmusic
Manichae
www.myspace.com/manichae
Martin the Livewire
www.myspace.com/martinthelivewire
Sea Shepherd Crew Attacked By Mob Of Seal Hunters
06-04-2008 18:01
Sea Shepherd Conservation Society’s ship, the Farley Mowat, was attacked this morning by a mob of 30-40 angry fishermen. The attack took place while berthed in the French islands of St. Pierre and Miquelon. The Farley Mowat was berthed in St. Pierre to transfer video footage of the Canadian seal slaughter onto shore and await the resumption of the slaughter, which was temporarily suspended after the death of four sealers.
Tensions quickly escalated in St. Pierre as the growing mob hurled rocks, threats, and insults at crew members of the Farley Mowat. Cameraman Simeon Houtman was assaulted by an axe-wielding fisherman after stepping onshore to film the incident. "The fisherman raised the axe above his head with one arm and tried to knock Simeon back with his other. Simeon jumped back onto the ship just before the mob threw our gangplank into the water," said Peter Hammarstedt, First Officer of the Farley Mowat.
Also on the newswire: Interview With Captain Onboard Sea Shepherd Ship On Current Seal Hunt | Canadian Coast Guard Rams Sea Shepherd Ship (twice) | Sea Shepherd Moves In On Canadian Seal Slaughter
Interview With Captain Onboard Sea Shepherd Ship On Current Seal Hunt
03-04-2008 13:54
This is an interview with Captain Cornelissen of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society about the Canadian government sponsored slaughter of 275,000 baby harp seals happening now. Captain Cornelissen speaks about the efforts of the crew onboard the Farley Mowat to document the killing of seals and the interference they have encountered from the Canadian Coast Guard. Interview by George Cadman of Free Radio Santa Cruz. Length: 27 minutes 45 seconds. On the newswire: Canadian Coast Guard Rams Sea Shepherd Ship (twice) | Sea Shepherd Moves In On Canadian Seal Slaughter
Canadian Coast Guard Rams Sea Shepherd Ship (twice)
31-03-2008 09:21
The Coast Guard had ordered the Farley Mowat to not approach the area where seals are being slaughtered. When the Farley Mowat did not comply, the Coast Guard rammed the vessel near the port aft stern area. After the Farley Mowat stopped in the ice, the Coast Guard rammed the ship a second time in the same area of the ship causing damage to the plates in that area.
The Coast Guard has demonstrated extreme recklessness with this move. The crew of the Farley Mowat were engaged in documenting the slaughter of seals. They were not interfering with the hunt. The annual slaughter of baby harp seals has started off the east coast of Canada in Newfoundland last week. The slaughter of over 325.000 baby seals has been widely condemned around the world, but the Canadian government is ademend in its continued support for it.
Sea Shepherd Moves In On Canadian Seal Slaughter
30-03-2008 21:56
The annual slaughter of baby harp seals has started off the east coast of Canada in Newfoundland. The slaughter of over 325.000 baby seals has been widely condemned around the world, but the Canadian government is ademend in its continued support for the barbaric mass killings. The EU is said to pass legislation this year to ban the sale and/or export of seal products within its borders.
Last week, the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society ship 'Farley Mowat' set off from Bermuda to make its way to the killing fields. The last time the Sea Shepherd went out to confront the seal hunt was in 2005 when eleven Sea Shepherd crew were arrested. The aim of this year's 'Seal Defence Campaign' is to try and document the atrocities. In Canada it is a crime witness a seal being killed. Never mind going out there purposefully to document whats going on " It is a crime to take a photograph of a dying seal. It is a crime to video tape or film a sealer doing his grisly work. Unless you have a permit and the government is not granting permits. And the regulations that ban anyone approaching the slaughter are actually called the 'Seal Protection Regulations'."
Interview With Nottingham Activist On Return From Whale Saving Mission
28-03-2008 12:21
A Nottingham resident who joined the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society as part of their crew on the vessel Steve Irwin has returned home. Dan, who has volunteered with Sea Shepherd previously, rejoined in the middle of this year's anti-whaling mission against the continued Japanese whale hunting activities in the Southern Ocean. Named Operation Migaloo, after the only known albino humpback in the world, this was Sea Shepherd's fourth expedition to the remote southern waters off the coast of Antarctica and has been typically eventful.
In January, two Sea Shepherd volunteers were taken hostage by Japanese whalers. Then in March, several of the crew were injured when the Japanese military threw grenades onto the ship and opened fire on them. The Sea Shepherd ship Steve Irwin covered a total of 20,090 nautical miles (37,205 kilometers) during Opertaion Migaloo and made 3 return trips from Melbourne, Australia to the coast of Antarctica in 3½ months. In total, the ship was at sea for 83 days between December 5, 2007 and March 15, 2008. It is estimated that due to continued harrasment by the Sea Shepherd, the Japanese have not managed to get even half their whale quota this hunting season.
Canada Orders Sea Shepherd to Stay Away from the Baby Seal Slaughter
27-03-2008 09:41
Full article | 1 addition | 2 comments
Japanese Whaling Fleet Confronted By Sea Shepherd
03-03-2008 10:05
The crew deployed over two dozen bottles of rotten butter sending a stench throughout the whale killing ship that will remain for days. The crew also threw packets of a slippery chemical onto the deck of the Nisshin Maru. This will make it very difficult to cut up whales. The substance becomes even more slippery with water so it will be difficult to wash it off the decks.
Interview With Nottingham Activist In Southern Ocean On Board Sea Shepherd Ship
02-03-2008 12:40
Dan is an activist from Nottingham who has joined the crew on board the Sea Shepherd vessel Steve Irwin in a bid to stop the illegal whaling activities of the Japanese near Antartica. The mission, named Migaloo, started last December and after refuelling in Melbourne last month, the Sea Shepherd crew is back in the oceans, have managed to track down the whaling fleet and have been in hot persuit of its main vessel, the Yushin Maru No. 2 for the last week. Accoring to one of the crew onboard the ship "the weather is getting colder and we are getting many hours of darkness now. The Antarctic winter is creeping up on us. The seas are getting rougher and we are getting blizzards." We joined Dan via sattelite phone to ask him about his adventures..
Sea Shepherd Aussie Crew Prepared to Be Taken as Prisoners to Japan
02-03-2008 10:40
Sea Shepherd Receives Message From the Australian Government
29-02-2008 15:37
Sea Shepherd Finds Japanese Whaling Fleet: They Are On the Run Again
24-02-2008 14:29
The Japanese whaling fleet is on the run again. The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society ship Steve Irwin re-located the Japanese whaling fleet at 0600 hours this morning, February 23, 2008.
