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