Sea Shepherd News!

The Sea Shepard's are reporting that one of their crew rescuing dolphins in Taiji, Japan has been arrested and the others have had their rooms searched and all kinds of items confiscated, including "computers, phones, hard drives, photos, cameras and anything they deemed suspicious."

The Japanese are claiming that Cove Guardian Erwin Vermeulen assaulted someone. No witnesses saw anything yet they took him into custody. Classic tactic. Trumped up charges.

"Erwin was attempting to film the transfer of dolphins from the sea to holding pens at the resort."...and so they got mad and arrested him.

The Cove Guardians are now without means to document the atrocities being committed at Taiji.

Here is a plea for help:

UPDATE 12/20/2011:

This year's killing season in Taiji will go on through the end of March, 2012. Sea Shepherd is encouraging the public to send emails, letters, phone calls, and other communications to local Taiji government offices, the Fishermen's Union (FU), Taiji Whale Museum, Dolphin Base, the Dolphin Resort hotel, and Japanese embassies and consulates around the world. They are also requesting donations to cover immediate replacement of at least one laptop and several SD cards for the volunteers' cameras, so that their documentation work can continue immediately. Addresses for public input include the following:

Mr. Yoshiki Kimura, Governor of Wakayama prefecture
(Mr. Kimura's office issues the drive fishery permit, thus granting permission for the annual dolphin slaughter.)
E-mail: e0001003@pref.wakayama.lg.jp
Public comment lines: +81-73-441-2028
Phone: 81-73-441-2034
Fax: 81-73-423-9500

Tourism Bureau, Wakayama Prefecture
E-Mail : e0625001@pref.wakayama.lg.jp
URL : http://kanko.wiwi.co.jp/world/english/index.html
Phone 81-73-441-2789
FAX : 81-73-427-1523

Japanese Embassies Worldwide
http://www.mofa.go.jp/about/emb_cons/mofaserv.html

Also breaking in Sea Shepherd news today is that the ship Brigitte Bardot was incapacitated by a rogue wave and is real danger. It will take the Steve Irwin over 20 hours to reach the crew. They think the ship will stay afloat that long and hopefully withstand a tow back to port. This is a MAJOR setback in Operation Divine Wind as all ships are in the Southern Ocean stopping the annual whale hunt there.

“This is disappointing but these are hostile seas and we have always been prepared for situations like this,” Said Captain Paul Watson from the Steve Irwin. “Right now the safety of my crew on the Brigitte Bardot is our priority and we intend to reach the crew and then do what we can to save our ship.”


News Article on Arrest

News Article on Raid

News Article on Rogue Wave

Sea Shepard News Feed