Merry ek’smas.
Some think I’m an unrelievedly gloomy storm crow, an albatross if you will who never shows his face except to taunt from behind a mask.
Well, that’s very true.
Still even I occasionally run across something that reminds me I really ought to get my clothes out of the dryer.
Sea Shepherd buys anti-whaling ship from Japan
Justin McCurry in Tokyo, The Guardian
Tuesday 11 December 2012
“We have four ships, one helicopter, drones and more than 120 volunteer crew from around the world ready to defend majestic whales from the illegal operations of the Japanese whaling fleet,” said Sea Shepherd’s founder, Paul Watson.
…
To compound Japan’s embarrassment, the 184ft vessel was previously moored in Shimonoseki, home to the country’s Antarctic whaling fleet, after being retired by the meteorological agency in 2010.In its past incarnation as the Seifu Maru, the ice-strengthened vessel’s duties included gathering data on ocean currents for Japan’s north Pacific whaling fleet, according to Sea Shepherd.
Paul Watson is a bail jumping fugitive arrested in Germany and wanted by INTERPOL for endangering whalers.
In February, the whaling fleet was called back to port early with just one-fifth of its planned catch following clashes with activists.
The Sam Simon’s skipper, Lockhart MacLean, said he hoped to intercept the whaling fleet’s factory ship before a single whale was killed. “The goal is to find the factory ship, the Nisshin Maru, and to pin the bow of this ship on the stern of that factory ship throughout the duration of the campaign, and send them home without any whales killed,” he told Reuters.
“We’re confident we can seriously impact their whale quota. This year all four of their harpoon ships are going to be tied up by our four ships, and the goal is that no harpooning can be done.”
…
A clause in the International Whaling Commission’s 1986 ban on commercial whaling allows Japan to kill almost 1,000 whales each year for what it calls “scientific research”.The meat is sold to restaurants and supermarkets, although the public’s waning appetite for the delicacy has created a huge stockpile of unsold produce.
To thee, thou Wedding-Guest!
He prayeth well, who loveth well
Both man and bird and beast.
He prayeth best, who loveth best
All things both great and small;
For the dear God who loveth us,
He made and loveth all.”
The Mariner, whose eye is bright,
Whose beard with age is hoar,
Is gone; and now the Wedding-Guest
Turned from the bridegroom’s door.
He went like one that hath been stunned,
And is of sense forlorn:
A sadder and a wiser man
He rose the morrow morn.
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