Whale Wars

[belle&sebastiansmom]

Who else is watching this Animal Planet show?

I've become quite addicted to it. The Sea Shepherd volunteers and their tactics are fascinating to me.

I'm torn between thinking the Steve Irwin crew environmental heroes and eco-terrorists.

On one hand, they are brave, fighting for their beliefs. They had to endure an anthrax scare at one point.

On the other, I don't see how throwing glorified stink bombs onto a Japanese whaling ship (which claims to be legally doing research) will deter processing. There has been a lot of controversy surrounding various methods that the Sea Shepherds have used to get their point across. Are they mad bullies?

I keep coming back to this show because the "characters" and their motives are not cut and dry, and that makes for good TV.

 

[LindaR]

I tried watching some of one of the episodes. I think they are extreme nuts and give a very bad impression of conservationists. Two wrongs do not make a right.........

 

[Firedog]

I've watched bits and pieces of different episodes, but did watch about half an episode the other night.

They came off as a bunch of bozos. The guys in the pursuit boat were supposed to drop lines in the water to get tangled in the whaling ships propellers when they heard the "secret code word", but forgot that's what they were supposed to do. They threw stink bombs instead.

The other pursuit boat was throwing stink bombs, but didn't even come close to hitting their target. It was more like a comedy show than reality.

 

[logan115]

Watched it a couple of times and thought of how dangerous and reckless those guys are. Understand being passionate about something, but potentially disabling a vessel in stormy seas could lead to serious consequences.

 

[shrubber]

Those guys are nuts IMHO.

Has anyone here every tried whale?
Whale steak is delicious! It is better than any tuna steak you have ever had.

 

[honugirl]

I've been watching it, but honestly, after this past week's episode, I'm really disappointed in them and most likely will not be watching any more. Trying to disable a vessel in Antarctic waters? Dangerous as can be. The lives of the Japanese whaling crew could have been in trouble, especially since a big storm was coming. Unforgivable. Not to mention the lives of any crews needed to come rescue them.

I did think it was rather comical how they started freaking out that the Japanese had their prop fouler and were scared they'd try to use it against them.

I love whales. I respect the cause that they're fighting for. I just think they need to actually think about what they're doing before they do it.

 

[belle&sebastiansmom]

Honugirl, I agree. It drove me nuts that in this past episode they valued the lives of the whales over the lives of the Japanese crew. I did some googling and found that more whales are killed by the ships that pass in the waters than by the whale processing. So these guys are probably doing more harm than good!

I find it interesting that they are sailing in the waters of the Antartic and their boat is not ice rated! Someone wasn't thinking here.

 

[Jennasis]

Stink bombs? Tangling the propeller?? These are acts of terrorism and should be treated as such.

 

[honugirl]

Honugirl, I agree. It drove me nuts that in this past episode they valued the lives of the whales over the lives of the Japanese crew. I did some googling and found that more whales are killed by the ships that pass in the waters than by the whale processing. So these guys are probably doing more harm than good!

I find it interesting that they are sailing in the waters of the Antartic and their boat is not ice rated! Someone wasn't thinking here.

Now that's an interesting fact about the whales. You're probably right that in some cases they're doing more harm than good.

I agree with you too that someone wasn't thinking about the ship. Especially on the episode where they got stuck in the ice pack. Um, I think I'd be getting a different vessel if I were them...

When I first saw the show I was like, cool, I'd go volunteer for them. Then I really got into it and I said NO WAY would I set foot on that vessel. Safety wise, they're not up to snuff.

 

[DizBelle]

Ok, I have to admit, I'm unsure about whaling. BUT, I don't know the details either.

I'm a meat eater so I can't say you can't slaughter animals for food. So, I can't be against whaling for that reason.

Are the whales they are targeting an endangered species?
Are they killing the whales in a humane way?

If the answers to these questions are no and yes, then I can't say what they are doing is different from the crab fishermen on that show Deadliest Catch.

 

[honugirl]

Ok, I have to admit, I'm unsure about whaling. BUT, I don't know the details either.

I'm a meat eater so I can't say you can't slaughter animals for food. So, I can't be against whaling for that reason.

Are the whales they are targeting an endangered species?
Are they killing the whales in a humane way?

If the answers to these questions are no and yes, then I can't say what they are doing is different from the crab fishermen on that show Deadliest Catch.

Well, the deal is that there's an international ban on whaling. The only whaling that can be done is for research purposes. The Japanese whalers claim they are whaling just for research purposes. They are whaling in a protected whale sanctuary. So it's a complicated situation. No easy cut and dry answers.

I do think the Steve Irwin's tactics are getting dirtier as time goes on. Not that the whalers are much better... but they haven't intentionally tried to disable the Sea Shepherd's ship.

I really wonder how the Irwin family feels right now. I know the Crocodile Hunter was very much into conservation of all animals, but he always seemed like such a gentle soul that would do what was necessary to keep the animals safe without endangering the lives of others around him. It seemed like they were very excited to have the ship named after him, but they weren't so radical then...

 

[SAHDad]

Well, the deal is that there's an international ban on whaling. The only whaling that can be done is for research purposes. The Japanese whalers claim they are whaling just for research purposes. They are whaling in a protected whale sanctuary. So it's a complicated situation. No easy cut and dry answers.

I'm pretty sure that a (small) number of whales per year can be caught for food purposes by designated groups, such as the Inuit. IIRC, most of those are caught using traditional methods, and the numbers of whales harvested is pretty small.

 

[honugirl]

I'm pretty sure that a (small) number of whales per year can be caught for food purposes by designated groups, such as the Inuit. IIRC, most of those are caught using traditional methods, and the numbers of whales harvested is pretty small.

Yup, that's true. I wasn't counting those because they are pretty few and far between. There's a couple tribes up near me that are able to, but even they draw the protesters...


The whalers on Whale Wars are harvesting over 900 whales a year using commercial whaling tactics.

 

[HelenePA]

Are they killing the whales in a humane way?

They electrocute them to death.

I am not for whaling there are too few left on earth. Maybe once the species makes a come back I'll change my mind but for now they need to lay off! Do I agree on how the Sea Shepards go about it? I dont know. What other options are there? How else can you stop them?

 

[JerseyMamaBear]

While I do watch the show, I cant help but feel they are nothing more then eco-terrorits. I hate what the whaleing ships are doing, the Sea Shepards are just as bad.

Heres what i found online:
Eco-terrorism has also been used to describe ecological destruction. Canadian environmentalist Paul Watson who has been accused of eco-terrorism himself as founder of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society[4] countered with his own definition: "an act that terrorizes other species and threatens the ecological systems of the planet".[5] Watson accused Japanese Whalers of eco-terrorism, saying "They are the real eco-terrorists. They terrorise the environment."
The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society led by Paul Watson of the Whale Wars television show are considered eco-terrorist by the FBI for their acts of violence. [18]

 

[snarlingcoyote]

I tried watching some of one of the episodes. I think they are extreme nuts and give a very bad impression of conservationists. Two wrongs do not make a right.........

We're long time members of the CCA. (Still have plenty of bumper stickers and tees that say "GCCA" in our house.) Neither DH nor I condone whaling and we support economic sanctions and anything else that would get rid of Japanese whalers.

That said.

These guys are eco-terrorist idiots who give conservation a black eye.

Now, don't even get me started on PETA. . .(Two words: Sea Kittens)

 

[JerseyMamaBear]

Neither DH nor I condone whaling and we support economic sanctions and anything else that would get rid of Japanese whalers.

That said.

These guys are eco-terrorist idiots who give conservation a black eye.

Now, don't even get me started on PETA. . .(Two words: Sea Kittens)

couldent agree more!

 

[TanyaLovesPooh]

We're long time members of the CCA. (Still have plenty of bumper stickers and tees that say "GCCA" in our house.) Neither DH nor I condone whaling and we support economic sanctions and anything else that would get rid of Japanese whalers.

That said.

These guys are eco-terrorist idiots who give conservation a black eye.

Now, don't even get me started on PETA. . .(Two words: Sea Kittens)

 

[Beca]

The thing that surprises me most about that show is that no crew member has gotten killed yet. They're idiots!!!

 

[PaulaSB12]

Those guys are nuts IMHO.

Has anyone here every tried whale?
Whale steak is delicious! It is better than any tuna steak you have ever had.

I admit I have eaten all sorts of meat but I do draw the line at a sentient species, and considering whales have been proven to have language and dialects they should be declared sentient. With many species of whale we cam very close to driving them to extinction and considering how much work has been done to stop that let it is wrong to eat them. Not to mention that many have so much mercury in them that its dangerous to eat the meat.

http://bluevoice.org/sections/whales/meat.shtml