CALL TO ACTION!!! Please share this video. If you feel inspired to, please create a video in response showing how you spread the word about what go’s on in Taiji, Japan “The Cove” and send it into Sea Shepherds YouTube channel! We are all Cove Guardians!

- Biaggo

Footage gathered by WSPA shows the brutal reality of whaling in Norway, and demonstrates why the international ban on commercial whaling must not be lifted.

Please support the Cove Guardians! 

I helped this campaign in Taiji, Japan.

- Biaggo :)

Miss these guys! Cove Guardians. I have the brown hat. 

Taiji “Whale Farm” will open in 5 years,  (Wakayama Pref.)

Yomiuri, 2012/2/27

Taiji, Wakayama, the birthplace of Japanese traditional whaling, is planning to open a “Whale Farm” where whales and dolphins are reared in a bay & visitors can interact with them. It is expected to open in 5 years time and draw 300,000 visitors per year. Criticised since (the premier of) a US movie which shot the traditional hunt with concealedcameras, Taiji is going to promote itself as “the town that coexisted with whales and dolphins for centuries.”

According to the plan, 40,000 square metres of Moriura Bay in the northwest of Taiji will be netted off to keep minke whales, pilot whales, and dolphins. Tourists will be able to interact with the whales & dolphins in a natural environment, where they can swim with trained dolphins or paddle about in sea kayaks.

The project is intended not simply to promote tourism, but also for research on cetaceans. It is planned to provide accommodation and research facilities, utilizing part of “Greenpia Nanki”, the closed resort facility near Moriura bay, and “Whale Beach Park” where Taiji Whale Museum stands. The idea is to designate the vicinity of the park as a “Research Area” open to researchers from Japan and abroad, while trying to breed cetaceans in the bay.

Taiji town authority will negotiate with the pearl farmers in the bay on the transfer of fishing rights.

As the first step of the plan, Kyo-maru No. 1 (812 tons), a decommissioned research whaling vessel that worked in the Antarctica, was put on display in the Whale Beach Park this month (Feb 2012). Over the next fiscal year, Taiji town will spend 250 million yen on improving the park and its surroundings.

Since Taiji’s drive fishery was criticised in the Oscar-winning US film “The Cove”, foreign anti-whaling groups have been harassing the fishermen.

“We would like to turn the criticism into an opportunity to tell the town’s history, and make the whole town into a whale-themed natural park and museum” said mayor Kazutaka Sangen.

Ambitious Ross Sea marine reserve bid

MICHAEL FIELD

A powerful coalition of international environmental organisations is today launching a bid to create the world’s largest marine protected area - much of it in New Zealand’s Ross Sea in Antarctica.

The 16 organisations making up the Antarctic Ocean Alliance (AOA), backed by Virgin entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson and UN Biodiversity Ambassador Edward Norton, calls for 3.6 million square kilometres of critical ecosystems in the Ross Sea to be protected from fishing and development.

AOA was due to launch their campaign at a reception in Wellington tonight.

Their study Antarctic Ocean Legacy: A Marine Reserve for the Ross Sea, outlines a proposal and rationale for a fully protected marine reserve in the Ross Sea, to become the keystone of the world’s largest network of marine protected areas and no-take marine reserves in the Southern Ocean.

“The Ross Sea is one of the most amazing and relatively untouched marine environments on earth,” said the Alliance’s Chuck Fox.

“While there are two proposals on the table to protect some of it, our report shows that we need a much broader and ecosystems-focused approach if we are to ensure this environment remains healthy and stable.”

The regulatory body responsible for the Ross Sea and the rest of the Southern Ocean, the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) has agreed to create a network of marine protected areas in some of the ocean around Antarctica this year and next.

AOA says CCAMLR meets with limited public participation and no media access.

Only minimal protection will be achieved through it.

“The fate of the Antarctic’s Ross Sea is likely to be decided by 24 countries and the EU this year and the global public knows nothing about it,” said Alliance Campaign Director Steve Campbell.

“Now is the time to protect this amazing environment but we’ll need the global public involved to make that happen.”

Antarctic waters make up almost 10 percent of the world’s seas and are some of the most intact left on earth.

Home to almost 10,000 unique and diverse species such as penguins, seals and whales, these waters are now at risk from the impacts of commercial fishing and climate change.

The Ross Sea supports large proportions of the world’s populations of some of the most well-known and charismatic Antarctic species, including at least:

- 38 per cent of the world population of Adelie penguins;

- 26 per cent of the world population of emperor penguins;

- 30 per cent or more of the world population of Antarctic petrels;

- 6 per cent of the world population of Antarctic minke whales;

- 45 per cent of the Southern Pacific population of Weddell seals;

- 50 per cent of the world’s Ross Sea killer whales.

 Taiji - Japan - Day 13 -  Rough, winds of change and good news.

Today we woke up to gloomy weather, misty rain and fog with a light wind. I was hoping today the dolphin killers would keep their boots inside. Without hesitation we met in the harbor to watch over the dolphin killing boats. Fingers crossed the rain was picking up as we stood there. All of the fishermen were surrounding their little bond fire. Rain or shine the fishermen will always show up, they are part of a fisherman’s union, then they decide weather to go out or not. Today was definitely a day  they should have stayed in. One by one they ran to their boats, i was almost thinking they were doing this just to piss us off. The death march of boats went out to sea, one by one disappearing into the light fog. 

The wind was picking up a bit and the waves began to crash harder on the rocks below. We scanned the horizon hardly noticing the ships on the foggy horizon. As the rain picked up we waited impatiently for a sign of retreat. Hours went by until we saw the cluster of ships making their way back. Another no kill day!! I love these days! 

I along with my motley crew of Cove Guardians went down to greet the fishermen with our cameras as they tied up their ships. There were police everywhere and people hanging out windows video taping and photographing us. It was apparent that the town thought we might do something extreme because of Erwins trial today. We were all going to go to the trial but the hunting boats went out and prevented us from going. 

We soon found out the verdict that Erwin was NOT GUILTY!!!

What a great way to end the day! No kills, Erwin out scott free from the Japanese prison system.

The only Sad thing today though is that it is my last day in Taiji for a little while. I have to return home and plan my wedding! I will be returning to Taiji soon along with many more people behind me. We will not leave until the dolphin and whale hunts stop. Its heartbreaking to leave for a little while but I know more cove guardians will be coming and there will be an end to the slaughters, it will just take patience and persistence. 

“if our oceans die, we die”

- B 

This is probably something most of you never knew about or have seen. Sea Shepherds other ship, a submarine. It was a Marlin S101, built in 1987. powered by a 50 HP diesel on the surface the submarine had a range of 200 miles. Originally built by U.S. Submarines’ Principal Engineer as a training vessel for the Swedish Navy. The sub was later sold to Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. 

Sea Shepherd later sold off the sub for possible practicality reasons and is now for resale at $375,000. 

http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/1987/Marlin-S101-Submarine-1692003/Vero-Beach/FL/United-States

Taiji - Japan - Day 8 - Unbelievable!  

Today started out like usual around here, wake up and be on the road by 5:30. We stand watch at the docks as the fishermen were cooking their dolphin meat around the fire accompanied by police officers. The sun was starting to rise over the harbor, It was panning out to be a beautiful morning. The fishermen untied their ships and casted off to start their hunt. They left the harbor like they always do, all in a row single file… a death march.

We arrive at the look out point where we can see completely north and south on the coast line. They cant make a move without us spotting them. The fishermen spent about 2 hours searching for dolphins and began to turn in one by one their ships started to appear on the horizon! Another victory for the oceans there were no dolphins killed today! 4 days of no kills!!!

As we watch each dolphin hunting ship head towards shore we noticed a grey ship being pulled by a tug boat up the coast line. There was writing across the side of it ” Research”?! It was a Japanese whaling ship! We all were very confused, could this have come of the southern ocean, was this the ship that was recently prop fouled? If so why was it being towed towards Taiji? We split up into groups and raced down to shore to see what this was all about. As we got closer to the slick ocean destroyer, we noticed it was the ship KYO MARU 1. We come to find out the this whaling ship was being tugged to the Taiji Whale Museum to be set up as a monument. It was being retired. Regardless of which ship this was I consider this another victory for the oceans, one less whale killing machine off the ocean.

More great news - I have heard that Erwins trial is going great and we can only expect to see and hear from him really soon! Also The court trial between Japan and Sea Shepherd has been tossed! So every hater of Sea Shepherd out there can walk away in shame as we come out on top again! 

No Kills in Taiji, Erwins trial, Court case thrown out and a whaling ship out of commission, today has been unbelievable!

For the Oceans!

-B

The Keystone Cops (Wakayama Prefecture Police) never cease to amaze me.  This is the second year we have been using our walkie-talkies in Taiji.  Same radio this year as last.  In addition, Erwin had one when the Wakayama Prefecture Police arrested him on December 16, 2011.  They had the radio in their possession for several weeks and it was even presented in criminal court.  No one seemed to think anything about it.

Then, on February 8, the Keystone Cops reacted!  We knew something was up for their finest investigators were hiding in the shrubbery that morning and filmed us through parted leaves.  Very clever they were for they caught us red-handed using the walkie-talkies.  Who would have guessed that on February 8 we would be using radios that we have used here every day?

They even paraded out the Chief of the Wakayama Prefecture Police for this event.  Perhaps he needed to come and supervise such a delicate operation.  Not a bad idea considering the level of competence they exhibit.  Well, it seems that our radios are not compliant for use in Japan and we have been operating an “unlawful radio station.”  Had we known, we would have called it Pirate Radio or Radio Free Taiji.

Why all the police and intrigue?  A simple notice that the radios were unlawful would have sufficed.  We ceased their use immediately and by the end of day had acquired compliant radios.  This caused us a minor inconvenience, but provided immense comic relief.

We have been told that the killers are considering shutting down (for the season) at the end of February instead of continuing through March.  Of course, we will believe it when we see it.  They did the same thing last season, but were killing Pilot Whales in early May.  It seems they make up the rules as they go along.If the citizens of Taiji have had enough of our presence, they can end the slaughter (for good) and we will leave.

We have also been told that they killers have reached their quota for Risso and Striped dolphins (275 & 450).  Our observations tell a different story though.  We have observed and reported a range between 221 and 242 Risso dolphins killed and another 29 enslaved this season.  If we take the high range, this makes 271 Risso dolphins taken from the sea and is pretty close to their quota of 275.  We have observed and reported a range between 334 and 356 Striped dolphins killed and another one enslaved.  Even taking our high range, this is almost 100 shy of their quota of 450.  We have no idea why they over report their numbers, but if they are interested in accurately reporting their numbers, why do they go through such trouble to hide their actions?  In total, their quota allows for 2,165 dolphins and other small cetaceans to be taken this season.  We have seen 615 to 663 killed and another 53 enslaved.  These numbers are down from last season’s kill and certainly down from what they have reported in the past.  This is shaping up to be another very successful campaign.

The killers have suggested that warmer than usual water off the coast has reduced the numbers of dolphins.  Perhaps there is something to that or perhaps 40 some years of wanton slaughter has taken its toll on the coastal dolphins near this part of Japan.  Taiji would not be the first Japanese town to have destroyed all of the local dolphins.  Perhaps the numbers are down because of our presence and the extra work that causes the killers.  Maybe it is a combination of factors.

Of course each death and enslavement is a horrific event.  On February 12, they harassed a pod of Striped dolphins.  31 were killed and 3 were taken by skiff from the cove and dumped at sea.  There were 2 juveniles and 1 adult dumped.  Who knows if the adult was their mother?   At first, we thought this was an attempt on the part of the killers to show sympathy for babies.  The way they went about it though has doomed them.   The police tell us they dumped the dolphins because the killers had reached their quota.

Erwin remains in jail.  The judge will render the verdict on February 22.  There has been tremendous worldwide response to the injustice and the numbers of Cove Guardians in Taiji is at an all time high because of it.  We will be here at least through the end of March and are making plans for a year round presence.  We certainly will be back by September 1.  Want to join us here?  Write to me at coveguardian@seashepherd.org.  I will be leaving Taiji soon and Melissa Sehgal will be taking the lead on the ground.

Scott West
Cove Guardian Campaign Coordinator