Maritime double standards

[j.sabourn]

I see by one of our news broadcasts that our ex. Federal Leader of the Greens is to join the crew of the Sea Shepherd for to my way of thinking in taking illegal action against the whalers. To my way of thinking apart of what anyone thinks about whaling in general, shows how incompetent and two faced our politicians are, especially of the party concerned. Incompetent that they couldnt get the necessary laws passed through whatever Authority governs the subject and also how they fall back on bullying tactics to try and enforce what they they were unable to do in a proper manner. My belief is and always will until the re-issue of privateers charters going back to Elizabethean times. I also believe every ship is legally allowed to protect itself so some of the illegal maritime aggravation against the whalers of whatever nationality, then they are quite justified in returning the same, personally if I was on one of them and found myself threatened by such would have no hesitation in putting an explosive harpoon through the threatening ships wheelhouse window. They now have a good target to aim for. The same person some time ago welcomed one of these greenpeace ships in another part of Australia which had been reinforced with angle irons extending over the ships bows for the stated purpose of ramming. This was on National television and is proof of this, if hasnt been destroyed. To think of the maritime laws in place that are there to protect shipping and which are not being enforced makes me wonder at times. I will also point out that I am against whaling on a personal view, but do not view Greenpeace and the people manning their vessels as anything but aggressors and may live to see what their actions may cause. I certainly do not look at them in a kindly light, and they do not reflect my views. Regards John Sabourn

[happy daze john in oz]

Visited one of Greenpeace shisp here in Melbourne a few years back. Talking with the crew about the Whale hunting and hwo they might stop it. Easy said one of the crew, all we need is one torpedo and that will fix it all, blow them out of the water. I know that may not be possible but the attitude of the crew at thta time awas such that had they been able to get one they would have used it.

[John Cassels]

I thought Greenpeace and the Sea Shepherd organisation were two different entities and that there was no love lost
between Watson and Greenpeace !.

[j.sabourn]

Your probably right wouldnt really know. Only know what I saw on tv program of our late politician welcoming Watson after they showed on TV how he was boasting how he was going to ram into the whalers with his angle iron battering ram. Believe Watson has been charged in Chile or somewhere of menacing some fishing boat years ago, so there is still time to bring other charges against him, that is if any government has the intelligence to do so. Cheers John Sabourn

[robpage]

I thought Greenpeace and the Sea Shepherd organisation were two different entities and that there was no love lost
between Watson and Greenpeace !.

Sea Shepherd Conservation Society was formally incorporated in the United States in 1981 in the state of Oregon. Previous to this, the idea of Sea Shepherd was formed when Captain Paul Watson founded the Earth Force Society in 1977 in Vancouver BC, Canada. The original mandate of both organizations was marine mammal protection and conservation with an immediate goal of shutting down illegal whaling and sealing operations, but Sea Shepherd later expanded its mission to include all marine wildlife..

Greenpeace's underlying goal of all our work is a green and peaceful world - an earth that is ecologically healthy and able to nurture life in all its diversity.

I dont disagree with either of the goals of these organisations but I vehemently oppose actively interfering with the free movement of shipping , whether you agree with Japanese an Faroe Island Whaling or not , it is not illegal , what these guys do by endangering the seafarers on the whalers is