Smallscreen Features
Animal Planet's 'Whale Wars' shows West v East battle for the whales, June 5
By April MacIntyre Jun 2, 2009, 4:44 GMT
Japanese whalers at work. There is real tension between Japan and the West over this contentious issue of a nation\'s pursuit of a perceived cultural "right" and the rest of the World blowing the whistle, trying to end an antiquated, barbaric slaughter of an endangered intelligent mammal.
The battle for the preservation of whales is ramping up, documented in the Animal Planet series "Whale Wars," featuring the derring-do of Captain Paul Watson and the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society who works alongside him.
There is real tension between Japan and the West over this contentious issue of a nation's pursuit of a perceived cultural "right" and the rest of the World blowing the whistle, trying to end an antiquated, barbaric slaughter of an endangered intelligent mammal.
The series kicks off June 5th for a second season, as we rejoin the Sea Shepherd team on the open oceans.
Recently the team responded in the media to Japanese authorities who had admitted their fleet had turned hoses on the whale activists, who had hurled bottles of paint or rotten butter, but rejected claims that brass and lead balls were thrown at the protesters.
"If our crew can hit them, then they would be better off quitting the research vessel and joining a professional baseball team," Shigeki Takaya, an assistant director of the Far Seas Fisheries Division at Japan's fisheries ministry, said.
Captain Paul Watson responded: "When the next season of Whale Wars airs, these baseball player wannabes will be given their opportunity to show just why they could not be professional baseball players. Baseball is generally a gentle sport and there would be no room for thugs like the ones pelting our small boat crew with golf balls, brass bolts, and lead balls."
For 30 years, Captain Paul Watson has been at the helm of the world’s most active marine protection non-profit organization – Sea Shepherd Conservation Society.
His path began in 1968 as a seaman with the merchant marines and with the Canadian Coast Guard.
In 1972, Watson was a co-founder of the Greenpeace Foundation in Vancouver, British Columbia. From 1971-77, Watson served as first officer on all Greenpeace voyages, and on a campaign against Russian whalers, he implemented his idea of putting activists in a zodiac between the harpoon and the whale.
From 1976-77, he led all of the Greenpeace expeditions to protect harp seals on the ice floes of eastern Canada. Watson left Greenpeace in 1977 because he felt the original goals of the organization were being compromised, and because he saw a specific, global need to continue direct-action, conservation activities on the high seas.
In 1977, Watson founded Sea Shepherd Conservation Society – dedicated to research, investigation, and the enforcement of laws, treaties, resolutions and regulations established to protect marine wildlife and their habitats worldwide.
Since then, Watson has traveled and lectured extensively at universities and events around the world' he has authored six books, and been the subject of numerous magazine articles and was chosen by Time Magazine as one of the environmental heroes of the 20th Century in the year 2000.
For more than three decades, Sea Shepherd has been at the forefront of the whale wars, and is the most effective non-violent direct action group on a global quest to protect the greatest treasure of the seas – the great whales.
Last month, the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society vessel The Steve Irwin docked in Hobart, Tasmania, it was met by two dozen members of the Australian Federal Police.
According to Animal Planet, these Aussie authorities were there to confiscate hundreds of hours of videotape, launching an investigation into what was one of the most intense and dramatic campaigns ever conducted by the Sea Shepherds in their 30-year history.
You can witness all that real-life action in this new season, premiering on June 5, 2009, at 9PM (ET/PT).
Those seized tapes and hundreds of hours of other footage comprise the second season of the best-performing series in the network’s history.
Season Two follows the 10-week voyage that proves to be more dangerous and controversial than last season. This year, there were collisions at sea; tense times as The Steve Irwin, with its non-ice worthy hull, was trapped in ice fields; harrowing nautical maneuvers; and use of more aggressive defenses against the Sea Shepherds, including the use of high-powered water cannons and use of Long Range Acoustical Devices (LRADs), sonic devices that cause intense pain and could cause permanent hearing damage.
The Japanese whaling fleet suffered a deadly loss as one of its workers slipped and fell overboard (not during an engagement with the Sea Shepherds) and whose body was never recovered.
Watson and Sea Shepherd offered to help in a rescue mission for the missing worker, but the whaling vessels claimed they did more to interfere than assist.
“Whale Wars has proven to be truly compelling television and has engaged our audience with stellar storytelling,” notes Marjorie Kaplan, president and general manager of Animal Planet Media.
“This series has created a national conversation about conservation, while showcasing a group of deeply passionate people risking their lives for a cause. Our sophomore season shows the intense danger in battling the elements in a harsh environment as well as how perilous it is for these groups to engage each other at sea. Not only are the lives of whales important, but human life is at stake.”
“I have always said that we would do everything we can short of hurting people to end illegal whaling in the Antarctic,” says Watson. “We have done everything we could with the resources available to us this year. We shut down their illegal operations for over a month in total. We cost them money, and we have saved the lives of a good many whales.”
This season, in addition to returning crew members Peter Brown (First Officer), Peter Hammarstedt (Second Officer), Chris Aultman (Helicopter Pilot/Aviation Director), Laurens de Groot (Deckhand), Ben Potts (Helicopter Crew) and Shannon Mann (Quartermaster), The Steve Irwin is joined by Jane Taylor (Quartermaster), Luke Van Horn (Communications Officer), Andy Perry (Leading Deckhand), Molly Kendall (Deckhand) and Laura Dakin (Chief Cook).
These featured crew members help comprise the 40 international crew who spent the winter putting their lives on the line for whales.
Whales were once an American commodity, hunted by the whalers of New England for their precious oil and ambergris used to fuel the Industrial Revolution.
In addition to oil, whales, their blubber, and their bones were used to produce animal feed; cosmetics such as lipstick, soap and suntan lotion; perfume; margarine; candles and crayons; and clothing, using baleen for corsets, hoped skirts and umbrellas.
The whaling industry was romanticized in literature of the time. New Bedford, Massachusetts became the whaling capital of the world and was called “The City that Lights the World.” Of the 700 whaling ships that existed at that time around the world, 400 called New Bedford home.
Whaling fell off when crude oil wells and refineries popped up.
Despite the alternative fuel sources at the time, whales still suffered, and in 1930, 29,000 blue whales were recorded killed.
Today scientists predict that the population of humpback whales could have reached 1.5 million without commercial whaling, yet the current population lies at 20,000.
In the first episode of "Whale Wars," "The Sound of Ice" sees Capt. Paul Watson and the Sea Shepherds head back down to Antarctica for what promises to be their most intense anti-whaling campaign yet. When the ship’s gyro breaks, newcomer Luke Van Horn scrambles to fix it while a storm the size of Australia looms over the horizon.
The Sea Shepherds manage to locate the Japanese whaling fleet in record time, and the chase is on. But after missing a key turn through open water, Peter Brown takes the helm and must maneuver through a dangerous ice field.
To support the new season and engage an active fan base, AnimalPlanet.com will relaunch the series site and add new features including maps, a virtual tour, view and vote, tactics, history of whaling, top 10 moments, meet-the-crew logs and producer behind-the-scenes commentary.
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Older Talkback
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Surely direct force alone is not the goal of Capt. Watson, as he is a genius of media management. Truly a man of wisdom, courage, and a Twainian graspe of human psychology.
Is the Sea Shepherd Society serious?!?!? If you throw things at them, they will throw more back. And, as you probably learned in elementary school, the things they throw after you've angered them will be heavier and hurt more.
Start using some sense and do things diplomatically.
I live in Japan and most people here don't understand what Sea Shepherd is doing at all. People understand that some foreigners don't like whaling, but they don't understand why foreigners would use the methods of Sea Shepherd.
As a result Sea Shepherd is probably ensuring that Japanese whaling will continue, even if they are successful in reducing the numbers of whales taken each year through their harrassment. Watson is more likely to have a heart-attack and drop dead than the Japanese are to stop whaling.
If it wasn't for Sea Shepherd most of the world would not even know that this barbarity still happens. Japan thinks it is above the law and act like spoilt brats when critisized. Paul Watson and crew are true heroes and through their efforts Japan is allready being seen as a pariah nation.
Whales are delicious!
Maureen, Japan isn't the only nation catching whales. People from lots of other countries do, including the USA even. Sea Shepherd are a vigilante outfit basically, and I don't think their legal interpretations would stand up in court. I don't see how any UN charter could ever be reasonably used to justify what Sea Shepherd does.
You are kidding if you think diplomacy will win out.
What we see here is vestigial barbarism nothing more nothing less. It is at best a tiny part of contemporary Japanese culture that has been turned into a political football by Governments and the IWC. Sea Shepherd has not caused the situation but is clearly a part of the remedy.
Look at the Canadian seal slaughter that was variously sold as being a part of the culture and a valuable addition to the economy of the east coast. The market drops and what is exposed is a cynical Government exercise in subsidy and guess what culture goes out the door and very few bothered to slaughter seals this year.
The Japanese government subsidy attached to the whale slaughter is the same and the more Sea Shepherd and others keep the issue alive and interrupts the process the quicker this sad practice will disappear.
The fact that these barbarians are allowed to even enter the Whale Sanctuary highlights the disgraceful standards of both east and west politicians involved.
I think it is great what the Japs are doing, in fact, I would like to see a TV show of them and how they kill the whales and then feast on whale meat because we all know it is delicious and good for you.
Whales are stupid creatures that have no reason to exist on my planet anymore, when was the last time a whale did anything good for anyone? they just jump around so a bunch of tree hugging, smelly, unshaven, feel good about themselves, liberal ass clowns can take pictures of them and say ' Oh look how pretty'
The best thing we as humans can do is kill ALL the whales so we can harvest more shrimp and make a huge profit without those pesky whales in the way.
In fact, I think that the Japs should drop bombs in the water to kill even more whales and wound even more so that they will swim off and die faster. the faster we kill them the faster we can get our fair share of shrimp that these worthless whales eat on a daily basis!!
The pirate crew Steve Irwin did not intend to help search for the lost whaler. When their ship approached, with all lights shut off they started to maneuver erratically and obstruct the search for the lost sailor.
This group needs to be stopped before they injured more people. Or get someone killed.
Japanese Gaijin, I lived in Japan two years. I still have many Japanese friends over there. My experience was that most Japanese don't care about whaling in general. They don't understand why people are against it, but they also don't eat whale meat and couldn't care less if it was stopped. For them, it's a matter of national pride more than anything else. They feel as though Japan should be able to do whatever it wants to do, other countries' opinions be darned.
As for your statement that other countries, US included, kills whales, it is misleading. The Japanese and the Norwegians are the only countries that take whales for food and profit. Most countries don't come anywhere near the quota allowed for scientific research. Where populations do hunt for sustenance, it is indigenous populations that are allowed to hunt, and the number of whales taken is quite small.
At least the Norwegians are honest about flaunting international convention. The Japanese claim their actions are scientific, yet they continue to produce very little scientific research all while profiting from the meat that is procured. Killing the quota is not necessary in order to do science; the Japanese are simply exploiting a loophole. That they have the audacity to become indignant when they are challenged is offensive.
To those who have bad comments about the show or the people in at are closed minded people, if it wasnt for these people and others who actually do sth about it those. If only we could fish out japanese out of the ocean like they do whales, there is no need for what theyre doing. If you ask me the actions of the Sea Shepherds are not nearly enough I would only they could do worse things to those ships...
The solution is simple.
1. Go after the japanese in this manner. They are NOT using every part of the whale so that nothing goes to waste. Do they keep the bones? I doubt it, they throw them overboard once meat is removed. I have seen from videos that intestines and other organs are washed away out of bilges. Therefore they are in violation of the ban.
2. If this does not solve the issue then petition the ban to be reworded to state No part of any whale taken for research can go to waste AND no part of the whale taken for research can be sold for money and any item containing whale meat of whales taken for research can not be sold for any amount of money. All said meat must be given free of any charge to an organization that can distribute the food to those in the world that are starving.
I wonder how much longer the whaling would go on after this change was put into place.
This show is the perfect medium for bringing to light how brainwashed and stupid people are. What the Japanes whalers do is LEGAL by the authority having jurisdiction...PERIOD... It may offend you, it may disgust you, too bad, change the operating rules and regulations in the AUTHORITY HAVING JUSRISDICTION. Attacking other vessels with caustic chemicals, ramming them, trying to disable them, BOARDING THEM... all actions of a terroristic activity. supporting the perpetrator of these action just means they support their own pet terrorists. This dirtbag BRAGS about sinking ships using bombs, ramming them, attacking processing facilities, yet dirtbag supporters see this as perfectly fine. I guess it's fine til you get targeted by the NEXT brain-dead 'activist' that decides your car smokes too much, or you have too many lights on in your house. If you dont want LAW, go to some place that has no law..
or work at CHANGING the existing law. But you'd rather TELL OTHERS how to live, what to do, how to think...as long as you're the one telling, all is well.
Just dont be within arms reach when the ones you're telling decide to 'tell'' back...
with regards to billct's comment,Why should we kill whales?they are a tourist attraction to many countries and some whales are used in circus things!So WHY KIILL WHALES?
I have just found out that japan are coming into australian territory and capturing minke whales.That is sad because it is a sanctuary that australia has made for whales as they are against whaling as i am.Come on they are creatures like us!we don't go round killing eachother to eat.(maybe if your a cannibal!)Its not faIR on whales! ARE YOU WITH ME ON THIS?
Very nice site!
You have got to be kidding me! I love the fact when those idiots boarded that vessel last year and immidiately Watson puts out a press release saying they have been taking hostage. That in itself speaks volumes in the mindset of these geeks with no real job or responsibilities to speak of. There is no way that wasnt against every maritime law as well as considered piracy but no harm no foul to the feel good hippies. Japanese shoulda threw em overboard then oh my at the legalities THEY would have to endure. Cant wait for Watson to run up a man who cares as less for consequences as he does. THATS gonna be good tv. Maybe we will get lucky and he will find a pod of hungry whales and decide to make hisself useful for a change and jump in,,though if whales are that intelligent i doubt they eat garbage. Its late ,,gotta get to bed,,,going fishin !
Honestly, this show has worked to lower my opinion of the country of Japan greatly. I suspect that what the one poster said is true, most Japanese don't eat the whale meat, it's not important, but it shows a character weakness in their people and their country that they are indifferent to the slaughter they are causing.
We have a problem in my state with poachers who kill bears, remove the gall bladder, and leave the carcass to rot. One guess which country buys these black market bear gall bladders...Yep, Japan.
Just because they have some weird food fetishes, doesn't mean that the Earth's shrinking resources (which belong to all of us) need to be driven to extinction to sustain the exotic eating fetishes (and what else can you call this kind of consumption? Idiocy? Black Magic?) of the Japanese.
It amazes me that an otherwise modern country descends into this kind of 16th Century thinking when it comes to killing wild animals. The Japanese people need to get in the 21st. Century on this, and start to accept a mature, enlightened and scientific understanding of the world.
make a big slingshot to shot your bottles at the whalers
It's amazing to me that anyone is stupid enough to get on board a ship with watson. The man is an egotisical, manical, dangerous man. He puts lives at risk and acomplishes absolutely nothing except in his own mind and those of his followers; he should be jailed before someone gets killed
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MarkJun 2nd, 2009 - 06:47:43
The Japanese exploit a two loopholes in the IWC. The first is lethal research - Close this loophole, and then they will either have to give up lethal 'research', or risk becoming an international pariah by following Iceland's example and giving the IWC the finger.
The second 'loophole' is actually a *requirement* imposed by the IWC - the whale carcass must not go to waste in the event of lethal research. Ironically, this actually forces you to process the whale for food if you kill it. Simply create an addendum that the whale must be processed into pet food or aquarium/zoo food and cannot be used for human consumption.
Regardless, physical confrontation and attacks make for great sensationalistic television, but no mindset has ever been truly changed from the use of force. Diplomacy is the lasting solution, and the modern civilized solution.
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