Three years is a bit rich for boarding a ship. It is not piracy given there were three men against a whole bevy of Japanese crewmen. Clearly it is a protest action - let's not get ahead of ourselves and run away with delusions of 'justice'.

What about the Japanese conducting illegal whaling activities in ocean conservation areas and in territorial waters? Any thoughts as to how much prison time illegal whalers should receive - if we are being evenhanded.

The Australian Government is not acting, but practically from diplomacy aspect I acknowledge it is not straightforward.

The whaling industry is highly subsidised in Japan and the fishing industry has a strong influence on government. Australia treads lightly around the issue making bold statements but very little follow up action. Sending out the customs ship Ocean Viking to patrol the protected zones would go a lot further and bring with it the advantage of an official authority.

At least the Sea Shepherd group (albeit they are not perfect) is actually doing something about it, continuing to bring attention to these illegal activities, even if you disagree with their means.

I must confess to a certain ambivalence about this.
I hate the whaling trade. And in the Japanese case they cannot even argue that it's traditional as is true for, say, the Norwegians, because whale meat was only introduced to the Japanese diet after WW2 to meet a protein shortage.
This is about a highly profitable industry. Oh, and it's also about face, and its potential loss.
On the other hand, I passionately believe in the rule of law, and so, once these three broke the law in a serious and probably dangerous - to themselves, if nobody else - way, then they lost my support.
I also would argue that the way whales are killed is at least as inhumane as the way cattle were in the recent Indonesian cattle export debacle. Australians didn't tolerate that commercial cruelty so it's reasonable that we should be unwilling to accept this commercial cruelty.
I do support the Sea Shepherd tracking and documenting the Japanese whaling activities and if they can legally disrupt their activities without - too much - risk, then good luck to them.
But, in the end, either we're a law abiding society or we're not.
Anthony
http://www.observationpoint.com.au

Well now we have it.

The Oz tax payer is going to spend a couple of hundred thousand to bring these cowboys back to Oz. That is sure to lower the gene pool some what.

The least this hopeless government could do is demand payment from them & the ships that put them there, for the cost of collecting them.

The sea Shepard ships should be confiscated, & held pending payment of these costs, & sold off to recover the funds, if payment is not received immediately.

This organization & the current officers should not be permitted to bring any ship into Oz waters for many years.

I am just so sick of bull sh1t, & pandering to ratbags masquerading as greenies.

What an odd bunch we are, to be sure.

The newspapers are filled for weeks with the antics of an Aussie kid who bought dope in a foreign country. From our national reaction, you'd think he had been volunteering his help to the handicapped, instead of breaking the laws of the nation that he had graced with his presence.

Now we must go through the same process over a bunch of smug punters who take the law into their own hands on the high seas. It is disappointing that the Japanese have let them go. They should have at least stood trial, especially at a time when paranoia over piracy is at a high level. And I sincerely hope that the Australian taxpayer is not footing a bill for these guys. That would be nothing less than theft.

Why do we have this bizarre sense of entitlement that we should be treated as special cases, and that other countries make an exception for us, simply because we are Australian? It's all a little... colonial, really.

Below is taken from another forum so I cannot vouche for accuracy.

Whales taken-:

**Japan has taken approx 10,000 whales over the past 26 years average 384 per year

**Faroe Islands take 950 Long Finned whales each year.
**Greenland takes 175 Minke whales each year
**Iceland takes 30 Minke and 9 Finn whales
**Norway takes 1286 Minke whales each year
**USA-Alaska takes around 50 Bowhead whales each year.
**Canada-Canadian whaling is carried out in small numbers by various Inuit groups around the country and is managed by Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Harvested meat is sold through shops and supermarkets in northern communities where whale meat is a component of the traditional diet

and even the Russian have been taking whales

Isn't there an island near Iceland that regularly harvest pilot whales?

It has also been stated there are about 100,00 Minke whales, so it seems there can be some sustainable harvesting.

For those totally opposed to whaling. What about the poor little krill that the whales devour in the millions, alive! Don't they deserve a life without being eaten. You care not about them!

Dissappointed to read that our government has dispatched a customs vessel to meet up with the Jap ship and the fools transfered. This could take a few days but we are to get the idiots back far sooner than I wouild like. This will only encourage more idiots. You can bet they will not have to pay any costs either. Dammit

whale poop..the best carbon capture means we have
[whatever they poop out...captures the c02]

because their fecies are laden with iron oxide
suspended by fatty matter..that keeps it right where the micro planton need it to be to send the carbon to the bottum of the sea

we talk of protecting for-rests
but its about the whale poop
figure out the c02 tax on that

one dead whale=100's of tons
[1000's of ton's per whole of whale..life time
times..each whale...its petty stuff..you punitive nanny staters

much better we drop a few nukes on the nips
or fire bomb them to death in their cities

100's of millions died in wars
much better than 3 guys hitching a ride with the police..man
acting as look out,..and protection for looters dioing illegal activities

he who rides the get away car
is just as guilty...these guys arnt getting released..to let them go home

but to let the lookout
run its interferance

we dont care the money
donated to the sunami..is spent on whaling

morally to take risk..to save life
is worthy..and those condoning excess...
pick the justice they will recieve..[as they gave it]

what nukes worked better?
ya lot of appoligists..faculitating criminal activity..[murder most vile...in areas we lay claim to]..if the strong man dont protect his rights

he has none