Whale monitoring 'unlikely'

National has backed down on the need to use the air force to monitor the Japanese whaling fleet in the Southern Ocean.

During the last whaling campaign Wayne Mapp, who was defence spokesman, urged the Labour government to beef up its anti-whaling strategy by sending an air force Orion to monitor the fleet. "It's all very well as a nation we are strong in our condemnation of whaling, but we must put our money where our mouth is."

But with the Japanese fleet now making its way to Antarctica, where it aims to kill about 1000 whales, Dr Mapp, now defence minister, told The Dominion Post yesterday that the air force was unlikely to be sent on a specific mission to monitor the whaling fleet. "Obviously we need to know what is happening down there, but at this stage it's unlikely we will use the air force. I'm not really sure what we will be doing."

The Australian Government has also said it will not send a patrol ship because the whalers are expected to be in New Zealand's search-and-rescue area off Antarctica.

The Sea Shepherd protest ship, Steve Irwin, will leave Brisbane on Sunday to begin its hunt for the whalers. As the crew, which included American actress Daryl Hannah, prepared to depart, Sea Shepherd boss Paul Watson said his team had been put at risk by confiscation of their bullet-proof vests.

Mr Watson said he was shot at by Japanese whalers last year and he did not want to take any chances this year. Customs officials and Queensland police had confiscated vests he had planned to give to activists on the ship.

Greenpeace will not send a protest ship to trail the Japanese fleet, instead focusing its efforts with a campaign to turn Japanese opinion against whaling.

- © Fairfax NZ News

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Albert   #2   05:26 pm Jan 28 2009

At least Sea Shepheard are brave enough to have a point of view and take action to get it heard. As long as they abide by UNCLOS then let them make their stance. Furthermore, I am heartend at the commitment they display to their chosen cause even when it becomes unfashionable and they feel 'over it'

Mike   #1   05:26 pm Jan 28 2009

Pathetic - why would we want to do anything anyway?

We are not Sea Shepherd's enforcement arm & if they go out and seek confrontation on the high seas then they have no business to come crying to the NZ Govt when they get it!

I am sooooo over saving the whales! :(

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