Intl Community Must Act Against Maritime Violence

International Community Must Act Against Sea Shepherd Maritime Violence

10 February 2008

Intnl Community Must Act Against Sea Shepherd Maritime Violence

The owner of the Japanese research vessels in the Antarctic said today that the international community must start applying global maritime laws, which protect ships and their crews from the type of violence being perpetrated on the high-seas by the renegade Dutch vessel, Steve Irwin.

“A group of extremists is deliberately ramming vessels and trying to disable their propellers. The United Nations Convention of the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) establishes clear rules to prevent the high seas from being a lawless zone. Living up to these UNCLOS obligations represents a test for the governments of the Netherlands and Australia, which have so far hesitated to apply agreed international maritime rules to prevent these criminal acts, The President of Kyodo Senpaku Kaisha, Limited, Mr Kazuo Yamamura, said today.

“Over the last week, we have witnessed Sea Shepherd members firing projectiles at the Japanese vessels, throwing acid-filled glass bottles onto our decks and deploying specially-designed fouling lines to damage our propellers, among other illegal acts. Then they escalated the attacks by ramming two of our ships – the Yushin Maru N`.2 and Yushin Maru No.3. The vessels have been considerably damaged.

“Failure to apply international agreements provides support to this animal rights group’s use of violence and undermines the rule of law. By allowing this Dutch vessel safe haven in port, the Australian Government is complicit in sanctioning criminal acts on the high seas. These maritime laws are not options. If they are not applied, they are of little value.

“The escalating terror attacks will necessitate consideration of new security strategies to protect our ships and crews,” Mr Yamamura said.

“This is no longer an issue of whaling, but has become more about the international community permitting this Dutch ship to commit criminal acts at sea and thereby putting our crews’ lives at risk.” Mr Yamamura urged the governments of both Australia and New Zealand to no longer allow the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society safe haven in either country.

Photos courtesy of "Institute of Cetacean Research"

ENDS

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