Rainbow - News !

Here you will be able to find articles related to all things ...

Rainbow-Warrior !

This is from a blogger on MSN called Altamira.

Japan's whaling fleet have embarked on a controversial mission to hunt humpback whales in the South Pacific. Four ships, including the Nissin Maru, a 130 metre factory ship departed port with orders to kill up to 50 humpback whales. It is the first known large-scale whale hunt since a 1963 moratorium put the animals under international protection.

Japans Fisheries Agency said the 239 man mission will also take up to 935 Antarctic minke whales and up to 50 fin whales in what we be the largest scientific whale hunt ever in the South Pacific. The International Whaling Commission has called for an end to whaling in the Southern Ocean, but Japan does not recognise the existence of the sanctuary.

In move almost designed to provoke adverse reaction, the Japanese Fisheries Agency refused to rule out killing what may be the worlds only white humpback whale, whose regular appearances along the Australian coast are eagerly anticipated by whale watchers. The whale, named Migaloo is used to the presence of boats and this may make it easy prey for the Japanese whalers.

In an amazing display of arrogance, the Japanese have requested the support of the Australian and New Zealand Governments in preventing ships from GreenPeace and Sea Shepherd interfering with the hunt, that they (the Japanese) plan to undertake illegally, in Australian administered waters.

 

The Japanese whaling fleet in the southern oceans has been hunting whales in the International Sanctuary. They say it is for scientific purposes ... naturally they need a fleet, a factory ship and 1000 whales! Here are the Greenpeace communiques!

 

This Valentine's Day, the object of our desire is to end whaling forever. So I've written a little poem to the Japanese embassy:

Roses are red,
Oceans are blue.
I want to save the whales,
So I'm asking you
This Valentine's Day:
Stop the harpoons!
There's a better way
To play cupid
Because killing whales is stupid.

Ok, maybe I'm not a great poet. That's why I need YOU to express your feelings about whaling to the Japanese embassy.
TAKE ACTION!
Show your love of whales today!

The Japanese whalers still refuse to put their harpoons away. Recently, the Australian Customs vessel, the Oceanic Viking, reported that the Japanese whaling fleet has killed at least five more whales in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary, including a mother and calf.

It's time to kiss whaling goodbye.

XOXO for whales,

Heath Hanson
Greenpeace activist

 

January 22, 2008

For eleven days, we've been chasing the Japanese whaling factory ship Nisshin Maru through Antarctic waters. Every day they've spent trying to outrun us has been a safe day for whales. In fact, we estimate that by shutting down the whaling operations, we've saved as many as 82 whales through our efforts. But today, the Nisshin Maru engaged in a different type of illegal activity, and we were there to stop it. It attempted to refuel in Antarctic Treaty waters. The Panamanian flagged ship Oriental Bluebird arrived on the scene, in an effort to refuel the fleet and take on packaged whale meat, processed in the weeks before we located the fleet. Refueling in the Antarctic is dangerous and a serious threat to the Antarctic environment which is recognized internationally as a specially protected area. We immediately launched our inflatable boats, including mine. We steered a course between the Nisshin Maru and Oriental Bluebird. The Esperanza warned the vessels of our presence, but they continued to maneuver together, essentially trapping us between the two huge ships. Donate Now! Two of the Japanese hunting ships were also on the scene, harassing our activists for more than an hour by performing close-quarter maneuvers near our boats, as we documented the exchange of whale meat and fuel between the Nisshin Maru and Oriental Bluebird. Our boats are less than 26 feet in length, but we managed to keep the Goliath whaling ships apart long enough for another ship to appear on the horizon: Australia's Oceanic Viking. Now the Australian government is on the scene and documenting the Japanese whaling fleet's illegal activities for themselves. Take Action Now >> Help us take the fight to save the whales off the water and into the political arena. It's time for President Bush to demand that Japanese Prime Minister Fukuda immediately abandon this whaling operation. It has been an intense experience here in the waters of Antarctica, but another real battle will be fought by you, and we are counting on your help to apply political pressure where it counts most - right at home. Sincerely, Heath Hanson Boat Driver

 

Actually the Greenpeace ship here is the Esperanza ...

		January 29, 2008

 

This campaign has always been about saving the whales - for good. We are proud that this year we've saved more than 100 whales here in the Southern Ocean, and I am personally relieved that I wasn't forced to witness a single whale being killed. But our efforts here in the Southern Ocean are just one part of a much larger effort to end commercial whaling forever.

After months at sea, and the last two weeks of chasing the Japanese factory whaling ship, Nisshin Maru, we've almost run out of fuel and have to return to port. The Australian government vessel, the Oceanic Viking, will continue shadowing the whaling fleet, and we are confident that no whaling will take place in their presence. We have put enormous pressure on the Japanese government, and they have made it clear that they want to hide their whaling from the public eye.

Now our attention must turn to increasing public pressure on the Japanese government. We're entering a new phase in our efforts to save the whales, and now we're relying on YOU to take action to achieve our goal of ending whaling, not just this season but forever.

We're turning our focus on Canon, the company known for its high quality cameras and its commitment to protecting endangered species. As the head of the Japanese Business Federation, Canon CEO Fujio Mitarai has the power to influence the Japanese Prime Minister and to condemn whaling. But Canon has refused to take a stand against the killing of thousands of whales in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary. Is this really wildlife as Canon sees it?

TAKE ACTION -- Tell Canon to make a picture perfect decision to help end whaling.

It's time to zoom in on a permanent end to whaling. YOU can help Canon see the big picture.

I want to thank you for all of your support for us here on the high seas protecting whales. I hope you'll continue to support whales now by shifting the spotlight to the highest levels of Japanese business and politics, where the fate of whales will ultimately be decided. Whales should be shot with cameras, not harpoons, and Canon should be developing the same conservation philosophy behind the scenes that it uses in its ads.

Sincerely,

Heath Hanson
Boat Driver

p.s. Please pass this along to anyone you know who cares about whales or owns a Canon camera

More Coming Soon