Your say: Whaling protesters seized

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ROPED UP: Protesters Giles Lane and Benjamin Potts are detained by crew onboard the Japanese whaling ship Yushin Maru No. 2.

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Stuff readers have their say on the seizure of two protesters on a Japanese whaling ship in the Southern Ocean.

Palous Fleming: Firstly, Tuna are not the same as whales. There is a LOT more tuna around than whales and much lower on the food chain. Eating whales is right up there with slaughtering elephants and ape species. Secondly, as much as Hindu people may similarily despise us eating beef we don't go to their parts of the world and do it right in front of them huh? It's a shame Benjamin and Giles didn't have more James Bond skills and stealth onboard and scuttle the whaling boat before making a ninja getaway. NZ should gift our old Skyhawks to Greenpeace.
- Jon Tarr

Well .. not only have the Japanese committed yet another criminal act (they are currently killing whales in violation of a global moratorium on commercial whaling), they have had to stop whaling while holding the men hostage … which is exactly what the men were asking for in the letter they took aboard the ship. I admire both men, as standing around waving a flag is not going to save the whales. The Sea Shepherd crew are willing to die for the whales, and aside from Greenpeace they are only individuals on the planet who are down there trying to save them. Sea Shepherd has never caused injury to anyone in their 30+ years of protest, and their intentions are not to do so. Their intentions are to save the whales from the horrific slaughter that awaits them by the Japanese, and this is not going to happen by taking photographs or watching from a big ship. The Japanese have just shown how cowardly they really are in this recent stunt. Kidnapping two men …. sounds very weak to me.
 - Rachel Stewart

What is the big issue with 'fishing for whales'? We are happy to go to a restaurant and eat blue fin tuna which are caught and 'slaughtered' in the same 'barbaric way' and yet there are little to no limits on what international fisherman can take from the ocean - do I hear the greenies standing up and demanding we 'respect the rights of these beautiful fish' - no of course not - they enjoy their Tuna medallions lightly chargrilled and served on a bed of violently murdered wild rice. Meanwhile when Japanese take a fixed number of whales (predetermined by the whaling commission to ensure that their numbers are not diminshed), we cry Rape!! Murder!  Get a grip I say - whales are not human, they are animals and a food source for a particular culture. I'm sure the Hindu people of this world are just as outraged at our beef industry.
 -  Palous Fleming

What these two brave protesters have done is to raise the profile of the antiwhaling campaign. It is a shame it takes putting humans in harm's way to get the media attention back on the whales that are being slaughtered. I support their actions and demand that they be freed immediately.
- Brent and Sally Parkyn

The two protesters had it coming, I think the whalers are justified in detaining them. Last year Sea Shepherd deliberately rammed a Japanese vessel using a device intended to rip the hull open. This year, shortly before the incident in question, they were throwing acid onto the decks of the whaling vessels. They then boarded the vessel without permission, which is illegal under international maritime law. I endorse the actions of Greenpeace, Japan should cease whaling immediately. Sea Shepherd, however, are dangerous extremists and deserve the treatment they've received - it is no wonder Greenpeace refuses to work with them. They give activists everywhere a bad name and, if anything, skew public opinion in favour of the whalers who they victimise.
 - Rachel Stewart

I applaud the actions of Benjamin Potter and Giles Lane, their actions have drawn attention to the whaling debate. It is essential that the world's countries unite against the slaughter of whales for, let us be clear about this, nothing more than to harvest ambergris. Scientific research - what a joke! Who needs that many whales for research? Greenpeace and Sea Shepherd are doing their bit to bring this un-necessary and brutal culling to the centre of the world's stage. Good on them. The arrogance and stubborn-ness that characterises whalers should not be tolerated. And I'm personally ashamed that Sir Geoffrey Palmer has seen fit to wipe his hands of any responsibility on New Zealand's part, claiming that we have no economic say in Antarctica. It's all very well that we claim an interest when it's the late great Sir Edmund Hillary, but not for whales. Shameful.
 - Kirsty Quested

It makes me quite angry that Japan continues these whaling activities right under our noses when they are aware how offensive this is to New Zealanders and Australians.  At least the protesters are doing something about this problem.  If it was anyone else breaching our fishing or conservation laws the NZ or Australian customs/fisheries officials would have arrested them by now.  Frankly I think it's a pity we don't still have a strike wing in the NZ airforce then we could send a couple of fighter planes down south and see if the Japanese Whalers like to have 20mm metal objects fired at them at high speed.
 - Nigel Woolf

To be fair to man and animal, we should only keep the fish that that even out predators and what is in the ocean, including seals, penquins etc. What is the use of protecting the shark if there isn't any fish. Geenpeace is political and one wonders their motives, whose paying to keep them afloat.What is their agenda, why don't they hassle the fishing boats that fish on the sea bed?
- Marie Brown

In my view, Japan and their whaling fleet are nothing more than environmental terrorists. While the world leaders sit on their hands, Japan once again continues to rape the sea of these beautiful and endangered animals under the guise of "scientific research". This is absurd and they must be laughing at the world community for it's lack of response or action yet again. Can Japan please present all "research" papers and scientific knowledge gained to the world community so we  can understand their reasons for killing these innocent  creatures? Why should we treat Japan and these ships with any respect? All the ships concerned should have been shelled and sunk  at the first opportunity, taking their murderous crew with  them. Perhaps then Japan would notice that normal people
worldwide will not accept this disgusting behaviour any longer.
 - Tony Crarer

While I am against whaling I believe that it serves the two men right for what I see as trespassing. Hopefully they will have learnt their lesson and make whatever protests they have against whaling peaceful ones. The two men are just lucky things have turned out as well as they have.
 - Rosalie Smith

I am whole-heartedly for a total ban on whaling, but it must be done the right way, illegal boarding of the Japanese whaling ship was a stupid act of bravado to get into the news, and will lead to no-where, the same goes for our Aussie neighbours, what use is it to have a whale sanctuary, if you are not prepared to protect it? Politician's promises
again?
 - Frank Pefia

I am in awe of the people who put themselves in danger for the sake of these incredible animals. The fact is that if Japan wasn't raping our seas on the pretext of 'scientific research' there would be no need to board ships in the ocean - but given that they have not only been allowed to continue this barbaric practice, but have been given permission to murder even more whales recently, there obviously is a need for courageous conservationists to do so. We are obliterating the lungs of the earth, constantly bulldozing untold rainforests to grow soy 'for the sake of our health', dumping e-waste in towns and cities in China where nobody is allowed to complain, and rapidly removing entire species of animals permanently from our planet, using research or tradition to excuse this ignorant and arrogant behaviour. And we call ourselves an intelligent species.Each one of us can make a difference by thinking more about what we buy, where it is from, and how we are going to dispose of the waste.  And if more people make a stand against the cruelty and anihilation of the magnificent animals we are privileged enough to share our planet with there would be adequate noise to drown out the voices of those who obviously have no respect for life.     
 - Heather Thomson

I'm not a greenie. Good on the men for doing what they have done and helping to bring more bad press upon the Japanese Whale Murderers.  Why does the world put up with this Japanese "in your face, flicking the bird" type of behaviour? But then, why does the world put up with Mugabe and his murderous regime?
 - Glenn Miller

Tough luck! If you play dirty, then you cannot expect to be treated with kid gloves.
 - Tony de Joux

I think it would be good now for the Australian government to get involved and send down a warship to arrest the crew and detain the ship. At least it would hinder the whaling
 - G. Prestidge

I think the whole thing is outrageous, these two men are doing their part to help the world and lives of the whales these Japanese intend to slaughter under 'scientific research'. The pictures of these men being bound by what looks like way too much rope is ridiculous - what day in age are we living in here! surely they can be detained in a more peaceful manner - they did not look to be struggling at all. The Japanese really do need to take a look at the world and see what exactly they are doing reagrding the whole whaling situation. The world needs to wake up to it! With the amount of power some countries have I do not understand why this 'research' is still happening when everyone can see it is just a slaughter of magnificent creatures! Forget politics for once and start thinking about the creatures living on the planet or they wont be around much longer.
 - Hayley, Auckland

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