Jan 6th 2010,

The crash collision of the Sea Shepard Conservation Society’s 18 tonne, 2 million dollar Catamaran the Ady Gil with the ICR’s (Institute of Cetacean Research) Whaling Vessel 491 tonne, Shonen Maru 2 may well mark a new chapter in the battle for the whales and the even larger war of illegal unsustainable fishing vs the growing movement of civilians willing to take the war for the ocean into their own hands.

Both parties have accused each other of deliberately causing the collision. Video from the Sea Shepard shows the Shonen Maru 2 veering sharply towards the Ady Gil before attempting to steer away just moments before impact, while video from the Shonen Maru 2 shows the Ady Gil deliberately propelling itself forwards to intersect the incoming vessel. This is no accident but a game of naval ‘chicken’ that will escalate the controversial subject of whaling in the Southern Ocean vs the apparent vigilantism of the Sea Shepard Conservation Society.

Despite the international moratorium on whaling by the IWC (International Whaling Commission) since 1986, the ICR (funded by the Japanese Government and Kyodo Senpaku, a for-profit whale fishery) continues a yearly harvest of some 900+ Minke whales during the winter season. ICR claims lethal sampling of the whales is absolutely necessary for gathering scientific data and that it receives its special permit from the Japanese government to do so. The Japanese claims the death of the whales are done as ‘humanely’ as possible with exploding harpoons to ensure instantaneous death and that none of the sampled whales will go to waste, as they are processed onboard the whaling fleet’s factory ship. The estimated Japanese market for processed whale products exceeds over $60 million per annum and since the moratorium, the Japanese and other whaling countries believe some whale stocks have recovered enough to warrant a sustainable harvest. The case for the science is tainted by the fact that ICR receives its funding from a corporation that economically benefits from the harvest and the reduction of red tape on the subject of whaling.

The incident highlights the lethargic nature of governments to resolve the issue of whaling through civil action. In particular the current Australian government, who made an election promise in 2007, to  resolve the issue of prohibiting whaling in the boundaries of the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary under the Australian EEZ (Exclusive Economic Zone).

Until governments stand firm on a clear ground regarding the nature, the need and taking the responsibilities for the action and regulation of whaling activities. It is clear that the economic livelihoods of the ICR staff and those who gains from the harvest of whales will run contrary to environmental activists and citizens who see no need to wait on politicians or listen to the pundits call for ‘civility’ to reduce the tally of dead whales.

But the real issue at stake is the rapidly depleting fish stocks worldwide and the rampant and illegal fishing of sharks. This elephant, or in this case, the whale in room really needs to be resolved because whales generate so much public interest and crossing the threshold of this legal battle of what to do with the whales can really bring the fight and focus for sustainable fishing to a whole new level.