Japanese open fire on Sea Shepherd crew

[Geoff_H]

My LE agency shoots and qualifies from moving vessels and it is not difficult to hit a man sized target from an unstable platform. Especially with a longarm weapon.

Mmm. Somehow I doubt any of the whalers have had your training to be honest. There probably isn't much call for small arms target practise for most fisherman - especially since it is illegal to own guns in Japan.

The boats looked around 50 metres apart on the video clip - I think thats well beyond the accurate range of most handguns even with both the shooter and target stationary. The fact the captain "didn't realise he had be shot" indicates to me that it would have to have been a small calibre weapon which further indicates how unlikely this whole affair is.

Given he was "shot" squarely in the chest, this would mean he would have had to have been directly facing the target too.. and we're led to believe he didn't see the shooter? Our eyes track activity, strikes me as very very unlikely he didn't see someone ahead of him pop up, aim and fire at him at the kind of ranges needed to shoot him in the chest. Didn't hear anything either I guess.

Furthermore, I don't see any reason at all for the Japanese whalers to shoot at him - what is in it for them? Warning shots or flashbangs maybe to make them think twice but shooting to kill? Hard to believe in my book.

I wish people would think more critically before issuing statements like this

I am very sorry to hear about any shots being fired at Sea Shepherd Captain Paul Watson. I have supported his team with fins. I admire and commend his teams' dedication to saving whales.

and at least recognise there is a high level of uncertainty in believing a press report issued by one side in a highly emotive conflict, especially given the past tactics of these "eco-warriors".

 

[Charlie99]

I would indeed be interesting to get a neutral 3rd party report of what is going on down their.

There are lots of discrepancies in the different reports, even on such basic things as what was being thrown. What most reports call rancid butter is described in other reports as bottles of butyric acid (which would be better described as concentrated essense of vomit/puke.)

The report of the bullet conveniently hitting his anti-poaching badge worn beneath his kevlar jacket is a bit hard to believe.

Making a hostile attack on another ship by launching projectiles of unknown substances is a pretty good way of getting a response.

It seems that some of the Sea Shephard crowd are willing and eager to become martyrs. If they continue to increase the level of violence in their attacks, the Japanese may grant them their wish for martyrdom.

 

[Kim]

Furthermore, I don't see any reason at all for the Japanese whalers to shoot at him - what is in it for them? Warning shots or flashbangs maybe to make them think twice but shooting to kill? Hard to believe in my book.

I think the Japanese said they'd thrown a few "flash-bangs" or "noisemakers".

Personally I think it's probably just Sea Shepherd claiming whatever to get into the news, because of the 3 day intercessional conference that was in London March 6-8. It certainly wouldn't have happened if Sea Shepherd wasn't attacking them in the first place though.

 

[wardric]

heck, I wouldn't be surprised if that "shot" was just a publicity stunt. Using false videos would not be new from eco-extremists

 

[D_B]

Anyone else notice the shape of the "bullet" taken from the vest? .. I know that a round will mushroom hitting a vest but that thing looked like a sphere, maybe hollow ... maybe related to flashbangs?
and if it did mushroom a bullet that badly, I would have thought it would have done more damage to him than a cut by his badge

 

[DennisS]

“If you don’t know an answer, a fact, a statistic, then ... make it up on the spot.”
— Paul Watson, in Earthforce: An Earth Warrior’s Guide to Strategy

Don't let the truth get in the way of the cause seems to be the strategy

 

[DennisS]

Almity,
They were rotten butter bombs - completely organic and harmless albeit very stinky.

Butyric acid, (from Greek βούτυρος = butter) IUPAC name -Butanoic acid, or normal butyric acid, is a carboxylic acid with structural formula CH3CH2CH2-COOH. It is found in rancid butter, parmesan cheese, and vomit,

This is the butter in the butter bombs. Butter bomb sounds a lot better than concentrated Butyric Acid bomb. Just a little bit of spin that can be explained away as misinterpreted, if confronted.

 

[Aquatic Eagle]

Follow this link to a Facebook group dedicated to supporting the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society.

Sea Shepherd Conservation Society Advocates

 

[Mr.X]

Follow this link to a Facebook group dedicated to supporting the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society.

Sea Shepherd Conservation Society Advocates

??? Need passwords.

 

[Aquatic Eagle]

Right, the group can only be seen if you are a member of Facebook. Did anybody see the pictures of where they think the shooter was shooting from? It's a spot that is very dark and you wouldn't be able to see the shooter even if you were facing him unless you knew where to look.

If the Sea Shepherd's weren't down there doing something, who would? Nobody else is trying to stop the Japanese whalers from illegal activity so why bash the ones that are?