Reply #1: Japanese whaling ship outlawed

[Judi Lynn]

Japanese whaling ship outlawed
28 October 2008

Panama — Yet another nail has been put in the coffin of Japan's dying whaling industry. We've managed to get the Oriental Bluebird, re-supply and transport ship of Japan’s whaling fleet, de-flagged and fined, following a legal ruling by Panamanian authorities. We are now calling on Japan to scrap the illegal vessel together with the rest of the whaling fleet.

The Oriental Bluebird, used to refuel the Japanese whaling fleet in the Southern Ocean and to ship whale meat back to Japan, was found to be in violation of a number of domestic and international regulations by Panamanian authorities. On October 8th it was fined the maximum penalty due to violations relating to its permissible use, the safety of human life and the preservation of the marine environment. In human speak, that means that the ship, which was only supposed to be refuelling the fleet (in one of the most fragile and pristine environments in the world) was not supposed to be transporting whale meat.

They should scrap the entire fleet - not just the fridge!

We're proud to chalk up this victory. Last year, we took action against this ship in the high seas to prevent the fleet from refuelling, and joined with other environmental groups in Panama to demand the vessel be de-flagged. We asked why a ship flagged by Panama was allowed to deliver whale meat to Japan, when Panama, as a party to the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species, is specfically forbidden from any such trade. Panama asked a more basic question: why was it transporting whale meat at all when it only carried permits for refuelling?

More:
http://www.greenpeace.org/international/news/japanese-whaling-ship-outlawed281008