Greenpeace action saved over 400 whales

The Greenpeace ship Esperanza stopped the entire whaling operation for 15 days as it chased the Nisshin Maru across the Southern Ocean, over a distance of 4300 miles. Japan's whaling fleet had also planned to kill 50 endangered fin whales, but failed to find any.

Greenpeace Japan whales campaigner Junichi Sato said, "Before this season's hunt, the Institute for Cetacean Research had claimed a 'rapid increase' in fin whales (2)- but now they've been forced to admit that they could not find any, yet another example of their failed research"

Greenpeace is also calling for an investigation into the refuelling of the fleet in the Antarctic treaty zone  - breaching the spirit of the Antarctic treaty, to which they are a signatory, and using a vessel[3] with no permit as part of the fleet to do so. 

The refuelling tanker Oriental Bluebird is registered in Panama and as such does not have a license to be part of the whaling fleet.

"Increasingly, Japanese media has begun questioning why the Japanese government continues to subsidise the whale hunt, and both domestic and international opposition to the continuation of the whaling programme is growing.

In two months time the future of the International Whaling Commission will be discussed in Chile. The Japanese government should take that opportunity to salvage their international reputation by announcing an end to Southern Ocean whaling and make a commitment to whale conservation, not destruction.


Notes to Editor: