A RAFT OF OPINIONS IN A SEA OF DISCONTENT

One of the most fascinating things about uploading the U tube vid was the comments section – There were over 700 comments before U Tube decided for some yet to be explained reason to ban it.

Here is a selection of some of them

For a start some thought we were Japanese

You are a pro whaling wanker remove this you slanty eyed fucker ....

Idiot japanese commemters...Please T R Y to show an IQ over 23...
I KNOW you are working for the whalers....do not be fooled by this..
O Genki des ka?...hehe.Sayonara Japs! You have really SHOWED yourselves to the world now...!
I feel PITY for you...

Fuck the japanese.....

Then someone who was a little bit more dramatic.

You greedy fucking murdering pieces of $hit!!!!!!!!

And this was definitely worrying

I am so upset about this, I am going to go kill myself.

Everyone else who is upset, please join me.

Some referred to the less than truthful past of Paul Watson

I remember Paul Watson contacting the western media 2 years ago to spread the news that two Sea Shepherd activists had been taken hostages by the Japanese whalers... Then, in Animal Planet's Whale Wars (season 1), you would learn he purposedly send them onboard the Japanese catcher boat to create an incident.

This so called "ramming" smells like the same strategy to get press coverage and defame the whalers.

Others were worried about more material things

Look at all the crap that came out of the nose of that thing, they should be ticketed for littering.

Others saw the selective morality of the issue.

It's funny how everyone hates the Japanese for whaling, but no one ever says anything about the Eskimos in Alaska that still whale legally. ....

Who the hell do these jerks think they are harrassing another country's shipping fleet because they disagree with their politics?
Time for the Japs to flex and shake off a few fleas

Then someone suggests that it was all good PR for Sea Shepard .

Great fundraising for Sea Shepherd. We just doubled our regular monthly contribution. It will stay doubled throughout 2010. Our Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend checks will go to Sea Shepherd as well. Whaling is a primitive and anachronistic cultural practice fit only for unevolved cultures.

And a few years ago we didnt think that this was possible as strong was the anti whaling sentiment - however as this poll in The Australian shows - more people think the protestors were at fault.

Results: Whaling showdown

Who do you think is to blame for the collision between a Japanese whaling ship and Sea Shepherd protest boat?

• Whalers 47.06% (1327 votes)
• Protesters 52.94% (1493 votes)

Total votes: 2820

Funniest of all is that the Ady Gil played the Tiki Taane song Tangaroa as its war cry.. We reckon that Tangaroa thinks that the Ady Gil is a Joke.

JESUS WEPT - SCALES , WHALES AND A DOCTOR IN THE HOUSE

Well the  Public Relations Instititute of NZ  Fellows - have a job ahead of them this year.

The nominations for  2010 Communicator of the Year are
Judge Andrew Becroft
Glynn Cardy  - Mr Jesus Billboards
Dr Lockwood Smith - the wise and benevolent standard setter for parliamentary behaviour
and Whaling issues supremo  Glenn Inwood.


We think if its down to who has changed public opinions the most  - its Glenn. Simply because a few years ago Everyone loved the anti whaling lobby and no-one loved the Japanese but  public opinion has shifted and more and more people see the anti whalers as grandstanding  wankers who are only concerned about getting the public to fund their boys own piratical fantasies.

And a few years ago we didnt think that this was possible so strong was the anti whaling sentiment - however as a  poll in The Australian showed - more people think the protesters were at fault re the Ady Gil incident.

Results: Whaling showdown

Who do you think is to blame for the collision between a Japanese whaling ship and Sea Shepherd protest boat?

• Whalers 47.06% (1327 votes)
• Protesters 52.94% (1493 votes)

Total votes: 2820

 And there are other opinion polls that have shown a considerable shift of support for the Japanese. 

So we dont think that the " PRINZ  Fellows" will have the balls to vote Glen as the communicator of the year but as far as  a long running PR campaign that has successfully shifted an enormous weight of public opinion -  Glenn wins hands down. 

However we do  think that all nominees are worthy recipients. 

Cardy for poking sacred cows.

Becroft for shedding  light on a dark world
And Lockwood for showing us all that MP's when treated like naughty school children can play nicely in the political sandpit if they are guided the right way.

( Note  BB is a member of Prinz but  did not nominate anyone)

ECO TERRORIST TO VIST NEW ZEALAND

The Sea Shepherd Society is sending its head dork to NZ to stir up anti Japanese sentiment in the name of anti whaling.

This is part of the missive they have sent to supporters

We believe that John Key has misread the minds and hearts of New Zealanders in regards their relationship to the environment, and his proposal to reinstate commercial whaling after a 24- year moratorium is one example of the growing credibility gap between current government policies and the wishes of the New Zealand people. This is a values clash that cannot be negotiated.

Our response to this will be heard loud and clear this Friday 19th and Saturday 20th March in Wellington. Sea Shepherd’s founder Captain Paul Watson will be here Friday and Saturday; the Steve Irwin will arrive in port at Queen’s Wharf late Friday evening and be open to the public on Saturday, departing for the Galapagos Islands Saturday night. Here are the issues we will be addressing:

- Pete Bethune is going on trial in Japan when the real criminal, the Japanese skipper of the security vessel Shonan Maru No.2, who deliberately attacked and destroyed the Ady Gil, goes free in Japan. We will be showing our support for Pete, and inviting other organisations to join us.

– John Key’s flawed plan to resume commercial whaling goes on trial in the Court of New Zealand public opinion, with Labour’s Chris Carter leading the charge.

- The Australian government has threatened to take Japan to an International Court in November over continued violations in the Southern Ocean Sanctuary.
Our government has refused to back this move, although they claim to want closer relations with Australia. We will ask why they are ignoring an issue that has commercial and environmental implications for both countries.

-The 47 signatories to the Antarctic Treaty meet in the USA next month. We want to see an environmental pollution complaint against Japanese whaling interests on the meeting’s agenda.

- Glen Inwood’s role as spokesman for the whalers and in supplying dis-information to the New Zealand government and media will be revealed to the public, along with his connection to Japanese commercial interests in New Zealand.

What a crock. The Steve Irwin is a pirate ship and should not be allowed to dock.

BETHUNE IS A DORK

The latest in publicity stunts by the Sea Shepherd has been rolled out in the Southern Ocean with Eco -Dork Peter Bethune raiding the Japanese Whaling vessel . Seems he wants to make a claim for $3million for his broken toy the Ady Gil.



What a tit. Any idiot looking at the footage can clearly see that it was Bethunes poor seamanship that put his vessel at risk.

And while last time the eco terrorists decided to board a whaling vessel there was a anti whaling vessel waiting in the wings to take them off when they got sick of whale sashimi.

This time Bethune is going to have to wait it out.

The Sea Shepherd society says that the Japanese will have bring him back to their boats - they aren't going to get him. Duh. The Japanese skipper wont be doing anything but carrying out his lawful business - whaling. It was Bethune's choice to board the vessel. So he is going to have to suck it up.

We hope he gets chucked in the bilge or the anchor locker - as we doubt the whalers will be keen to give up their bunks for the grandstanding wanker.

TOP PR GURU

This is very amusing. Our good mate has been named as the top PR guru by a leading British publication for looking after the Japanese Whaling interests..

One of the biggest players on the other side — apart from the Japanese government — is New Zealand’s top PR guru, Glenn Inwood, head of Omeka Public Relations, the mouthpiece of the whaling industry, who says: “Japan has been whaling for many, many generations and will continue to do so.”

Well done him we say. Perhaps Fonterra could consider him next time they get in the crap.. It has to be said that he has probably been responsible for a softening of opinion towards Japanese Whalers.

SEA-ING SENSE

Well we never, A former Labour PM and a man of letters Geoffrey Palmer realises that you have to break a few eggs to make an omlette - even in diplomatic circles.

We have always believed that the solution to the percieved problem of Whaling would be found in a diplomatic solution that would see both sides give some ground. Court would be crap. The only winners would be the lawyers.

We think that allowing whaling on a commercial basis but deminishing over time is a good solution. About 30 years would be good.

Some points to remember...

Point 1 - the Japanese have a legal right to go whaling
Point 2 - the Japanese are indigenous whale hunters
Point 3 - many of the whale species can be harvested sustainably.
Point 4 - Westerners see Whales as the sacred cows of the sea.
Point 5 - some species that the Japanese harvest may benefit from a harvest moritorium
Point 6 - We like trading with the Japanese
Point 7 - The whales would be the ultimate beneficiaries of a solution.

So we reckon that Sir Geoffrey needs another knighthood if he can pull this off.

Go the whalers!

Note the picture is of bowhead whale harvest in Alaska.. Where it is legal and politicians there support the indigenous harvest.

UPDATE :
And a very rational point of view from economist Brent Wheeler - Here

And NOT PC has a question about prioritisation of endangered species here

WE ADORE WHALES

It's true - we do.
We love horses and cows, sheep, pigs, chickens and kangaroos as well and we have at some time eaten them.

We have slaughtered much of our own food over the years. In fact we estimate we have killed about 40,000 muttonbirds by our own hand ( actually our teeth to be more specific.) We kill them that way because it affords the bird the quickest and most humane death.

So why, many of our mates have asked, are we so " pro whaling?"

We the truth of the matter is that we do not believe we can sit in judgement of another country who , because of history, decides that a species is a delicacy and we are pretty sure that there are many more whales in the sea than the eco terrorists would have you believe. And if a species can be harvested sustainably, then so be it.

We actually enjoy watching whales, and we have seen more than the average punter. The first time we saw a Southern Right Whale was from a low flying helicopter in Foveaux Strait and seeing the majestic creature crest the waves sent a tear down our cheek.

However, we feel the same warmth to the cows and sheep in the paddocks around us. But we are comfortable with killing them to eat. Humanely killing an animal, you want to consume, by your own hand shows more respect than paying someone else to do it.

There is an enormous selective morality among some whaling protesters. Why whales and not cows? And its clear that the whaling argument is as much about anti Asian sentiment as it is about killing a sea mammal. And lets not forget its really all about money.

Charismatic megafauna are the poster pets of the environmental lobbyists. Lobbyists like Sea Shepard - are in fact money making machines. An organisation that funds the piratical lifestyles of sad old men.
Go to their website and note that you cant read anything until you are forced to consider donating to the cause first.

Now if you really love whales and want to save them - then give this chick some money - she has been researching them for as long as I can remember and she really has the best interests of the big beasts at heart.

BUSTEDBLONDE

Hello all,

I have had a few emails asking why Roarprawn has not been entered in the Air New Zealand Awards for bloggers ( real bloggers). Well as Busted is a little bit of bother which hopefully will be resolved soon, she decided that it would not be appropriate to enter.

However, it appears that Roarprawn could still be a wildcard in the awards which are here

As Busted can't do or say much for the moment, here are our links to some of her best work in the last year.

I like Bustedblondes impressions of Ngai Tahu politics such as this post here. I am Rangitane so I am always interested in what our neighbours in the south are up to.

And I definitely want to hear more about this issue. Scampi may be a tad historical but by Jove it has all the makings of a great yarn.

And who could forget this post about the downside of being a mistress. ( Busted seems to know an awful lot about being a consort) That post spawned an international threat of legal action because some woman claim to own the word Mistressology. The entire VRWC corner of the blogosphere came to her aid and slam dunked the Pommie blogger.

She has such an interesting family. He mother and father seem  to live every day like there will be no tomorrow. This post shows a real soft side to Bustedblonde.

And she has been a very strong supporter of Maori TV. That was apparently one of her most read columns.

She is fervently pro whaling, leaving no room for doubt. She scored a world exclusive piece of footage on the Ady Gil crashing into the Japanese whaling vessel. It was watched on You Tube over 45,000 times in less than 2 hours - before it was taken down - but not before the activists re edited it and put it up on you tube where it was viewed by millions. Busted then put it up again with reworked commentary and today it has been viewed 18,000 times.

So I am sad the Busted never got to enter the Real Bloggers awards and I hope that this list of posts will show that she would have been an admirable contestant.

Toodle Pip

TERRORISTS ON THE HIGH SEAS

This is very sad and very wrong. The law of the sea is simple - when someone is in trouble all who are near must go to their aid.

A Japanese sailor is missing after falling overboard during a whaling expedition in the Antarctic. The Dutch protest vessel Steve Irwin is in the area harassing the shit out of the whalers who are going about their lawful business. They arrive on the scene on the pretense of helping but instead they hinder the search for what will be in the icy waters of the Antarctic, a body.

Paul Watson and his crew are not modern day Jack Sparrows or fun loving irascible pirates they are simply terrorists. They will need to come north to fuel soon and it would be a sad day if New Zealand chooses sides and lets them into our country's waters.

While I accept that the majority of New Zealanders do not support Japanese Whaling , neither will those same people embrace the heartless terrorist actions of the Steve Irwin crew.

THE ART OF COMPROMISE - WHALING

We have it from a very good source that the United States Government has asked the Australian
Government not to do anything stupid or rash about taking Japan to the
International Court of Justice in the Hague.

 There is a meeting in Washington DC this week to discuss the compromise
option being put forward. We have  attached the compromise where it currently
stands at present, and Japan's statement on this. These can be found on the
IWC website: http://www.iwcoffice.org/meetings/swg0310.htm

The International Whaling Commission will work cooperatively to improve the conservation and management of whale populations and stocks on a scientific basis and through agreed policy measures. By improving our knowledge of whales, their environment and the multiple threats they face, the Commission will strive to ensure that whale populations are healthy and resilient components of the marine environment

So here is the report

Support Group Report

and the Japanese  position

IWC-M10-SWG7

The stakes are high and its not about whales - its about trade. Silly Pete Bethune.

JAPANESE EXPOSE ECOTERRORISTS AS LIARS

MEDIA STATEMENT
INSTITUTE OF CETACEAN RESEARCH,
TOKYO,
JAPAN

8 January 2010

New Zealand watercraft left drifting in Antarctic

-- Sea Shepherd vessel Bob Barker leaves Ady Gil afloat
-- Claims that Ady Gil sunk must be proved by Sea Shepherd

The anti-whaling group Sea Shepherd Conservation Society has apparently
abandoned reported efforts to salvage or tow to port the disabled New
Zealand watercraft Ady Gil.

Japan’s research vessels monitoring the area have confirmed that an oily
substance thought to be fuel is leaking from the Ady Gil and continues to
spread over the sea surface, raising concerns that Sea Shepherd is willfully
polluting the Antarctic environment.

The Shonan Maru No.2 reported that the other anti-whaling ship which had
been harassing the Japanese vessel with the New Zealand watercraft, the Bob
Barker, initially seemed to be making efforts to tow the Ady Gil. However,
the Bob Barker left the scene abandoning the drifting Ady Gil by the early
morning of December 8.

In addition, the Shonan Maru No. 2 retrieved today from the sea part of the
severed Ady Gil hull as well as various drifting objects, including several
bowgun arrows. Bowgun arrows are weapons with the ability to produce
casualties if used against a person or persons.

The Sea Shepherd activists have been escalating the viciousness of their
sabotage including hurling projectiles containing hazardous butyric acid and
firing line-launch rockets against Japan’s research vessels. However, their
carrying and possession onboard of a lethal-force weapon makes one ponder
whether they would hesitate or not to produce casualties.

The Institute of Cetacean Research strongly condemns the Sea Shepherd
Conservation Society actions.

The Institute of Cetacean Research urges again all related nations including
Australia, the de facto home port country to the Steve Irwin, the
Netherlands, the Steve Irwin’s flag state, and New Zealand, the now drifting
and abandoned Ady Gil flag state, to take every means available to prevent
the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society actions and strongly request that they
observe their international obligations and deal with the Sea Shepherd in a
strict and objective manner.


And there is concern from experts as well. We agree the weapons take the Sea Shepards behaviour to a new level

SOUTHLAND SECRETS

Jasons travel publishers have issues up a challenge to all Southlanders - share your secrets. Seems that today's travellers look for the uniqueness in destinations. Couldn't agree more. A recent tour to the outbacks took us to some pretty cool places but it was the intrinsic uniqueness of specific towns that people really looked for.

So here's ten things that we know about Southland we think are cool.

There are the remains of an old whaling base in Paterson Inlet on Stewart Island.















The sun always shines on the old neck beach in Paterson Inlet.

There is a smugglers cove in Pegasus Inlet that you can only find if you know where to look.

There is a shag breeding colony in a roadside swamp between Riverton and Orepuki.

The reservoir at Bluff has the biggest fresh water crayfish ( koura) aka crawlies you ever did see.

The best cheese rolls ( and coffee ) in Southland are at Zookeepers.



















The mouth of the Eglington on Lake Te Anau as the sun goes down is so breathtaking it will make you cry.
















Ruapuke mutton is the best in the world because the sheep sometimes graze on salt loving plants.


The Dunsdale Picnic ground inthe Hokonuis is one of the best in the world.


and the 10th?















Smallcraft inlet next to Port Pegasus where the Sealions play in the old forest...

SOUTH PARK DOES WHALES

Thanks to Motella for alerting us to this wee gem..

Its a piss take of the whaling issue. It really gets funny at about 7 mins.

BULLET PROOF VESTS AND GLOATING ECO TERRORISTS

UPDATE : we stand corrected - apparently the vests are not bullet proof vests but some type of floatation device.
Thanks for the correction.. BB



Wonders never cease... All the cry baby howling of the protesters will fall on deaf ears after people see this vid shot from the Ady Gil in the last moments before she got her snozzer ripped off.

Seems that the eco terrorists complete with bullet proof vests , were gloating about how much grief they had given the whalers. Then the whaling ship comes up gives them a blast with the water cannons and instead of getting the hell out of the way they get crunched. It is for them to get out of the way. They didn't and it showed bad seamanship at the very least. The skipper of the vessel put his crew in danger.

And as we suspected the reason the Ady Gil was cut loose was towing her would have used up way to much fuel and if you listen to the conversation about fuel - you will see that it is a very important factor in the cat and mouse game they were playing.

WAILS FROM DICKS

Well well, we said this would happen - the fancy plastic fantastic Ady Gil would come to a sticky end as it tried to intervene in the Japanese fishing fleet going about its lawful business of whaling in the Antarctic.

However, our sources say that the Ady Gil has a scrunched bow and is taking on water... a far cry from the Sea Shepard wankers claiming it has been " cut in half."

Iff you watch ththe second video here - it's clear it was a suicide mission.

How odd. they would have been better to have joined the whales here in NZ and run the silly looking thing aground when the whales do their seasonal stranding - it would have been much simpler and then the lovely men from DOC would have come and slurped water over them given them a pat and sent them back to sea.

In all seriousness - this means the war has escalated. Someone will die.

Sea Sheppard should be prevented from docking in any NZ port. They have broken a raft of maritime laws and should be deemed international pirates.

U TUBE

We had 15,000 views in the space of 3 hours last night on the ady gil ramming the Japanese Whaler vid before it was removed. We are U tube virgins and it was the first time we had ever posted a U tube vid.

However it now appears in many places on U tube

It was cloned and put up by a number of different individuals with a completely different and bullshit spin. but they have not attracted the wrath of U tube as we have.

We are curious - and can't work out why it has been removed and cant find the email to contact U tube to find out what we did wrong. Is it possible the anti whaling terrorists have put pressure on U Tube to have it removed?

Can anyone enlighten us?

WE ARE PRO WHALING

We here at Roarprawn make no secret of it. If it is sustainable then harvest should be allowed no matter what the species. In the words of Sir Tipene O'Regan, why should we be so hung up on protecting " charismatic mega fauna." But the decision should be based on sound science.

Richard Long has penned, what we think is one of his finest columns, sometimes the old bugger gets a bit pious but this un's a good un, and its about Whales, trade, sovereignty and good sense.

He has come up with a solution that is simple and in a good world it should work - except that the egos and the pockets of the activists would never let it happen. That is- stop the protests. Let the diplomats come to a solution without the heat of protests.

Long also rightly points out that some species populations have grown so much that they offer a real concern to fish populations.

His column in the Dominion Post is here - its worth a read

AUSSIE WISDOM

An old mate of ours in Brisbane reckons the tiding is going out for Sea Shepherd. We agree.

Heres a link to a superb article in the Brisbane Courier Mail

He has some gems worth noting

Sea Shepherd captain Paul Watson once again blowing off great clouds of sanctimonious steam as only true zealots of any persuasion can do.

Poetry that is - poetry

Paint me cynical, but I'd reckon Captain Paul has managed to milk far more than $2 million in publicity out of the stunt in the past few days. In that respect the whales are just as much cows of the ocean ripe for exploitation for Sea Shepherd as they are to the Japanese.

Nor do the eco-pirates have any right to claim the high moral ground in terms of maritime law here.

This mob make a living out of harassing and interfering with such operations: cutting across the bows of whaling ships to mess up a harpoon shot, throwing missiles of rancid butter and stink bombs at the vessels and allegedly trying to foul their propulsion gear.

Yip we agree - the ecoterrorists have no claim on the moral high ground

The Sea Shepherd approach is the same sort of fundamentalist extremism that makes anti-abortion activists in the US think it's justifiable to firebomb fertility clinics, or that prompts those ratbags from PETA to embark on similarly destructive campaigns of intimidation.

Yip eco terrorists to a man and woman.

HERALD'S BLOGGER OF WEEK

Apparently we are the Herald on Sundays Blogger of the Week with our stuff on the Whaling issue. Thanks for that. However if one more person rings or txts or emails that our spelling is crap we shall be very annoyed. We know we cant spell. The late Garry Ward's wife Mary Mountier even gave me a book to improve the level of grammar on the blog.

Interestingly, in our past, we have won prizes for our spelling excellence. As we got older it just got worser.

Anyway thanks for the congrats and all that...

KEY HAS BIG RAHO - BOLD MINING POLICY -

Yee ha! Finally we have some policy with balls. Pragmatism rocks - literally.

We now have some solid policy around the use of some conservation land for mining.

Now we come from the deep south and we have seen many old mining sites that you cannot recognise today. The land often heals quickly. Granted there are some ugly sites as well but technology has vastly improved over the past century.

Now at the end of the day when all the layers are scraped away we are likely to be looking at an area of about 500ha being mined - Our muttonbird island is about 50 ha so its an area 10 times as big. Its not huge.

We expect the Blue Greens, the Red Greens and the Green Greens and any local body politician who is looking for an easy election plank will be jumping all over this. Mining is an emotive issue.

However done properly we are confident that there will be a net conservation gain - just as there was for Pike River.

And on the same day we find that Key does have big balls he lets them blow in the wind with the announcement that he is going to be pragmatic over the whaling issue as well.

We also think that the Mining proposal opens up huge opportunity for Maori, as much Maori land borders on Conservation estate.

A blue ribbon day if ever there was one.