Japan warning shot hits Paul Watson in chest, saved by vest & badge

Japanese Coast Guard fire "warning shot" aimed at Captain's heart (watch video clip)

Top left: immediately after being hit
Bottom left: ship dovtor removes bullet
Right: Paul Watson holding bullet and mangled metal badge

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guano says:

Photo posted by Industrial Strength Tourist.

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Japanese Coast Guard throw flash grenades

March 7, 2008

Captain Paul Watson Shot in Chest; Cameraman and Crewmember Injured by Flash Grenades

At 1545 hours (0445 GMT), a clash between the crew of the Sea Shepherd vessel Steve Irwin and the Japanese whaling ship Nisshin Maru turned violent when the Japanese Coast Guard began to throw flash grenades at the crew of the Steve Irwin.

Captain Paul Watson was struck by a bullet in the chest. Fortunately, the bullet was stopped by his Kevlar vest. The bullet struck just above the heart and mangled Captain Watson’s anti-poaching badge, which was worn on his sweater underneath the Kevlar vest.

Dr. David Page was videotaped prying the bullet from Captain Watson’s Kevlar vest. “You have been hit by a bullet,” he said.

The Kevlar vest and anti-poaching badge effectively saved Captain Watson’s life.

Additional injuries were sustained by crewmembers Ashley Dunn and Ralph Lowe. Dunn, 35, from Launceston, Australia suffered a hip injury when he tried to get out of the way of the exploding grenades. Lowe, 33, from Melbourne, Australia received bruises to his back when one of the flash grenades exploded behind him.

The Japanese Coast Guard was retaliating against Sea Shepherd crewmembers for tossing rotten butter onto the decks to discourage their illegal whaling activities. The clash came after a week long pursuit by the Steve Irwin of the Nisshin Maru, in an effort to stop illegal whaling activities in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary.

Earlier in the day at 0800 hours (1900 GMT), the Steve Irwin had ordered the Nisshin Maru to leave French territorial waters. The Japanese whaler complied and turned around, heading back west into Australian waters.
The confrontation occurred inside the Australian Territorial Zone at the position of 63 Degrees, 41 Minutes South and 133 Degrees, 27 Minutes East.
Posted 22 months ago. ( permalink )

guano says:

Japanese Scramble to Spin Shooting Story

March 7, 2008

In the aftermath of a confrontation between the crew of the whaling ship Nisshin Maru and the crew of the Sea Shepherd ship Steve Irwin, the Japanese public relations flacks are working overtime to get the spin right.

First, they admitted that warning shots were fired, then they corrected themselves and said that only flash grenades were fired at the crew of the Steve Irwin. Then they changed the story again and described the flash grenades as “warning balls.” By tomorrow morning, they may have it spun it again and may be describing them as “marshmallows.”

The Japanese Coast Guard and the Japanese Fisheries Agency have stated to the media that the devices were flash grenades and that warning shots were fired. Only the Institute for Cetacean Research is denying that warning shots were fired and describing the flash grenades as “warning balls.”

“I think the video tells the story,” said Sea Shepherd volunteer Laurens De Groot, a former police officer from Rotterdam. “I’m familiar with the devices thrown. They are the type of flash grenade that specially trained SWAT teams used to combat armed and dangerous criminals.”

The Japanese claim that Captain Paul Watson is lying about being shot was expected. When Giles Lane and Benjamin Potts were tied to the mast of the Yusshin Maru No. 2, the Institute for Cetacean Research claimed it was a lie until the video images were released.

Dr. David Page, the ship’s medical officer, has examined and verified that there were three injuries sustained, all severe bruises. Ralph Lowe from Melbourne was bruised on the back by an exploding flash grenade, and Animal Planet cameraman Ashley Dunn from Launceston, Tasmania injured his hip while trying to avoid a flash grenade. Captain Watson has a large bruise and a cut on the upper left side of his chest.

Dr. Page pried a bullet from Captain Watson’s Kevlar vest and examined the bruise where the bullet impacted. Watson’s Sea Shepherd anti-poaching badge took up some of the force of the impact, but it also cut the skin beneath after it was mangled by the bullet.

Japan claims there were only two Coast Guard officers on the Nisshin Maru, but Sea Shepherd photos and videos clearly show at least four uniformed Coast Guardsmen.

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura was quoted as saying to the media, “Is it all right to hurt humans in order to protect whales? I think whales are cute and important creatures, but even so, hurting humans is unforgivable."

That is quite the spin--accusing Sea Shepherd crew, who did not injure anyone, of hurting humans after Japanese whalers and the Coast Guard deliberately injured human beings to protect an illegal whaling operation.

The Japanese Coast Guard admitted to the media only a few days ago that its officers were armed with rifles and sidearms. Now they are denying they have rifles.

The Japanese keep changing their story.
The most important fact remains that the Japanese whaling fleet is illegally killing endangered whales in a whale sanctuary in violation of international law and an Australian Federal Court order.

------------------------

An 'anti-whaling' campaigner straps
himself to a balcony of the Japanese
embassy in London. March 6, 2008.

Whaling protester scales embassy

BBC - March 6, 2008

A campaigner protesting against whaling by the Japanese has been arrested after chaining himself to the front of the country's embassy in London.

Martin Wyness, 50, of Hereford, climbed the building at about 0730 GMT and lowered the Japanese flag to half-mast about 40ft (12m) from the ground.

He then unfurled a banner saying "Japan stop your illegal whaling" before chaining himself to the building.

Police said Mr Wyness came down from the building at 1047 GMT.

He was arrested on suspicion of criminal trespass.

His protest was believed to be timed to coincide with a meeting of the International Whaling Commission which began on Thursday.

The three-day summit, which is being held in Heathrow, will discuss the future of whaling in Japan, Norway and Iceland.

In January, Mr Wyness and his 14-year-old daughter Sophie were arrested after tying themselves to a staircase with cable ties inside the embassy, in Piccadilly.

The charges against them were later dropped.
Posted 22 months ago. ( permalink )

guano says:

Sea Shepherd Heads Home As Whaling Season Comes To A Close

March 10, 2008
Sea Shepherd News Release

There are less than 10 days left in the Japanese whaling season, and Sea Shepherd Conservation Society’s ship, the Steve Irwin, has reached the limit of its fuel reserves.

“We have no alternative but to retreat from the Southern Ocean,” said Captain Paul Watson, Founder and President of Sea Shepherd. “We have just enough fuel to make it back to port. We’ve done everything we can do down here for this season, and it has been an enormous success. I believe we have saved the lives of over 500 whales.”

Since departing Melbourne on February 14, the Steve Irwin has covered over 6,000 nautical miles chasing the Japanese fleet from as far west as 96 Degrees East to as far east as 136 Degrees East. The majority of the chase took place inside the Australian Antarctic Territorial waters between 62 Degrees South and 65 Degrees South. In total, the Steve Irwin pursued the Japanese whaling fleet for over 3,500 nautical miles. The Nisshin Maru was tailed and harassed for over 1,800 of those miles.

Sea Shepherd can reliably report that no whales were killed during the 17-day period of February 23 to March 10. Added to the 3 weeks that Japanese whalers were prevented from killing whales in January, that brings it to a total of 5½ weeks—or nearly half the whaling season—in which no whales were killed.

“Our success will be reflected in the final kill figures,” said 1st Officer Peter Brown. “There is no doubt in my mind that we have made a significant impact on their profits this season, and I am assuming they are not very happy.”

In response to the International Whaling Commission’s condemnation of Sea Shepherd’s interventions in the Southern Ocean, Captain Watson said, “While they were in London talking about whales, we were down here actually protecting the whales. So they can condemn us until the cows come home, but I think we served our clients, the whales, as best we could, and every whale’s life saved has been a victory for us. We feel satisfied for the lives we have saved, and we feel remorse for the lives we were unable to save. The IWC members should feel ashamed for allowing Japan’s criminal poaching activities to continue.”

Sea Shepherd will work to secure a second ship to return to the Southern Ocean next season along with the Steve Irwin, although it is hoping that Japan will choose instead to withdraw from continued illegal whaling in the Southern Ocean.
“We don’t enjoy this conflict with the Japanese,” said Captain Paul Watson. “We do this to defend the whales, not to offend Japan, but if we are offending Japan by defending the whales, then that is the way it must be.”
Posted 22 months ago. ( permalink )

ooleyart says:

please keep up the good work!
Posted 19 months ago. ( permalink )

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Japan warning shot hits Paul Watson in chest, saved by vest & badge

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