'Whale Wars' on the Animal Planet cable channel

[Duffy12]

Has anybody here been watching this lately?

It appears that the Japanese Whalers are going to do something very desperate and homicidal in the next show after the ship 'Ady Gil' manages to successfully foul the factory ship's propellers.


From wiki:

Season three


At the start of the campaign, Marjorie Kaplan, president and general manager of Animal Planet, said in a news release: "The issues surrounding whaling in the southern ocean are important and complex. The majesty of these beautiful creatures and the lengths to which the Sea Shepherds will go in order to prevent whaling has made Whale Wars intense and vital television." She also said that Japan had denied requests to film on their vessels.[33]

In June 2009, Sea Shepherd announced its 2009-10 Antarctic campaign, called Operation Waltzing Matilda.[34] The campaign would include the record-breaking Earthrace vessel, now renamed Ady Gil in honor of the benefactor who helped acquire the vessel for Sea Shepherd.[35] The Ady Gil was a futuristic styled ship that held the world record for circumnavigation of the globe by a motorized vessel. The eco-friendly vessel usually ran on a low emission fuel "derived mainly from animal fat, soybeans or other forms of bio-diesel"[36] but was forced by operational reasons to switch to a more polluting petroleum diesel.[37] Pete Bethune, the operator, said that an agreement was reached with Sea Shepherd for the boat to adopt a support role.[38][39]
The Ady Gil docked in Hobart, Tasmania.

Captain Paul Watson and his crew of 40 left with the Steve Irwin and Ady Gil from Fremantle, Australia, and from Hobart, Tasmania, respectively, last December. It was well publicized that the Sea Shepherds had added more vessel firepower to keep up with the larger, faster and more numerous whaling vessels. What they kept secret, however, was that Bob Barker, famous for "The Price Is Right" and one of the best-known personalities in the world of animal activism, donated funds to purchase a third vessel to add to the Sea Shepherd's fleet. Ironically, the ship is a former Norwegian whaling vessel but has since been renamed and refitted. With a crew of 26 and led by Captain Chuck Swift and first officer and Whale Wars veteran Peter Hammarstedt, the Bob Barker was docked off the coast of Africa on the island nation of the Republic of Mauritius, until it was ready to join its Sea Shepherd colleagues and engage in a surprise "engagement" to stop whaling.

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The three ships of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society.


Steve Irwin





Bob Barker





Ady Gil







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[cheaitsjustin]

I love this show! I got hooked after watching one episode. I haven't watched yesterday's episode yet though.

[LordCrumb]

Wow I wonder whats going to happen?

[Show spoiler]I'm guessing the Ady Gil will sink and some guy will think he is the police and board a Japanese boat... I bet $50.

[Elandyll]

Love the show as well. The hypocrisy of the Japanese Whalers is astounding really.
Unfortunately what happened to the beautiful ship Ady Gil is now part of the news since January.

[Show spoiler]
The Japanese used their sound weapon and water canons, apparently resulting in the Ady Gil being stranded. They then rammed it (or refused to avoid it depending on how you see it), crushing the front of the boat.
http://www10.nytimes.com/2010/01/07/...ales.html?_r=5

Following this, the captain of the Ady Gil tried a "grand" gesture by jumping on board that same Japanese ship to mock a citizen's arrest of the captain.
He was detained and was since arrested for "piracy" and awaits trial in Japan.

[Duffy12]

Originally Posted by Elandyll

Love the show as well. The hypocrisy of the Japanese Whalers is astounding really.
Unfortunately what happened to the beautiful ship Ady Gil is now part of the news since January.

[Show spoiler]
The Japanese used their sound weapon and water canons, apparently resulting in the Ady Gil being stranded. They then rammed it (or refused to avoid it depending on how you see it), crushing the front of the boat.
http://www10.nytimes.com/2010/01/07/...ales.html?_r=5

Following this, the captain of the Ady Gil tried a "grand" gesture by jumping on board that same Japanese ship to mock a citizen's arrest of the captain.
He was detained and was since arrested for "piracy" and awaits trial in Japan.

I cannot imagine them getting too far with that trial, since there is that video of

[Show spoiler]the Japanese whalers attempting to murder the crew by running over their stranded boat.

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[Zvi]

I wholeheartedly agree with South Park's assessment of the show, and P. Watson.
I tried to watch S2 finale, it was really boring.
Faking being shot was just lame, really low and obviously there is a lot done on the show just for drawing media attention.
Some of the crew seem to be in it for real, but I do have an impression that Watson and few others are in it primarily for media attention.
In the end, that dude risks lives, and btw never his own. Can't say he's original either, loyal, naive followers always make good cannon fodder.

[Bunker]

This is my favorite comedy on TV.

[Duffy12]

Originally Posted by Zvi

I wholeheartedly agree with South Park's assessment of the show, and P. Watson.
I tried to watch S2 finale, it was really boring.
Faking being shot was just lame, really low and obviously there is a lot done on the show just for drawing media attention.
Some of the crew seem to be in it for real, but I do have an impression that Watson and few others are in it primarily for media attention.
In the end, that dude risks lives, and btw never his own. Can't say he's original either, loyal, naive followers always make good cannon fodder.

Nancy Dewolf Smith of The Wall Street Journal wrote: "What is shocking at first is how unprepared most of these people are for their self-appointed mission as planet savers. Although the word "deadly" is used often to underscore the risks the crew face, alone out in the wild Antarctic seas – their own incompetence can seem the most frightening."


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[Duffy12]

And regarding the trial of the Ady Gil's captain:



From wiki:

[Show spoiler]
Arrest, trial, and conviction

On February 15, 2010, Bethune boarded the Shōnan Maru 2 claiming to be conducting a citizen's arrest on her captain, Hiroyuki Komiya, alleging attempted murder and to present a claim for $3 million for the loss of his vessel.[22][23] Japan's Institute of Cetacean Research issued a statement calling it a publicity stunt.[24] He used a jet ski to approach the ship then climbed onto its deck after cutting through an anti-boarding net that was draped around the hull. He was detained by the ship's crew and taken to Tokyo, where he was arrested by the Japanese Coast Guard on March 12 on charges of trespassing.[25][26][27][28]

On April 2, 2010, Bethune was indicted in Japan on five charges; trespassing, assault, illegal possession of a knife, destruction of property and obstruction of business.[29] The assault charge is based on the allegation that he threw a bottle of butyric acid onto the Shonan Maru 2 days before the boarding, causing chemical burns to a whaler's face.[30] The Sea Shepherd group claims the burns were self-inflicted when the crewman was shooting pepper spray at the protesters.[31] Bethune could have faced up to 15 years in prison if found guilty of injury, or up to three years if found guilty of trespass.[32] Bethune's lawyer claims the charges are unfounded and states that his client will strongly deny them.[30] He was held without bond in the maximum security Tokyo Detention Centre while he stood trial.[33][34]

Bethune's trial began on May 27.[35] Bethune was charged with intruding on the ship, forcibly obstructing business, violating the Firearms and Swords Control Law and damaging property.[36][37]

Several major newsmedia reported that Bethune pleaded guilty to four charges[38][39] while other reported that he admitted four charges[40] or that he conceded four of the charges but has contested an assault charge.[41] Newsreview.com claims that Bethune did not "plead" guilty as there is no such thing as a plea in Japanese criminal proceedings and he and his Japanese lawyers claim that Sea Shepherd's actions are protected by the United Nations World Charter for Nature, which allows private organizations to interfere in government-like ways in the interest of the environment.[42] Though he admitted to launching a projectile of butyric acid,[43][44] he contested the assault charge against him on the grounds that he lacked intent to injure the ship's crew. In his tearful final statement delivered on June 10, Bethune said: "I did not have the intention of hurting crew members. I took action because I wanted to stop Japan's illegal whaling."[45] Prosecutors demanded a sentence of two years in prison.

The Labour Party's Chris Carter accused the New Zealand Government of "washing their hands of the fate" of Bethune.[46] Bethune has received visitations from consular staff. Prime Minister John Key said "...it's worth noting that I can't get involved in a prosecution in another country any more than I can get involved in a prosecution in New Zealand. What I can do is make sure the person is being treated fairly."[47]

On June 4, Sea Shepherd announced that it was no longer going to be formally associated with Bethune since a bow and arrows were on the Ady Gil during the anti-whaling operation. The group does not believe that the weapon was intended to be used against any person.[48] Sea Shepherd said it would continue to support Bethune during the trial in Japan.[49] On July 7, Pete Bethune was given a two-year suspended sentence. In addition, he was banned from Japan for five years.[50][51] Bethune was deported to New Zealand on July 9.[52]



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[Zvi]

I figure for some of those dudes jail is better fate than dying in the sea following the orders of some lying egomaniac.
And if not the Discovery TV show, their numbers would've been thinner. I'm all for freedom of speech, personal freedom and all that, but in this case the show(WW) is really doing disservice.

[Hi-Def Steve]

I love the show. Love it.

[perdition]

the anti-whalers group is a bunch of morons. I love seeing bad things happen to them.

[Duffy12]

Originally Posted by perdition

the anti-whalers group is a bunch of morons. I love seeing bad things happen to them.

And I suppose the whales too.


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[perdition]

its just the way it works. i don't see them going to chicken and cow farms and stopping them from making the beef and chicken that feeds our nation.

[Duffy12]

Originally Posted by perdition

its just the way it works. i don't see them going to chicken and cow farms and stopping them from making the beef and chicken that feeds our nation.

Well, I wish that I could say that I am a vegetarian, but unfortunately I am not.


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[perdition]

Originally Posted by Duffy12

Well, I wish that I could say that I am a vegetarian, but unfortunately I am not.

smart man

[Kyo28]

What these Sea Sheperds are doing is completely irresponsible and puts human lives at risk, both their own and that of the Japanese whalers.

The sinking of the Ady Gil was actually the fault of the Sea Sheperds themselves as they tried to cut off a Japanese whaling vessel, which was unable to avoid a collision. They only taped the last part, making it seem like it was the whalers who were trying to ram them. It's an irresponsible, dangerous, act and I hope the captain of the Ady Gil gets sentenced for his reckless behavior.

The debate regarding whaling is a very complex one. There are nations who favor a complete stop of whaling, but there are others who favor the use of a quota, as is the case for many other fish species worldwide that could be in danger of extinction due to overfishing. The difference with fish like shrimp and the likes is that only a handful of nations eat whale meat, and as such those nations are very isolated in their requests for a quota (which would allow those countries to fish but within certain limits while at the same time preserve the whales from extiction). The same 'whale preservation' groups are actually the ones doing their utmost to block such an agreement.

What Japanese whalers currently do is not against international law as they are allowed to go after whales for scientific purposes. It's a legal loop hole they make use of but nonetheless, they are within legal boundaries. What the Sea Sheperds do however is illegal: they have no right to block other vessel's passage, put lives in danger or perform 'citizens arrests'. They also bombard whaling vessels with various kinds of objects, again putting lives at risk. If they think treaties are being broken, they should file a complaint to the authorities and let them deal with it, as law requires.

I can sympathize with the drive some people have to preserve our world's natural resources and species. However, there are two sides to the coin and whale meat is to the Japanese what beef is to western people. Can you imagine if cows were labelled an endangered species that you can't have beef anymore all of a sudden? Whale meat is as much part of their culture as is rice or soy sauce, so ideally a balance should be achieved that allows Japanese to hunt whales to a limited extent while also preserving the species.

It seems this show depicts a very one-sided point of view of the argument and borders on sensationalism.

[Offender_Mullet]

Looked like something out of a Bond movie. That was one sweet boat, too bad it was wasted on such a feeble cause.



Now it's.....under the sea!

[PrivatePixel]

Originally Posted by Offender_Mullet

Looked like something out of a Bond movie. That was one sweet boat, too bad it was wasted on such a feeble cause.

"The only kind of dignity which is genuine is that which is not diminished by the indifference of others." - Dag Hammarskjold

Say what you will, but at least Pete Bethune is standing up for something.

[Zvi]

Originally Posted by PrivatePixel

"[I]Say what you will, but at least Pete Bethune is standing up for something.

Just standing up for "something" doesn't mean much. Depends what's he standing up for.
There's Taliban standing up for sharia laws cutting off hands and ears... Willing to sacrifice their lives for that. So, what, we have to sympathize because they're standing up for something they believe in?

It's more than obvious those guys are dong everything to get media attention, and if one of them gets killed, Watson will be very happy. Better than faking being shot anyway.