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Greenpeace offers to help Japan conduct non-lethal whale research
"The ICR continues to peddle one lie after another in its desperate bid to defend the killing of whales in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary. From the bogus notion that the hunt is for scientific purposed and has the support of the International Whaling Commission(1), through claims that Greenpeace rammed their massive Nisshin Maru factory ship and now to finally trying to blame Greenpeace for the suffering of whales," said Shane Rattenbury Greenpeace Expedition Leader onboard the Arctic Sunrise. "The reality is that the only way to end the brutal killing of whales in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary is to stop firing grenade tipped harpoons into them."
As soon as a whale is hit by a harpoon Greenpeace activists immediately back off to allow the kill to be finished, they then try to hamper the transfer of the dead whale from the catcher to the Nisshin Maru, where after being weighed and measured the whales are chopped and boxed for market.
Today, from its helicopter, Greenpeace captured on video the slow and agonising death of a minke whale, there were no Greenpeace activists blocking the line of sight of the harpoon, demonstrating that the prolonged suffering of whales is a routine part of the so-called scientific hunt.(2)
The ICR further accused Greenpeace of hampering the non-lethal element of their hunt in the Whale Sanctuary. "Frankly, when a ship with an armoury of grenade tipped harpoons bears down on a whale, Greenpeace prefers to give the whale the benefit of the doubt by acting to defend it from possible attack than assume the so-called scientist is going to fire a biopsy dart for a change," said Rattenbury.
Greenpeace would be happy to put its inflatables and vessels at the disposal of the whaling fleet to assist in the non-lethal research programme in return for a promise that no more whales will be killed in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary.
For more information on the campaign to defend the whales go to:oceans.greenpeace.org
Notes to Editor
The campaign to defend the whales in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary is the first stage in an ambitious new Greenpeace campaign 'Defending our Oceans'. Over the next year the Esperanza will be Greenpeace's main platform in arguing for a network of marine reserves or parks covering 40% of the world's oceans: places that will be protected from industrial exploitation and destruction, from industrial fishing and hunting, and places from which our oceans can begin the process of repair and recovery.
Seventy crew and campaigners from 19 countries are on board the two Greenpeace vessels: UK, Netherlands, Canada, Australia, Ghana, Russia, Norway, Denmark, USA, France, Italy, Japan, Ireland, India, New Zealand, Spain, Sweden, Austria and Argentina.
Further contact information for reporters to get video, photos or report details
Video available from Greenpeace International Video Desk +31653504721 Photos available from Greenpeace International Photo Desk +31653819121 or +31653819255