Japanese open fire on Sea Shepherd crew

[Scubakevdm]

hmmmm....Lef, Chimay, Alligash, Corsendonk, Malheur.....which Belgian Tripel is best to simulate shooting from a moving ship?

I shall commence the scientific study immediately!

Actually I learned today I have roof rats, so I shall be up the attic with an air rifle tonight

I hope the roof rat shepherds aren't around!

I'm a big Belgian head myself. Let me know if you need someone to act like a whale, I'm there if you get Westvleteren No. 12.

 

[Clammy]

you kill innocent plants?????

murderer, MURDERER!!!

I'm not a vegetarian because I love animals, I'm a vegetarian because I hate plants!

Oh wait... I'm not a vegetarian... period.

 

[D_B]

I'm not a vegetarian because I love animals, I'm a vegetarian because I hate plants! ...

!

 

[wardric]

I'm not a vegetarian because I love animals, I'm a vegetarian because I hate plants!

)

That's sig line material

 

[Aquatic Eagle]

Well, I said I would watch that Discovery Channel documentary again to verify my statement that the Japanese have, in fact, been heavily involved in shark-finning. I watched the documentary from start to finish last night. Near the end when the narrator was talking about the decline of sharks, up popped video footage of a huge ship bearing the Japanese flag with lots of crew on deck fishing up long lines of sharks, slicing their fins off and kicking the finless bodies back into the sea to die. Then the narrator said something to the effect of "like this Japanese fishing vessel".

I believe that this verifies my statement that the Japanese are involved in shark-finning. I have never said they are alone in this activity but there were some in this thread that said that I was wrong in saying that Japanese are involved.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally Posted by Kim
Shark fin soup is actually a Chinese dish.

Japan is fantastic at maintaining marine resources. Their fish/shellfish farming techniques are way ahead of most others.
Their coastal waters in general are fished to a strict quota system that has ensured ongoing sustainability since histprical times. They still fish today, unlike the examples in N.America and Europe of entire fishing communities shutting up shop completely because they destroyed the stocks and the fish are gone.

If you think they are so bad at it, would you like to produce some actual evidence?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally Posted by Geoff_H
You're confusing China with Japan. I've never seen shark finning in Japan, or dishes based on shark fins for sale in Japan. Two very different countries... not sure how seriously we can take your input in this conversation if you've got misconceptions this big to start with.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally Posted by Geoff_H
I've lived in both China and Japan for several years each, and am pretty familiar with both Chinese and Japanese food - to the general detriment of my waistline! I've eaten both shark fin soup and whale, though I enjoyed neither and now boycott both.

I've also spent a lot of time in Japanese ports and costal areas (through my diving) and have seen dolphin slaughter first hand in Futo.

I would be very surprised if those documentaries showed what you think they did... do you have any links to a synopsis or outline of them?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As a sidenote, I saw something interesting at the end of this documentary. You know when the credits roll at the end and there is sometimes a "Thanks" section?

Sea Shepherd was on that list.

 

[Otter]

...snip... Iceland actually resumed commercial whaling a couple of years ago - and then stopped again - but they still conduct a yearly scientific hunt. I believe Norway resumed commercial whaling in 1993. Their allowed quota is 1052 Minke whales, although I don't think they hunt their full quota. So I'm afraid that your perception that - "Japan is the only country to have continued to do so" is actually very inaccurate, although from the threads posted on this board one might easily get that impression.

My source was the list of Scientific Permits issued by the IWC. I didn't realize that Norway and Iceland simply chose to ignore the process entirely.

It's odd that every time a whaling thread comes up it's the Japanese who are held up. I wonder why that is!!!

Xenophobia, prejudice, ???

 

[Otter]

I don't condone the actions of SS. I don't condone the actions of PETA. Like many of the various issues our world is facing, there is no absolute truths; no completely known facts. One operates on the best knowledge available.

Does 1000 slaughtered whales (or more assuming Iceland and Norway are still taking whales) going to upset the marine ecosystem? I dunno. Is taking 100 million sharks annually going to affect the marine ecosystem? I dunno? Is pollution (air, water, plastics) going to affect the marine ecosystem? I dunno.

Can I see negative changes in our marine ecosystem, yes. Do we make changes in our behavior that are logically consistent with stopping the degradation of our marine ecosystem, as long as it doesn't impact "us" (US - Kyoto, Norway -- Whaling), I guess not.

 

[Kim]

I didn't realize that Norway and Iceland simply chose to ignore the process entirely.

I actually thought that Norway and Iceland had pulled out of the IWC completely until a couple of days ago. Someone showed me that was incorrect.

What seems to be happening is that instead of going the scientific route to get a limited permit there is an "objections" clause. If a country formally "objects" they are no longer bound by the provisions of the IWC or something like that. Both Norway and Iceland resumed commercial whaling by way of such "objections" - although that doesn't seem to bother the anti-whalers on SB to anywhere near the same extent as the Japanese seem to.

 

[Geoff_H]

I believe that this verifies my statement that the Japanese are involved in shark-finning.

I love claims like this "I saw it on TV so it must be true". Right up with "I read it on the internet so it must be true".

 

[Aquatic Eagle]

I love claims like this "I saw it on TV so it must be true". Right up with "I read it on the internet so it must be true".

So...the Discovery Channel used computer-generated images of the Japanese ship bearing the Japanese flag and computer-generated crewmembers cutting off fins and kicking the sharks' bodies back into the sea still alive? No, I wasn't on the helicopter myself but I believe the next best way to see it with my eyes is video footage. If you'd like to find the video yourself and tell me what you see, it's called Great White. It is a Discovery Channel video produced by Artisan I think. Look for it and watch it yourself.