Animal Planet is inviting all viewers to a live discussion after its new mini-series Whale Wars: Viking Shores airs on May 4. The HD video event will be powered by Watchitoo, the video collaboration and streaming technologies company, and will air on Animal Planet’s website and Facebook page.
Participating in the discussion will be Captain Paul Watson, of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, and Heri Joensen, Faroese native and lead singer of the international band Týr.
Both men are featured the five-part series, which documents Sea Shepherd Conservation Society’s Operation Ferocious Islands, a campaign to end the Faroese annual whale drive.
According to Animal Planet’s description, this campaign is the first time the Sea Shepherds have used a covert team to interact with locals and carry out undercover missions in addition to the actions out at sea that they’re known for.
Watson has led the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society for 30 years, which he founded to lead research, investigation and the enforcement of laws, treaties, resolutions and regulations established to protect marine wildlife and their habitats worldwide.
Joensen does not share Watson’s perspective on the annual whale drive. He is deeply rooted in the traditions of the Faroe Islands, where he was born, and his music draws upon this heritage.
“Watchitoo enables us to extend the debate around whaling onto the web and beyond the show, letting the opposing sides air their opinions to this deeply debated topic,” said Iain Langridge, vice president of AnimalPlanet.com and Petfinder. “This is the first time Whale Wars web fans will get a chance to hear directly from Paul Watson as well as the opposing views of the Faroese people represented by Heri Joensen.”
The product Watchitoo will be providing for the discussion is an embeddable video collaboration platform that allows multiple participants to see and hear one another in real-time, collaborate around any form of rich media, and be viewed by an audience scalable into the thousands.
Related links:
Whale Wars: Viking Shores – live after show press release
Animal Planet – Whale Wars: Viking Shores
Watchitoo – official site
Animal Planet – official site
I watched the episode of this Friday night. What a waste of time and money! They are protesting killing pilot whales, which is a culture for these people. They have done it for thousands of years. Paul Watson and his whole crew are a bunch of goof offs, do nothings. Send me your money and I’ll go ride around the ocean and play “war games” The pilot whale is not even endangered dumb arses!! But according to a crew member they have feelings just like you and me. I’ve never seen a chicken, any of the billions that are killed each year have a smile on it’s face while it’s head is being pulled off. Why not protest that? Cause they can do that here and it’s not glorified. You think they eat meat on the boat? I bet the slurp it up. His crew are all “brave” when they are riding around in the ocean but put them on land, like last week, and they are terrified to the point of crying. And then they have the balls to cry when someone boards their ship. Come on! Wimps. These trips are nothing more than a way to pay Paul Watson (COWARD) and the rest of his cowards to goof off on someone else’s dollar. Get a freaking real job.
Past cultural traditions like those of the Faroese are really what has put generations of today in a very volatile world. We must learn that these traditions are going to kill the planet we all so gravely depend on. Do we side with tradition, or do we side with responsibility? Come on people, wake up and smell the coffee!
Gee Johnny, tell us out you really feel. lol. No whales killed while we were there. That was the objective and the objective was achieved. In the Southern Ocean, Japan got only 26% of their kill last season and only 17%of their kill the season before. Objective achieved. So you see Johnny, we don’t really care what you opinion is, we have a job (thank-you very much) and we are doing it extremely well. I do love pissing off people like you and receiving your feedback that tells me you know absolutely nothing about what you are talking about. The very fact that we’re pissing you off enough to motivate you to spew the drivel that you have posted here is proof positive we are getting your attention along with millions of other people of whom the majority support us.
Johnny Sprocket, actually all their vessels are Vegan. For you trolls out there, that means they do not consume any animal products while on campaign. You can belittle the Sea Shepherds all you like, but I highly doubt you ever had any idea where the Faroe Islands were until you saw the episode on Friday. Further, 99% of Americans had probably never heard of the Faroe Islands until this week, but they know where they are now, and that Pharoese people love to bruttally massacre pilot whales. Not only that, but they look forward all year to murdering them some whales. Despite your feelings about the Sea Shepherd, they suceeded in their mission, no “grinds” happened during the 2 months that they were there. As much bolster as the Faroe’s whale killers bolstered for the camera, they live on a tiny group of island, that is dependent on tourism for survival. Despite all the bragadoccio by the Faroese people, they really are cowards for not going ahead with their “tradition” so that the world could judge them by their actions, not by their words. The action of killing numerous whales, simply for sport, that is. I realize that the Faroese people consume these whales. Of course the Faroese people also have some of the highest concentrations of Mercury in their bodies in the world, and their children will likely suffer defects resulting from the Mercury in their system (and their mother’s indirectly). The good news is that within a couple of generations the mercury posioning will likely make any Faroese children into drooling vegetables, so we won’t have to worry about their little tradition much longer…
So they consume no animal products while on Campaign?? What sense does that make? NONE!! I AM a VEGAN, 100% of the time! There is no only when on Campaign, DA! Paul Watson can’t maintain that figure being a Vegan. I didn’t know where the islands were before seeing the episode and I still don’t, don’t care. I do however see tons of chicken houses daily, where chickens are kept on top of each other in filth until the day they are trucked off again on top of each other, not enough room to stand up going down the highway to die. The fact that Captain Paul Watson has time to monitor these postings and respond re-enforces what Johnny was saying. He has no REAL job. I don’t think either of you got Johnny’s point. Why spend the resources, gas and energy to go protest a non endangered species when there are animals killed every second everywhere in the world. I see the whole thing against Japan although I agree that you still are a bunch of slackers, do nothings. I bet if you took the money it takes to run one of these shows and actually educated people and gave an incentive you could do more good in stopping people from eating all kinds of meat. I am the majority and you all wastes a hell of a lot of money (other peoples $)that could be better used else where. Now Captain Watson, what time to did you roll you fat butt out of bed this morning to do your job? Not all of us have the pleasure to have a cook, and everything served up for you like you do. You love your job, I get it, I would too if I could get people to throw money at me to play games.
By the way Evette, I am 100% Vegan as well, and have been for years. Your response leaves lots to be desired; as you appear to be espousing your committment to veganism in one sentence, and thereafter chastise Paul for being a vegan. That doesn’t really make sense from an arguementative standpoint, nor a logical standpoint either.
Also, your chicken analogy is fundamentally incorrect. These are not free range chickens roaming internationally in freedom, migrating thousands of miles with their families in an annual migration. Those are domesticated animals raised for the purpose of consumption within their home country. While I deplore factory farming, it’s an entirely different situation that the one you are attempting to interject into the discussion. While you may attempt to equate chickens with whales, I don’t recall ever seeing an “International Chickening Commission” meeting where a majority of the respondent nations from around the world sign on to oppose the slaughter of chickens, and thereby set up an international moratorium on chicken killing. Nice try though.
As well you chastise Paul for doing PR and Media relations for Sea Shepherd. If PR was not an important job in the grand scheme, why would ICR have their paid trolls (and you?) dredging up the same arguements against Sea Shepherd ad naseum on every article posted on the web: “Your racists… you eat [insert domesticated animal] so you are a hypocrite… It’s our food culture and heritage…” None of those change that fact that the majority of the world disagrees with your actions.
You said, “Why spend the resources, gas and energy to go protest a non endangered species when there are animals killed every second everywhere in the world.” Again, I fail to see how drawing attention to the slaughter of the pilot whales, an activity that the overwhelming majority of the world deems horrifying and disgusting, is a waste of time and resources. You, the Faroese are a tiny nation of 50,000. The majority of the other billions of people on this earth disagree with your actions. Giving the message to potentially millions of viewers that your island revels in it’s barbaric practices towards marine mammals, and having that be the first introduction the majority of the world has to your islands, now that is priceless. Showing the world what you do, and allowing them to choose with their money, whether to visit your little island or not based on your actions… That is worth every penny to those of us donating and supporting Sea Shepherd.
The real story is in the Faroe Islander’s cowardice. They talk a big game, but 2 Sea Shepherd Vessels and less than a 100 volunteers shut down your nation’s whale killing for 2 months. As much as the Faroese like to brag, they know that the rest of the world finds their practices barbaric and inhumane. The Faroese did not conduct one “grind” while the Shepherds were there. If the Faroese whale kill is so humane and traditional and romantic as you Faroese make it out to be, why are you too cowardly to show the world what you do? Ohhh, that’s right, the tiny spit of an island you inhabit is dependent on tourism (as well as huge subsidies from Denmark). So what can we take from the fact that the Faroese didn’t want the world to see their cruelty? That the Faroese people actually care about tourism money more than their “traditions”.
As an aside, I don’t think that Faroese whalers in the 16th century had a regatta’s worth of gas powered chase boats at their disposal, so the “tradition” that you are currently practicing can only be as old as the internal combustion engine. If you all are so fond of the old traditional ways, why don’t you relinquish your toilet paper, and use your hand? Slavery is a biblical and historical tradition, why not continue that? I’m sure the Vikings must have loved strapping their outboard motors to their long boats, that must have made the trip to the Faroes really quick from Scandanavia.
Even the Faroeese government has urged it’s citizens to consume the whale meet in much smaller quantities, and to not consume bludder, due to it’s high mercury content and the potential for long term reproductive and developmental damage to the consumers. Which will, of course, be nature’s revenge on the whale killers. That those who participate in the whale killing will likely have higher levels of Mercury than non-consumers.
Seeing the show on Friday, and how the teenagers and adolescents of the Faroe islands acted toward the Sea Shepherds, I would argue the negative cognitive effects of the mercury poisoning are already at hand there.
Way to go Faroe Islanders! The world never cared a fig about you, until we saw how you love to slaughter whales. You can wish Sea Shepherd away, but the world has now seen how you treat marine mammals, and how your children and “adults” act when confronted. All the posts and rebuttals in these comments only show how much anger that Sea Shepehrd has generated in the Faroes, and how scared the Faroese are that their tourist dollars could dry up.
Bongo..Looks like your happy to have found a people that you can take you hate out on….. You have been taken in by Mr. Watson. He is there for one thing and one thing only, media, money and fame..
Mr. Watson, you know and I know why you are in the Fareo Islands. The is no species at risk or on the endangered list. It is all about exploiting an opportunity. Blood in water like blood on ice makes for good video, photos, reality TV and most of all translates into donations. I have never support directly supported sealing or whaling etc, but what I do despise is a group like yours working to vilify and demonize a people and culture for you own personal end.
Romika, I’ve debated with you before and shown how many flaws you have in your arguement.
You do not care about rationality, facts or logic for that matter. Your motives for making yourself like a moron online that hasn’t looked at one academic report on whaling makes it hard to understand why you would waste time and energy.
The Japanese pro-whalers for years have went online and said how great the research is. But now that many real experts in the area have spoken up and pointed out the flaws. The taste of the arguement has turned from research to “Meh… its tradition and we need the food”
The Japanese government for years made millions on whaling. Yet now that Sea Shepherd that has taken action and got a TV show… ohhh we can’t have that… its all about the money. Even when SSCS was saving whales decades before whale wars.
The excuses of pro-whalers are moronic, simple as and anyone who is not an environmentalist or born into hunting communitys can see the flaws within the arguements of whalers within minutes of doing some research.
“You do not care about rationality, facts or logic for that matter”this sounds exactly like what Mr. Paul Watson does. Regarding reports, I seen them all. The problem is that the SSCS selects issues based on their money making potential,,, plain and simple.. SSCS distorts the facts. In the Fareos there are no endangered species….. but there is opportunity for Watson…. He said it himself…. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_gTBDFTXE0
Ahhh Romika, the paid troll and lap dog of the Japanese whaling industry. Of course you would be commenting here. It is your job after all now to post your vile little remarks about Sea Shepherd anywhere you can. I still have not figured out if you get paid by the hour or the posting. Funny you openly endorse whaling and sealing on other posts but here you’re taking the “I never support whaling and sealing” ploy. Nice try.
As typical response, not responding to the comment, but rather attacking the person. SSCS is known for attacks on people and culture.
Watched part of the first episode and could not believe the lack of planning by the Sea Shepherds..they were planning on using the stealth boat according to the episode to deply an acqustic barrier..so they ship the equipement in a van (followed by a video crew — just genius) and the equipement was confiscated. A better plan would have been to deploy it with the ship or if possible before the start of the operation..
” openly endorse whaling and sealing on other posts” there is not one comment made of the last four years that endorses sealing or whaling. The focus as been on an organization that selects issues based on their media and money making potential, an organization that vilifies and demonizes people and culture, an organization that states that is conservation organization yet attacks issues that have no conservation link, while ignoring real issues, an organization that does no work with individuals who are directed impacted by their attacks, choosing to marginalize them, an organization whose leader states that it is acceptable to lie and distort data…….
I love this show.. Sea Shepherd is soooo funny.
My favorite actor is that Paul Watson guy..what other comic series have I seen him in? I just love it how he masters to use just a grain of truth in his twisted media circus. That is funnier to watch than anything I have seen from Hollywood in a long time.
Although his followers are not so funny..they don´t make me laugh.. bad casting.
Oh well, they still do a ok acting, but no one outshines their cult leader..you rock my funny bone 😉
I will cheer for you all at the Razzie´Awards 🙂
I would never give them a dime. If you want to do some good with your 5 bucks buy someone a Boca burger. That way you know where the $ is going and know first hand the results. You’re not wasting 4 bucks on paying some joke to serve it up for you. People have too much desposible income they waste. use some sense!
Let me get this straight. If you fight for whales, you don’t care about chickens or pigs? There is plenty of inhumane treatment of animals in this world–the Sea Shepherd focuses on certain kinds of it and have brought attention to it via their campaigns and shows. Plenty of “traditions” have gone away as the world has become more civilized and sensitive to the treatment of animals (e.g., even Burger King has realized they need to improve treatment of animals killed for their restaurants). “Tradition” in and of itself doesn’t justify mass slaughter of whales. It is no longer necessary as a means of feeding the people of the Faroe Islands–THAT’s why it has crossed the line into unnecessary cruelty.
I would rather support any people, like Inuits, Faroese and others, that strive in there own way to lives in a sustainability way with nature, and only take from nature what nature can withstand to share.
I also love nature and animals, and would fight for protecting any endangered animal, but these pilot whales, and are not and never been endangered.
Our western food is crap, and I see no point in forcing all mankind to be vegetarians. Mother nature can not supply enough of needed nutrition if all 7+ billions would clear more Forrest and be even more impoverishing nature, when nature have provided plenty of other ways of food.
I am lucky to live a place where my salad comes from close by nature. Up there, not much grows, and I see no need in forcing them to import all their food, when they have free food around them, and its all non-endangered.
You are maybe solely againts whale eating coz they are cute and smart. I think so too. But I also love the smart, social skilled and cute pigs. But we still kill it, big time..every day. At least there food has had a far better life.
I’ll be nice. Don’t delete my post this time.
I’d like to start off with saying, I am astonished by the poor seamanship of your crews. I served in the U.S. Navy aboard two ships, and watching your “operations” makes every bone in my body cringe. My advice to you is hire some real sailors, your guys are a joke. I have to say, any real sailor worth his price in celebrity’s money wouldn’t sail with you. Somebody is going to get killed on one of your crews. It’s just a matter of time.
I won’t make fun of your body Paul. I am curious though, are you a vegan?
Now I did ask a valid question in my last post. What is next? Eskimos? Will you seek “operations” against Eskimos? They hunt, kill, and then consume whales as well as make tools with their bones. Will you go after them?
Let me explain something to people who may not be in the know. Descendents of all Viking people have had Whale meat and blubber in their culture for ions. A bunch of terrible sailors showing up every once in awhile is not going to change a thing. So you save a couple here and their. Good for you. You’ll never erase a culture that’s existed longer than your ancestors. Blubber is consumed because it raises your body temperature and keeps you warm in the extreme cold. There are seasonal dishes all through Scandinavia, Iceland, and the damn-dreaded Faroe Islands with Whale. It’s not as taboo as you make it out to be.
I understand going after the Japanese and their “research”, that’s noble. Even though you’re a horrible sailor, I appreciated your efforts there. I understand trying to stop the killing of Dolphins. When the culture is the culture of just killing animals for no reason, by all means man take your celeb money and get in there and almost sink yourself. I won’t complain. When your protesting and “operating” against cultures you cannot even begin to understand I can’t side with you.
If you chose to conduct “operations against Eskimos, I’d defend them the same way. Their culture dates back further than the Viking culture.
Just fyi, we did not delete any posts on this topic. We only delete spam and astroturf.
– Editor
*here and there
The Faroese quest for nationhood has not been well-received by the EU because of the sport of killing whales FOR SPORT in not defensible in a civilized community.
There are no Faroe stamps or coins in my collection–and no plans to visit there. Hooliganism is not my cup of tea. Faroese reactions are theater to counter the acting roles of the Sea Sheps.
t
@Hector
You can try all you want to demonize these people by lying and claiming that what they do is just a simple killing sport, but your ignorance derails any fact based fight for whales.
I also love whales, and support any fight for protecting endangered animals.
But it does not take much enlightenment to know what is fact and what is stupid ignorance propaganda in this mater.
A majority of those that post comments online against whaling, are solely based on sentimental values and no facts.
Hecor claims pilot havesting is just a sport, and that reveals that he might love whales just as me, but arguments are so weak that he feels a urge o spice his arguments in a effort to demonize these people with stupid lies. That is stupid of Hector.
My involvement in this issue is that I also love whales, but I also love mother nature. And I don´t belive that all mankind has to be forced in living as vegitarians in order to save our planet. I think the survival of mother nature is for people to live a as balanced life with nature as possible and only take from nature what nature can withstand to share of all kind of nutritions. As long as its done in as harmless way as possible way is based sustainability. And Inuits, faroese and other people strive o live that life, and that I acknowledge.
Its true that here are many endangered spieces, like those big whales that the japanese hunt, and need our protectiong. Sea Shepherds efford to stop these whales from being killed in the name of “research” is a good cause and I do support that.
But Sea Shepherds reason to fight faroese way of living semmed to be solely based on narrow views and senimental values towards whales and not, science or facts.
These faroese people that are descendants from the vikings have harvested pilot whales for over thousind of years, and its well documented by scientists and supported by harvesting statistics ranging back over 500 years, that these pilot whales are not and never have been any where close to be endangered.
They are cute, have amazing social abilities and are very clever. But the same can be said about one of mother natures smartest animal, the pig. But the indusrialized world killes these pigs. In millions. Every day.
And to think modern way of living, how we, in general, breed animals and slaughter them, is in anyway better than the faroese way of living, has no clue about nature, ecology, circle of life or how our own food is produced and killed
I also get a lump in my throat when I see these whales being harvested, and it looks bloody. But I am glad that hese faroese are not ashamed to show in public what happens daily in our own slaughter house. Most people in the industrialized world have no clue how bloody it looks when our own animals are being killed.
And its well documented that these pilot whales get a quick death. From they hit the shore til they are dead it goes in general under 2 minutes, and that is fast. And any one that has ever learned about how to survive on animals know that from you cut the vital core up to the brain you are dead in a split second.
And anyone been in a slaughterhouse would know that that is fast.
My point is that unless you are a vegetarian, or a ignorant illformed, than you are a hypocritical fool to think you can in any way claim the higher moral ground in this matter and think the faroese way of living is worse than our industrialized way of living.
And while I do love whales, and fight for any endangered animal, I do not agree on that all humans should be vegans.
“These faroese people that are descendants from the vikings have harvested pilot whales for over thousind of years, and its well documented by scientists and supported by harvesting statistics ranging back over 500 years, that these pilot whales are not and never have been any where close to be endangered.”
You know the Vikings also raped and pillaged everywhere they went, are you suggesting that the Faroese people should begin taking their boats out and raping, pillaging, and burning neiboring communities? That was a Viking tradition, should we continue that as well?
“My point is that unless you are a vegetarian, or a ignorant illformed, than you are a hypocritical fool to think you can in any way claim the higher moral ground in this matter”. Oh and I am a Vegan, and so are the Sea Shepherds. So yes, I can take the moral high ground on this issue, and by your logic, and so can all of the Sea Shepherds.
To then extend your logic then; Faroese people (by virtue of the fact that they are not vegetarians) are automatically on the moral low ground of this arguement. Note, this is not my view, this is Susans…
You make another interesting point Susan, “And anyone been in a slaughterhouse would know that that is fast.” Firstly, I’ve never been to a slaughter house. My parents did not kill animals for commercial gain, so I never got to go to “take you kid to work day” at the slaughterhouse. Interestingly, the Faroese love to take their children to the slaughterhouse, and let the kids knife and abuse the corpses of the whales. That’s the difference, the Faroese revel in their violence, whereas the rest of the world seeks to minimize their inhumanity toward animals. That’s what makes the Faroese so angry, is that their practices supported by history or not, just do not fit into modern society. By Sea Shepherd shining the light on their actions (justified by international law or not), the rest of the world gets the opportunity to view their inhumanity, and we are disgusted. The Faroese know we are disgusted, and know that their economy will be negatively effected by showing exactly who they are and what they do. They are such an insular little place dependent on the mainland for the majority of their resources, that they refused to show their “traditions” for the world to see. Because the world is watching…
paul watson and your crew you are my heroes keep up the fight you have alot of people in the world behind you there will always be idiots out there who disagree and think it is their right to kill because it is their culture so as long as it is your culture it is fine to do anything you want the stupidity of some people never fails to amaze me
Listen Mr. High And Mighty. Do you even realize how pompous your comments are? Calling somebody stupid just because they don’t agree with your ideas isn’t very smart you clown. I don’t give a crap what you think Mongo the sheep. You live your life, and I’ll live mine. If you want to debate, bring something to the table besides name calling. I am not trying to change any of your minds. Trust me, I know it is impossible. When I state the history of their culture, it’s not so you environmental Nazis can dispute it. It’s because it’s a fact and not an opinion. I doubt you know the difference. Maybe other viewers take the time to view this, not zombies who believe anything they see on TV.
Just so you know, I’ll eat whatever the hell I want to. I’ll eat animals, grain, or whatever that’s my choice. Just because I eat meats doesn’t make me an idiot. That logic is so stupid it’s beyond reason. Thinking you’re so damn smart and better than anyone else makes you an idiot. Stand in front of your mirror and gaze into it Mongo, there’s your idiot. Chew on that a while. I hope you have a rebuttal. I’m going to enjoy destroying you in a debate.
Whales are food to these people. People are going to eat what they want. What gives you the right to tell anyone what to do, think, or even eat? What made you better than everyone else? Really, I’d like to know.
I don’t think you know what culture is. If it isn’t your opinion then it’s wrong it seems. I’m glad you think you’re the smartest human being that ever walked the face of the Earth. I find it comical. I can’t wait to hear what you say about that.
I’m just curious, If you’re so much for saving sea cows, what’s your stance on abortion? All of you, what’s your position on abortion? Don’t take me for an idiot. I may not have ivy league grammar, but I can almost guarantee my IQ is greater than Mongo’s.
So go on save some Whales, give your money to these half-assed sailors. The fact is, Whales will be eaten whether you exist or not.
Leave it to the Navy guy to be the first to pull the Nazi card. Here’s a rule for you, and it may not be written in stone, but he who pulls the Nazi card has already lost the debate. I fail to see any correlation between a brutal, jewish killing, Europe raping army and a NGO seeking to stem illegal poaching and marine mammal abuse. Also, opening a debate with a flury of insults in the first paragraph is poor debate form as well. In fact the whole form of your response has been:
“[Insert Rhetorical Question], Call someone a name, espouse that your don’t care about their opinion or belittle them….” Repeat 6 times.
Earlier, you made a fairly interesting point, “Now I did ask a valid question in my last post. What is next? Eskimos? Will you seek “operations” against Eskimos? They hunt, kill, and then consume whales as well as make tools with their bones. Will you go after them?”
Actually, I’m no expert on International Maritime Law, but I believe that the allowing the Inuit people to take a small amount of whales (<100/year) is allowed under the IWC. Here's the interesting part though, these Inuit tribes kill a few whales a year, to consume and pass on their traditions. Once again this is allowable under the IWC. If the Inuit people, most of whom have a much harder existence than the Faroese do, only need to consume a couple of whales a year for subsistence and traditional skills at each tribe. Then why do the Faroses need to kill hundreds or thousands of whales every year? Surely, they'd only need to kill one or two to pass on their "skills", if they can be called that. You can tell me that the Faroese eat every morsel, but whale meat is for sale in Faroese supermarkets, meaning this is a commercial activity. And under the IWC, commercial whaling is banned. A majority of the respondent nations in the world (and conversly their citizens) have banned commercial whaling. A majority of the world finds this practice barbaric; that's a majority of the world's industrialized nations except for Japan, Norway, Iceland, and the Faroes. That's billions of people that disagree with the actions of the Faroese, and agree (at least in principle, though not necessarily in action) with the Sea Shepherds.
Then you launch into, " what’s your stance on abortion? All of you, what’s your position on abortion?" Nice attempt at deflection. This is a discussion about the practices of the Faroe island peoples, the actions of the Sea Shepherds, and history of commercial whaling and Faroe Islands. I fail to see how abortion has anything to do with this, at all. We're talking about the killing of marine mammals in this discussion. I'm sure you can find a much more suitable location for espousing your views (as a man), about what is best for women whom you've never met.
Jewish people aside. The Nazi party did a heck of a lot more than commit genocide. I guess you didn’t learn that. You probably thank them for some of their contributions. They did more to control and demonize anything they did not agree with more than any other regime in history. When a person calls somebody a Nazi it doesn’t mean jew killer. I would suspect you know that. I know you’re smart so don’t try to pretend you didn’t get my drift.
OK lets keep the topic with Marine Mammals then. Right you are, “Actually, I’m no expert on International Maritime Law, but I believe that the allowing the Inuit people to take a small amount of whales (<100/year) is allowed under the IWC." In international Maritime law Sea Shepherd is actually engaging in Piracy. If you want to get technical. At one time the all mighty and king of the sea did not allow Eskimos to whales at all. They had to beg and plead to the all mighty to let them take their little share to keep their traditions. What makes them so special? By percentages they take just about as much as the Feroese.
What's the numbers you have for the Faroe Islanders that you count? By my count they take under 1,000. What's that about a couple pounds a person per year? You can't live with that?
I am personally pro-choice. What a women decides is her business. I also hope that it gets rid of future know-it-alls like yourself there Johnny boy.
How do you do math? A couple billion? Are you serious?
Should I repeat six more times?
“What’s that about a couple pounds a person per year? You can’t live with that” There’s a fantastic PBS short documentary on the Faroese grinds, that is quite balanced compared to the sea shepherds view (and mine ) of the Faroese actions:
http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/stories/faroe605/video_index.html
And post hunt the foreman allocates a HUNDRED pounds per man, for the single hunt. We are not talking about a few whales a year, so the Faroese can practice their traditions, we’re talking wholesale slaughter here.
[Nazi’s], “You probably thank them for some of their contributions”, really now you have to equate me with the Nazi’s to somehow add validity to your arguement. “When a person calls somebody a Nazi it doesn’t mean jew killer”, I would argue that the definition I presented is a more popular interpretation of the word, than the defintion you present of “They did more to control and demonize anything they did not agree with more than any other regime in history”.
While I understand your inference of Nazis as extremists, and your back-handed attempt to identify Sea Shepherd with them, it’s a poor analogy and in very bad taste. I would also like to point out I used the word, “Jewish”, a name commonoly associated with people of the Jewish faith. You used the word “Jew”, that word is a derogatory slur against the Jewish people. But I digress…
“In international Maritime law Sea Shepherd is actually engaging in Piracy. If you want to get technical”. Please; elaborate on the specific actions that Sea Shepherd has undertaken, acting against a vessel operating legally in international waters, that would define them as pirates. Since your a storied Navy man, I don’t assume that should be too difficult for you.
“How do you do math? A couple billion? Are you serious”.
Nations that have not agreed to a global ban on commercial whaling:
“Japan, Norway, Peru, and the Soviet Union (later replaced by Russia) lodged formal objections”. So perhaps you are correct, it might only be a billion or so people that agree with Sea Shepherd: including all the Buddihsts world-wide, probably all of the billion people in India that are predominately buddhist or hindu, a fair percentage of the American population (there are ~ 1 million vegans in the US alone), and a majority then of the populations of the 25 industrialized nations that signed onto the commercial whaling ban. If a majority of a nation that had signed onto the ban, disagreed with their government’s decision, they have had 25 years to raise their objections and make their government change course. I haven’t see that occur in any capacity since the formal ban was adopted. So, fair enough, how about just a billion people disagree with the actions of the 50,000 Faroese peoples?
Holy cow. What do you want me to say? Ok John you’re right. I’ll never eat meat again. Thanks for showing me the light.
Come on. Do you really need me to define piracy to you? You seemed so smart up until that little topic but I’ll play along. Shipwrecking (changing coarse into the path of another ship on purpose) and sabotage (prop fouling) are considered acts of piracy under Maritime law. I would assume throwing projectiles of any substance are violent acts in Maritime law. You’re not the U.S. Navy, you’re not the Coast Guard, in fact what manner of law backs you? Vigilantes are not legal in any modernized country. You have no force behind you except TV cameras. You’re actually on to something because the boobs in the U.S. believe anything on it. In Maritime law you are pirates. Disagree all you want.
Listen John, you and I have very thick skulls. I’m not buying your garbage and you’re not buying anything I’m selling. Let’s agree to disagree and call it a day. P.S. I do think that they should bring back raids. That would make great television.
“Listen John, you and I have very thick skulls. I’m not buying your garbage and you’re not buying anything I’m selling. Let’s agree to disagree and call it a day”. I agree that you and I will doubtlessly not agree on certain issues at hand here.
I did have one more question on your statement:
“Shipwrecking (changing coarse into the path of another ship on purpose) and sabotage (prop fouling) are considered acts of piracy under Maritime law. I would assume throwing projectiles of any substance are violent acts in Maritime law. You’re not the U.S. Navy, you’re not the Coast Guard, in fact what manner of law backs you?
Agreed, those are actions of piracy. Here’s a question, if a vessel is committing acts of piracy, against another vessels that is committing acts of piracy, who is the pirate? If two vessels are both engaged in illegal acts, then they’re both pirates. Is illegally killing whales in a protected marine environment a worse act of piracy than engaging in pirate activities to intervene against the killing of those whales?
As an aside, what was your view on the Boston Tea Party? I see individuals engaging in law breaking and piracy on a foreign owned vessel, to make a political statment, that centuries down the road resonates with us as an act of patriotism. Do you disagree with that characterization of the Boston Tea Party? Would they not be classified as Pirates under current terrorism laws? They did throw projectiles from the ships?
I have digressed from the Faroese arguement here, admittedly, but I think it raises an interesting point of discussion.
“Holy cow. What do you want me to say? Ok John you’re right. I’ll never eat meat again. Thanks for showing me the light. ” Nope, I don’t expect my comments to change your mind, I can tell we both have strong feelings regarding these issues. I would hope that my comments would make you think twice about consuming the meat and blubber of marine mammals, whether or not you feel it justified by tradition.
Well we started off a little rocky. No, I totally agree with you about the Boston Tea Party. That’s a very good point. I understand your position fully. The two wrongs don’t make a right crap is ringing in my ear, but that is a little too tired for me to use.
Both sides are committing piracy if indeed the ship’s country of origin has acknowledged the supreme authority of the law that you are defending. Explain to me what gives the IWC its authority to rule the ocean 50 miles out? I know there is some UN thing floating around to take control of all the oceans. What right now has the authority of all the area under your keel? The vessels above are ultimately ruled by their country of origin. There is no real power to rule the depths of the oceans.
Paul Watson=terrorist.
Enough said.
Paul Watson is just a self-righteousness moron that thinks he with his many half truths and full lie can claim superiority over the moral high ground is just stupid. His media circus is just a ignorant money propaganda machine boosting his ego and money bank.
@B10ne You said it!! I can’t believe anyone would give this guy a penny but plenty do. But then again people have thrown money at plenty of fouls over the years. For me and my cash, I’d rather waste it myself. All this hype over whaling does make me wonder what they taste like. That is not what Mr Watson wants to hear but I bet I am not the only one. Save a chickin- kill a Whale