World Ocean Defence

News From Our Oceans

Rossport - Solitare leaves Irish waters with no pipeline laid!

On Friday the 20th September, the pipe laying ship, the Solitaire, finally left Irish waters. During the ship's time in Ireland, Shell failed to lay any part of the offshore pipe line. The departure of the Solitaire is a massive victory for the Shell to Sea campaign. Resistance in the past six weeks has taken many different forms: fishermen preventing the ship's access to the bay by refusing to move from her path, site invasions by local people and the Rossport Solidarity Camp, numerous waterborne actions to prevent work by supporters from other parts of Ireland and further afield, national and international solidarity actions and finally, an 11 day hunger strike by local campaigner Maura Harrington, that continued until the ship left Irish waters. The events of the last 6 weeks have inspired not only those involved, but also many who witnessed them from afar, new links and friendships have been forged and many lessons learned. In the aftermath, the Shell to Sea campaign can clearly be seen to have been revitalized, both locally and nationally. It is unclear when the ship will attempt to return to Broadhaven Bay. It is possible it could still be this year if repairs are quick and a suitable weather window appears, or it may not be until next spring. However, while it may be uncertain exactly when the ship will return, what is certain, is that it will meet even greater opposition upon its next arrival. Come and be part of it! The Rossport community is calling on people everywhere to put pressure on Shell, Allseas (the company that owns the Solitaire) and Irish embassies to demand that the Solitaire leaves Irish waters immediately.

Newswire: rossport solidarity action at irish consulate | The Solitaire leaves the Bayr | Rooftop occupation of Shells offices in Belmullet | Update from 11th of September | Daughter of Shell to Sea hunger striker paddles out to Solitaire | Rossport Solidarity Action in London | Rossport Solidarity Demo in London on Monday!! | Son of Shell to Sea hunger striker assaulted and arrested |Support Maura Harrington on hunger strike | Irish Embassy targetted for Rossport in Berlin | Rossport: Solidarity Action in Brighton | Rossport: The Time is Now | Rossport update | Urgent Call Out: Mayo Needs You! Now Is The Time

Previous features: Rossport: Another Season of Resistance | Shell to Sea campaign intensifies as work on refinery begins | Community under siege in Mayo

Video: Video interview with Maura Harrington | Locals resist Shell’s occupation of Glengad | Paddle Attack

Links: Shell to Sea | Rossport Solidarity camp | Indymedia Ireland Mayo page | Indymedia UK Rossport Solidarity page

Campaigners Celebrate Victory On EU Seal Ban

05-07-2008 10:19 | Animal Liberation | Ocean Defence | World

There is good news for campaigners on the proposed EU ban on the import on seal products from Canada. The EU's Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas has just announced to EU ministers that legislation for a trade ban on all seal products from Canada will come into force in a matter of weeks.

The Canadian slaughter of over 350.000 baby harp seals takes place each year around March/April off the east coast of Canada in Newfoundland. The 'hunt' has been widely condemned around the world, but the Canadian government is ademend in its continued support. The new announcement is seen as a big victory for campaigners.

Audio: Interview With Captain Onboard Sea Shepherd Ship On Current Seal Hunt

Previous feature: Armed Canadian Coast Guard Storms Conservation Vessel

On the newswire: Sea Shepherd Moves In On Canadian Seal Slaughter | Seal Slaughter: contacts to protest | Canadian Seal Hunt: New attack by Brigitte Bardot and Franz Weber | Stop Canada's Seal Hunt | Biggest Seal Hunt in 50 Years Draws Protest | Stop Seal Hunt - Hunters Allowed To Kill 350,000 Young Seals This Year

Links: Sea Shepherd Conservation Society | Canadian Seal Hunt | Harpseals.org | Wikipedia on Seal Hunt | Ocean Defence Topic Page

Arrests As International Whaling Commission Fails To Protect Whales

26-06-2008 09:44 | Animal Liberation | Ocean Defence | World

Fifteen people were arrested by police at a meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC), held this year in Santiago, Chile. The protesters were supposedly trying to 'storm' the meeting but other reports state that the mere presence of people in front of the meeting's venue was seen as a 'security threat'.

The IWC meets annually to regulate the whaling industry and make decisions on conservation of whale populations. So far the meeting hasn't reached any agreements and the commission continues to be strongly devided between the pro- and anti-whaling nations. Skye Bortoli, an activist from Teens Against Whaling described the meeting this year as 'pathetic', saying "this body will be known in the future as a small group of ecologically arrogant people who are condemning the world’s whales to agony and oblivion for petty politics and a few lousy bucks."

Previous Features: Armed Canadian Coast Guard Storms Conservation Vessel | Nottingham Activist Returns From Whale Saving Mission In Antartica | Injured Among Sea Shepherd Crew As Japanese Military Open Fire | Activists Held Hostage By Japanese Whalers In Southern Ocean

Armed Canadian Coast Guard Storms Conservation Vessel

14-04-2008 16:43 | Animal Liberation | Ocean Defence | Repression | World

The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society vessel Farley Mowat was attacked by armed officers from the Canadian Coast Guard on 12th April. The 1st officer and the captain of the ship have been arrested and will be brought before a court in Canada charged with offences related to coming too close to the seal hunt. One woman allegedly sustained a head injury when was roughed up and received a blow to the head by an officer. The ship has been impounded and is currently being towed to a nearby port.

The Sea Shepherd has been documenting the Canadian seal hunt since the middle of March. On the 30th March, the Coast Guard rammed the Sea Shepherd ship twice, in an attempt to keep it away from the seal hunt. On 5th April, the ship was attacked by a mob of 30-40 angry seal hunters while anchored in the French island of St. Pierre. The crew of the Farley Mowat has been documenting violations of the humane regulations and gathering proof that seals are still being killed in an inhumane manner. The EU Parliament will be voting on an import ban on seal products later this year. The Canadian goverment has been actively lobbying to show that the hunt has become 'humane and sustainable'.

On the newswire: Sea Shepherd Sets Conditions for Canada to Release seized Ship | Armed Canadian Coast Guard Storms Sea Shepherd Ship and Arrests Crew | Canada To Charge Sea Shepherd Crew For Documenting Seal Hunt | Sea Shepherd Crew Attacked By Mob Of Seal Hunters | Interview With Captain Onboard Sea Shepherd Ship On Current Seal Hunt | Canadian Coast Guard Rams Sea Shepherd Ship (twice) | Sea Shepherd Moves In On Canadian Seal Slaughter

Previous features: Nottingham Activist Returns From Whale Saving Mission In Antartica | Injured Among Sea Shepherd Crew As Japanese Military Open Fire | Activists Held Hostage By Japanese Whalers In Southern Ocean

Links: Sea Shepherd Conservation Society | Canadian Seal Hunt | Harpseals.org | Wikipedia on Seal Hunt

Sea Shepherd activists injured as Japanese military open fire

07-03-2008 11:37 | Animal Liberation | Ecology | Ocean Defence | World

A clash between the crew of the Sea Shepherd vessel Steve Irwin, who is in the Southern Ocean to fight the ongoing Japanese whaling slaughter near the Antarctic, turned violent when the Japanese Coast Guard began to throw flash grenades at its crew. Captain Paul Watson of the Sea Shepherd ship was struck by a bullet in the chest. Fortunately, the bullet was stopped by his Kevlar vest.

Other injuries were sustained by crewmembers Australian Ashley Dunn and Ralph Lowe. Dunn suffered a hip injury as he tried to get out of the way of the exploding grenades. Lowe received bruises to his back when one of the flash grenades exploded behind him. Japan is denying that any bullets have been fired, saying "warning devices" were thrown after their ship was attacked. According to the Japanese foreign ministry their coastguard on board on of the whaling ships had thrown a "baseball-sized device, which exploded near the activists' ship emitting a loud noise". However, the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society has posted a video on their website, clearly showing devices being thrown from the whaling ship exploding and a bullet being recovered from Paul Watson's jacket. One UK activist (from Nottingham) is also onboard the ship, but it has not been reported he suffered any injuries.

Video: Of the incident, made by the Sea Shepherd

On the newswire: Japanese Officials Caught Lying on Firearm Use against Sea Shepherd | Sea Shepherd: Japanese Scramble to Spin Shooting Story | Japanese Open Fire on Sea Shepherd Crew: Three Injured | Japanese Whaling Fleet Confronted By Sea Shepherd | Sea Shepherd Aussie Crew Prepared to Be Taken as Prisoners to Japan | Interview With Nottingham Activist In Southern Ocean On Board Sea Shepherd Ship | Sea Shepherd Receives Message From the Australian Government | Sea Shepherd Finds Japanese Whaling Fleet: They Are On the Run Again

Previous feature articles: Activists Held Hostage By Japanese Whalers In Southern Ocean | Japanese Whaling Ship rams Greenpeace vessel

Links: Sea Shepherd Convervation Society | Wikipedia on Japanese Whaling

Whalers use Public Relations to twist the truth

18-01-2006 21:37 | Animal Liberation | Ecology | Ocean Defence | World

Japanese whalers have hired a New Zealand Public Relations firm to smear anti-whaling protestors. Greenpeace and Sea Shepherd are both campaigning seperately against the Japanese whaling fleet in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary. Images used in a media release by the Institute of Cetacean Research (ICR) "is deliberate, manipulative, misinformation designed to feed the idea that the two groups work together" said Jon Sumby. [Full Story]

Off the Mawson coast in the Australian Antarctic Territory, 2000 nautical miles south-west of Perth, Canadian Greenpeace anti-whaling activist, Texas Joe Constantine, was dragged overboard into the freezing Antarctic waters after the whaling harpoon was fired over his inflatable and the harpoon rope became entangled in the craft.

Paul Watson for the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society has said the Japanese whaling fleet is a criminal operation and Intends to Ram and Disable Pirate Whalers but has offered to withdraw from the current campaign against the Japanese whaling fleet if either the Australian or New Zealand Government agrees to take Japan to court over the whaling issue. In New Zealand Maritime workers have blackbaned the whaling fleet.

More Information:

Japanese Whaling Ship rams Greenpeace vessel

After three days of obstructing the whale hunt by placing inflatable zodiacs between whales and the harpoon, the Nisshin Maru rammed the Greenpeace ship, Arctic Sunrise. The whalers are counter claiming their ship was rammed by Greenpeace. The collision ocurred in the Australian Antarctic Territory in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary. The Nisshin Maru has continued north at full speed, with three conservationists ships in pursuit, including the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society vessel, the Farley Mowat.

Article with more photos: Japanese Whaling Ship rams Greenpeace vessel in Southern Whale Sanctuary