The Greenpeace ship Esperanza continues to prevent whaling as we shadow the Japanese fleet's factory ship, Nisshin Maru. Our crew today sent a message, direct from the Southern Ocean, linking the scandal of whaling to a host of other scandals plaguing the government in Tokyo.
Following a 10-day search in Antarctic waters, the Greenpeace ship Esperanza confronted Japan’s whaling fleet in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary last week. After a high speed chase over hundreds of miles the factory ship Nisshin Maru was driven out of the hunting grounds. Without this ship, the rest of the fleet has been unable to hunt whales for the last 5 days. The Esperanza continues to follow the Nisshin Maru which is now heading south again.
All around the world, increasing numbers of people and governments are urging Japan to give up its whaling operations in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary. Back in Japan however, there is evidence that plans are emerging to build a brand new whaling factory ship which would extend whaling for decades to come.
