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Well now here we are at the end of October and within a month no doubt the Japanese will once again be in the throes of preparation for the annual whale hunt in the Southern Ocean.
Where are the Sea Shepherds ? This year they have been pretty quiet with Paul Watson presumably still under that Interpol RED Notice, which has been ignored by most countries. While supposedly he remains at sea on board one of the SSCS ships, in the photo below all three ships are at "The Base" - lets not put that in Arabic. Is there a fourth that has Watson aboard ? SSCS work has apparently been going ahead from Australia whose Government has decided to throw their lot in with the Sea Shepherds and gave them the base - pirates lair perhaps - at Williamstown, near Melbourne, Victoria.
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| The Pirates Lair |
This actually makes a great deal of sense as we all know where they are and what they are doing, the vessels can be properly maintained under the watchful eye of the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) or at least one presumes this is being done as required by International Maritime Law. Good supplies and equipment are readily available for provisioning, refits and repairs. In addition good communications, transportation and a complacent government are all in place. What more could you want ?The new anti-whaling season campaign is named Operation Relentless and as usual will no doubt set sail once the Japanese Whaling Fleet sails southwards from Japan. As Watson pointed out the Sea Shepherds are an interventionist organization and the Sea Shepherd Australian Director now runs the operation thus sets policy and the strategy to put it into effect - which is what gets them into trouble each anti-whaling season.
If SSCS Australia orders the Sea Shepherd vessels to engage in acts of intervention which infringe on or violate International Maritime Law then once again there will occur Acts of Piracy under UNCLOS. This will mean that the Australian Government will either have to change its policy towards the Sea Shepherd's or itself violate International Maritime Law. NAUTICAL LOG and others shall just have to watch, wait and see Operation Relentless in action.
Now that the redheaded Scot is no longer Prime Minister who knows what changes in Australia's politics will bring to the SSCS base and fleet if International Maritime Law is violated again this anti-whaling season.
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| someones happy !! |
Good Watch.
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