Sea Shepherd campaigns in Bondi

The battle against Japanese whaling in the Southern Ocean comes to Bondi on Friday, November 19 when Sea Shepherd Sydney hosts Bondi No Compromise, a fundraiser with Captain Paul Watson and special guests at Bondi Pavilion’s High Tide Room.

As the 2010 whale season – from December through January – is about to begin, recent sightings off the Sydney coastline (and in the harbour) show whales have begun their annual migration from their breeding grounds off North Queensland to the food rich Antarctic Ocean.

Captain Paul Watson, head of the Sea Shepherd organisation, recently revealed a new high speed vessel, the Ocean Adventurer, a 115-foot (36 m), stabilised mono-hull vessel intended to replace the Ady Gil, the boat that was spectacularly cut in half by a whaling vessel from the Japanese fleet in last years’ Southern Ocean skirmishes.

Watson said recently on Radio Australia: “We’ve now replaced it with a larger vessel that has the speed that’ll enable us to stay ahead of the harpoon vessels. Se we need that interceptor vessel, we have it, plus the two large vessels to block their loading operations. I think we have everything we need in order to prevent them from carrying out their operation.”

This brings the Sea Shepherd fleet to three boats. Their task will be to obstruct and harass the seven boats of the Japanese whaling fleet and to prevent them from their stated intention to catch the 1400 minke whales, 80 humpbacks and 80 fin whales they have allocated themselves in the Antarctic Whale Sanctuary this summer.

The Japanese are preparing to head south next week.

This year’s mission to save whales is called Operation No Compromise. The other ships, the Steve Irwin and the Bob Barker, are currently being prepared for the campaign.

This will be Sea Shepherds’ seventh season in the Southern Ocean, and Captain Watson hopes it will be the last.

“During the past six campaigns, we have saved the lives of nearly 2,000 whales and exposed illegal Japanese whaling activities to the entire world. Last season, we were able to save more whales than the Japanese whalers were able to kill. 528 whales are alive and swimming in the sea because our supporters enabled us to intervene by underwriting our ships and crews.

“Each year, because of our supporters, we have become stronger and more effective. Through patience, determination and persistence, we are driving the Japanese whaling fleet into debt and closer to the day they will retreat from the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary for good.”

The inconclusive outcome of the International Whaling Commission meeting this winter demonstrates that international diplomacy and politics cannot prevent this annual slaughter.

And although the Australian Government is taking Japan to the International Court of Justice over its whaling practices, formal proceedings are not expected to begin until next year.

Tickets for Bondi No Compromise are available online (www.seashepherd.org/bondi) or at the event.