What Paul Watson had to say about yesterday’s launch of Operation Relentless to stop illegal whale poaching in the Southern Ocean for the 10th year in a row:
The Sam Simon and the Steve Irwin have departed from Williamstown in Victoria. The Bob Barker has departed from Hobart in Tasmania. All three ships are bound for the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary with 100 crew from 24 nations.
Although I am prohibited by a U.S. Federal Court order from participating in Operation Relentless, I am confident that after nine years of campaigns, the captains, officers and crews of these three ships will do what they need to do to stop the illegal activities of the Japanese whaling fleet.
Japan is targeting endangered, threatened and protected whales in an internationally established sanctuary for whales in violation of a global moratorium on whaling. They are also in blatant contempt of an Australian Federal court order prohibiting them from whaling in the Australian Antarctic territorial waters.
The Japanese whalers have powerful economic and political backing and they may be able to stop myself and Sea Shepherd USA from opposing them in the Southern Ocean BUT they cannot stop a global movement of courageous and passionate volunteers.
Operation Relentless is in good hands under the leadership of Sea Shepherd Australia. The crew are experienced and they will stand fast in blocking the lethal intentions of the merciless killers of the Southern Ocean.
I wish I could be with them but as a United States citizen I am obligated to abide by an order of a U.S. Court, but whereas my freedom can be restricted, the free citizens of the rest of the world are still able to stand up, to uphold the international laws protecting the great whales.
Sea Shepherd ships fly Dutch flags and abide by the laws and regulations of the Netherlands. The Captains are Indian, Swedish and Australian. The directors of Operation Relentless are Australian and not a penny from the United States has gone to finance Operation Relentless in accordance with the demands of the United States Federal Court.
Sea Shepherd is a global movement and as a movement it will prevail. Japan cannot stop Sea Shepherd Australia and the United States cannot stop Sea Shepherd Australia.
Once again a film crew is onboard to document the campaign for Whale Wars.
Last year the Japanese took under 10% of their kill quota. The objective of this international crew of dedicated volunteers is to do even better.
All I can offer them are these words by Walt Whitman:
“Sail forth! steer for the deep waters only! Reckless, O soul, exploring, I with thee, and thou with me; For we are bound where mariner has not yet dared to go, And we will risk the ship, ourselves and all.”
100 brave souls on a mission to defend the lives of these great intelligent, socially complex wondrous sentient beings from the lethal intentions of a mass murdering fleet of vicious sadistic butchers.
What he said.
evzilla 