Greenpeace blocks whalers from refueling in Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary

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A Greenpeace inflatable boat tries to prevent Japanese whaling fleet's factory ship Nisshin Maru from refueling from the supply vessel Oriental Bluebird in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary.

The activists, in a non-violent protest against the whaling fleet's activities in the Southern Ocean, placed their inflatable boat between the factory ship and the refueling vessel, preventing them from coming alongside to refuel.

In a statement radioed to the Oriental Bluebird, in Japanese, Spanish and English, Japan whales campaigner Sakyo Noda said, "The Oriental Bluebird must leave Antarctic waters immediately. Your presence here is unwanted and a threat to the pristine Antarctic environment, which has been declared a particularly sensitive sea area by the International Maritime Organization and a 'natural reserve, devoted to peace and science' by the Environmental Protocol to the Antarctic Treaty. A refueling operation within the treaty area would be contrary to the spirit of the Antarctic Treaty. Japan, as a party to the treaty, must comply with the letter and the spirit of the treaty and not refuel within the treaty area and comply with Annex IV on the Prevention of Environmental Pollution".

While Japan's government issues permits for six so-called 'scientific whaling' ships to hunt in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary, the Panamanian-flagged Oriental Bluebird has no such paperwork. Despite Japan's status as signatory to the Antarctic Treaty, it consistently fails to lodge required environmental impact assessments for the whaling fleet with the Antarctic Treaty Secretariat. The Panamanian-registered Oriental Bluebird also lacks this documentation, designed to ensure protection of the environment.

"The Panamanian government, which takes a position in defence of whales at the International Whaling Commission and elsewhere is now in effect taking part in the whale hunt in the Antarctic whale sanctuary by allowing the Oriental Bluebird to illegally join the Japanese whaling fleet under the Panamanian flag," said Panamanian activist Mir Rodriguez, from on board the Esperanza. "Panama must immediately either recall its flag from the Oriental Bluebird, or order it to stop supporting the whaling fleet."

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