maybe I can get a few of my friends in the Yakuza to pony up a few bucks and we can build a new YAMATO to go after that PHATTEST of PHARSICAL, PHLATULENT PHUCKS!
This has been one of my “if I won the lottery” dreams for several years. Imagine if someone had a fast ice class vessel bigger than their largest boat and just showed up down there. I would shadow them and constantly call out their position, heading, and speed on 16. When they need to unrep I’d harass the resupply vessel. Man this would make for an annual drunken good time great sea stories are made from. Southern ocean drunken bumper boats.
I would donate to that, yes indeed
Shipmates, I think whaling is morally wrong but the Sea Sheperd crowd is a group of environmental extremists and I don’t agree with them at all nor do I support them in any way!
btw the group’s leaders probably support this evil and revolting philosophy you guys may have heard about, “Voluntary Human Extinction”. It is exactly what it sounds like: they advocate that everyone should stop having children so humanity becomes extinct. I’m not kidding, there really are people who advocate for this:
wikipedia page explaining the lame and disgusting idea of Voluntary Human Extinction
and speaking of that link…lmao…sure enough, the VHEMT web site endorses Sea Sheapard, as seen on this page:
http://www.vhemt.org/links.htm
I think most human beings would find VHEMT extremely offensive. Life is a rare and beautiful thing, and it should be cherished and cultivated and spread throughout the universe. As the only species on Earth that is conscious, self-aware and highly intelligent, we find ourselves the stewards of life on Earth. Just as a fact of our existence. Ironically, these environmental extremists want to end that stewardship. Without us, life on Earth will eventually be destroyed when the Sun becomes a red giant, or by various impacts with comets or asteroids, or the next species that evolves intelligence may be far worse than the worst of humanity. I think we have a moral obligation to continue to exist, and to be good stewards of the Earth.
You guys might disagree with some of my ideas on green tech – I support solar, wind, geothermal, ocean thermal energy conversion, and of course nuclear power, and I support making ships greener as well (nuclear or hydrogen fuel cell for all, but of course natural gas is an EXCELLENT step in the right direction and I support it) – but I think we all agree that this Sea Shepard group is lame and stupid! lol @ them!
Why is whaling more “morally wrong” than other hunting?? Or slaughtering domestic animals for that matter?
Not all of the 73 species of whales are threatened with extinction, or being commercially hunted.
Here is the latest Whale population estimate by IWC: https://iwc.int/estimate
The main species hunted by Norway and Iceland is the North Atlantic Minke Whale, which is plentiful and not in any danger due to a few hundred being killed every year.
Iceland also take a small number of Fin Whales, but this is not a threatened species either.
The few whales hunted by Inuits in Alaska, Canada and Greenland doesn’t do much damage either.
In fact a lot more whales dies from being tangled up in fishing gear, or from collision with ships.
Maybe the biggest killer of whales of ALL species is from the whales becoming disorientated due to all the man made noise in the oceans, incl. long frequency communication with Submarines, Seismic shooting, Asdic and others.
The Japanese is the only nation hunting whales in the Southern Ocean. They are also targeting mainly the Minke, since they are small and the meat best suited for human consumption. Nobody is hunting whales for their oil anymore.
Sea Shepard is an aberration. Why the Dutch allow their flag to be used by these pseudo mariners is beyond my understanding.
Some years ago they tried to stop Norwegian whaling, but ended up clashing with the Norwegian Coast Guard.
They then went ahead and bought one of the civilian owned vessels used by the NCG, the former Whaler POL XIV, built 1950.
Converted to a Fishing vessel in 1966, then for Coast Guard duty and back to Fishing, before becoming the Bob Baker for Sea Shepard: BOB BARKER - IMO 5280540
Here she is doing her thing patrolling in the Arctic:
And with the Chief Pirate:
Medals were purchased from a thrift shop in Canada, I believe.
PS> OK I know, that is a different SSS ship, but I couldn’t resist putting up the picture of the smirking fellow in a fake uniform and medals.
This one was originally the Norwegian research vessel “Johan Hjort” and was sunk in June this year at her berth in Canada.
here are the SCUM that SSS should be going after
[B]Tuna: Caught by Slaves, Canned by Slaves[/B]
By MarEx 2015-11-12 19:04:42
Welcoming and warmhearted, Fijians and other Pacific Islanders can be lured into the dark side of commercial tuna fishing. “Would you buy a can of tuna that you knew had been caught by slaves and canned by slaves?” asks Dr Patricia Kailola, CEO of Fiji-based NGO Pacific Dialogue Ltd.
U.K.-based charity Human Rights at Sea (HRAS) spoke to Kailola to find out about the often-unreported abuses occurring on fishing vessels in the Pacific Ocean.
What is happening to the Pacific islanders that are being exploited in the commercial tuna fishing industry?
Many of the problems we see mimic those reported in other fisheries, such as the South-east Asian long-haul fishery. Trickery, illegal contracts and debt bondage (where crew members are obliged to “pay off” the cost of their travel and papers) and non-payment of wages, are common.
On board, the men can be expected to work 18 hours or more a day. They may face beatings for not understanding instructions and monetary penalties for “transgressions” or for not following instructions to the satisfaction of ship officers.
We know of captains withholding plane tickets and papers from hard-working crewmembers who have completed their tenure; they have attempted to blackmail them into working several more months without pay.
Yet even more fundamental transgressions of basic human rights occur. The food on board can be inadequate, and there are instances where clean drinking water is not available. When at rest, the men can be forced to share and rest in inadequate, cramped and filthy sleeping areas.
A lack of first aid equipment on board heightens the risk of health problems and accidents with fishing gear, and, as a result, deaths at sea occur. Arguments, fights and even murders among crewmembers emanate because of prolonged time at sea, frustration over work conditions, lack of news of families and an inability to communicate with fellow crew from diverse language groups.
These are the problems we are aware of, but we do not know the true levels of fairness or abuse and wretchedness in the Pacific offshore fishing industry where there are more than 3,000 vessels known to be operating, of which just 15 percent carry fisheries observers.
Pacific Islanders are often recruited because of their perceived strength. What makes them vulnerable?
Pacific Islanders are, as a group, welcoming and warmhearted. They are largely ignorant of the pitfalls of modern life and certainly of trafficking. People in settlements and disadvantaged rural areas grasp any opportunity that may come their way to make just that little bit more money.
Youth are particularly vulnerable. Children sent from outer islands or remote rural areas to live with relatives in towns to access better schools may be made to stay home instead and perform chores. Young people can become involved in begging or prostitution, and they may accept low wages in order to support their families.
Fiji attracts traffickers because of its dependence on the tourism industry, and Fiji’s geographic position makes it a transit point in the Pacific Ocean. There is a high level of poverty (40 percent), an under-resourced police force and high numbers of youth and unemployed people. Liberal visa requirements allow nationals from more than 130 nations to enter the country without a visa.
You have indicated that international conventions on labour rights are practically impossible to enforce on the high seas. What drives the industry to treat people so badly?
Human rights abuse in the fishing industry stems from several inter-related characteristics: the overall decrease in fish stocks, too many boats (including illegal, unregulated and unlicensed vessels), the increasing costs of fuel and bait, access to increasingly regulated markets and distance. Any savings are a bonus.
Access to large human populations, long periods at sea, largely unregulated recruiting agents and under-resourcing of relevant government agencies in manpower-supplying countries are parallel ingredients.
These issues have led to sloppiness and disregard of crews’ rights in some fleets and by some captains. We therefore believe there is a strong need for Pacific Island nations to demand and implement serious sustainable fishing practices and to penalize fishing companies that continue to exploit workers and ignore their basic rights.
Pacific Dialogue is beginning to speak out in two directions: advocating for the rights of fishing vessel crews on the one hand and protection of the resource on the other. What sparked this duality in approach?
Pacific Dialogue is speaking out – and we are speaking out with surprise that the industry, including its managers, has known about the poor conditions on some vessels for years but has allowed the status quo – yet has not identified the crews’ ownership in a managed and sustainable fishery. Surprise too that international human rights organizations have so far failed to speak out for the Pacific. Despite the Pacific Ocean’s size, the tuna fishery it supports cannot continue without scrutiny for much longer.
The commercial Pacific tuna fishery is immense. It is worth billions of dollars and has thousands – perhaps millions – of stakeholders. It is important to realize that three resources make up the fishery, not two: the fish, the vessels and the manpower. The industry’s willingness to recognize this third resource can be the missing key to resource sustainability and national food security.
To Pacific Islanders, the tuna that move through and within their ocean are hugely important: they represent the Islanders’ common heritage, their being, their ocean – and they are the Pacific Islands nations’ common, single tradeable item. The need to secure the resource, and with it the Pacific peoples’ history and well-being, is crucial.
Pacific Dialogue formed as a non-profit company in December 2009. What are you doing to bring about change?Initially, a group of us, active in other NGOs, got together, because we were dissatisfied with what was being done. Human rights and democracy advocacy has been on-going in Fiji – the country has experienced five military-inspired coups since 1987 – but we felt there was a lack of serious connection between urban-based human rights NGOs and the sustainable resources development concerns of people at a grass-roots level. Our aim is to link their concerns with the international human rights and environment conservation agenda so they can develop their own, local programs under their own initiatives and controls.
We will be advocating at the forthcoming Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission meeting in December. A crucial launching pad for our extended advocacy, however, will be a workshop to be held in Suva next year. This workshop will bring together a suite of stakeholders including legal experts, representatives of relevant organizations, crewing and fishing companies, former crewmen and fisheries observers.
The purpose of the workshop will be to identify the legal and administrative handicaps that impede the rights of crews (if they do) operating in the Pacific Islands region and to identify a course of action to overcome them while, at the same time, establishing the Pacific tuna fishery as a reputable and sustainable industry.
You should form up your own pirate outfit Cap.
It depends on what kind of hunting you’re talking about. Hunting deer is one thing (although I wouldn’t do it unless the deer population is becoming an issue), but hunting tigers and lions etc. – hunting for sport – is wrong.
Slaughtering domestic animals? 
I support slaughtering cows and chickens for food as long as it is being done humanely. I do eat meat btw. 
If you mean what I thought you meant, slaughtering dogs and cats, I would put that on the same level as hunting whales. 
Not all of the 73 species of whales are threatened with extinction, or being commercially hunted.
Here is the latest Whale population estimate by IWC: Population EstimatesThe main species hunted by Norway and Iceland is the North Atlantic Minke Whale, which is plentiful and not in any danger due to a few hundred being killed every year.
Yeah I don’t like any of it. A whale is a majestic creature. I loved hearing them on sonar. The technical term is “biologics”.
Although I tend to agree with you that the main problem is when a species becomes endangered, and it is not as bad if you’re only killing them in limited numbers for food. Like many things in life, much of this is shades of grey.
The Sea Shepard people aren’t familiar with grey. It’s all black and white for them.
Sea Shepard is an aberration. Why the Dutch allow their flag to be used by these pseudo mariners is beyond my understanding.
Yep, I agree, shipmate.
[QUOTE=c.captain;173533]here are the SCUM that SSS should be going after[/QUOTE]
The article is partly talking about things that is way back in time, but I agree that much of it is still going on.
I don’t think SSS is the right people to go after anything though. Ramming fishing boats with “slave” crew on board wouldn’t solve anything.
That, if anything, is what they are “good at”, isn’t it?
It is a sad fact that this is going on in full light of day in many cases. It is well documented in Thai fisheries, especially when they operate abroad. There have been several attempts at stopping the use of Myanmar and Cambodian crews on Thai owned boats and factories in the east of Indonesia. The Indonesian Government is trying to control it: http://www.indonesia-investments.com/news/todays-headlines/illegal-fishery-abuse-slavery-on-indonesia-s-benjina-island/item5487
Several hundred “slaves” have been freed in Indonesia earlier this year and the Thai owned and operated company responsible have been banned. But that is only a drop in the bucket of what is going on, incl. in Indonesian, Taiwanese and on fishing vessels under various FoC registers, owned by various companies.
When a Russian Factory Trawler sunk in the Sea of Okhotsk earlier this year, a lot of the dead were from Myanmar and Cambodia. I don’t say they were slave labourers, but I don’t think they received the same wages and treatment as the Russian crews.
In the early 1990s there were 8 Norwegian Trawlers fishing for Orange Roughy and Hake off New Zealand and Australia.
We supplied 4 Indonesians (Ambonese) as Factory workers on each vessel. They were not paid Norwegian wages but was otherwise treated like everybody else, given single cabins (which they didn’t like) and working 12 hr. shifts on the Factory Deck.
They were signed on 6 month contracts, but when the first bunch reached the contract period none of them wanted to go home.
We had to explain to them that it was against the Law to keep them on board any longer.
Why is there no checks when some of these vessels call in ports around the world? Well, most of them don’t call anywhere, except for docking and repairs. Otherwise they are resupplied at sea and the “slave” crews are transferred to other vessels when they do go for docking or repairs.
Not an easy thing to stop, but if these were Europeans or Americans there would be a VERY different reaction.