Paul Watson: Chasing the whalers - part 5

Oriental Bluebird after being defaced by Greenpeace activists. Picture / Sea Shepherd

ABOARD FARLEY MOWAT, SOUTHERN OCEAN - The Japanese whalers quit whaling yesterday with the arrival of the Sea Shepherd crew.

Yesterday morning when the Sea Shepherd ship Farley Mowat intercepted the Japanese factory ship Nisshin Maru, the whalers were 36 nautical miles inside the Australian Antarctic Territory.

When the Farley Mowat came within a half a nautical mile of the Nisshin Maru, the factory ship began to run north. They ran all day and they have not been whaling. As of 6.30pm yesterday (NZT) the whalers were 17 miles outside the Australia Antarctic Territory.

The Farley Mowat continues to pursue them.

The last time the Farley Mowat intercepted the Japanese whaling fleet, the whalers fled westward for 11 days and covered over 3000 miles. They went from the extreme east end of the whaling area to the extreme west end of the area.

When the Farley Mowat arrived in the morning, it appeared that the factory ship was off-loading whale meat to the Panamanian registered vessel Oriental Bluebird.

There are sushi bars in Tokyo in desperate need of 'research materials'. It appears they can't wait for the whaling fleet to return in March.

The Japanese whaling fleet is in violation of numerous international conservation laws and regulations. The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society regards this whale slaughter as an international crime against nature and humanity.

The bottom line - the whalers are on the run once again.

*Paul Watson is founder and president of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society.