Captain’s Desk
Peter Hammarstedt - Captain MV Bob Barker and
Global Director Ships Operations
For over 10 years
Sea Shepherd has
made the voyage to
Antarctica to defend
the Southern Ocean
Whale
Sanctuary
from illegal whaling.
As
few
have
accepted that the
Japanese
Whaling
program
was
undertaking research,
we
have
always
believed that it was
an illegal commercial
whaling
operation.
Rather than allow whales to die, while others
protested and waited for the courts to decide, we
chose to take action to protect the whales from being
harpooned. By blocking the transfer of whales to the
factory ship or the refuelling of vessels, Sea Shepherd
has stopped the whalers from taking their research
quota of some 1,035 whales each season.
We have saved over 6,000 whales
over the last 10 years.
With the current scientific advances it is no longer
necessary to kill even a single whale to conduct
research about their migration patterns or assess the
health of whale species. Given this the deaths of over
1,000 whales each season is nothing less than a
tragic unnecessary loss of precious lives.
that program. In response to this decision the whalers
have lodged a proposal for a revised research
program for 2015/16, seeking to kill 333 Minke whales
in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary.
With confirmation the Whaling program is an illegal
commercial whaling operation, we are more resolved
than ever to ensure that no whales are killed within
the Sanctuary. Should the whalers decide to return
this year, we will continue to defend the lives of these
magnificent beings.
We are often asked why we risk our lives making the
dangerous trip to Antarctica and blocking the whaling
fleet. The answer is simple: life! Without protection
whales will not continue to exist. Whales play an
important role in the Antarctic ecosystem more so
than any humans. Standing by and doing nothing
means letting whales suffer slow and painful deaths
by a harpoon and allowing the Antarctic eco-system
and our oceans to be destroyed. We passionately
believe in protecting life and the health of our oceans.
Of all the places on this planet the one place where
whales should be safe is within the Southern Ocean
Whale Sanctuary. We will do whatever it takes to
defend their future.
In March 2014 the International Court of Justice found
that the Japanese Whaling Research program was in
fact a commercial whaling operation in breach of the
IWC ban on commercial whaling, putting an end to
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“The fight for our oceans
is a fight for Life itself “
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Antarctica – A Whale Sanctuary
Surrounding Antarctica is a 50million km2 area
designated as the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary.
An area set up by the International Whaling
Commission (IWC) in 1994, where whales are to be
protected from whaling. The Sanctuary was set up
with the support of 23 IWC member countries, but
Japan opposed it and lodged an objection seeking to
have Minke whales excluded from the Sanctuary.
With the Minke whales unprotected, Japanese
whalers would be allowed to continue to hunt them
within the Sanctuary.
“Sanctuary – a place safe from
pursuit or danger.“
Whaling in Antarctica began in the early 1900’s and
by the 1930’s there were numerous countries killing
whales, travelling from as far as the US, UK,
Denmark, Japan, Norway, the Netherlands, Russia
and Japan. Thousands of whales were killed each
season.
The IWC recognised in 1945 that whale numbers
were falling and whaling needed to be controlled, but
it wasn’t until the 1960’s that they were able to put in
place measures to restrict whaling. Even with these
restrictions Russia and Japan continued to whale.
Whaling was finally banned worldwide in 1984 and ten
years later the Sanctuary was created. A number of
countries still continue to whale, Japan being the last
to continue whaling within the Southern Ocean Whale
Sanctuary.
Each summer as the Antarctic waters warm and krill
and plankton come to life, many species of marine life
migrate south to feed. Among the many whale
species that make the long journey south from
Australian shores are Blue, Fin, Sei, Southern Right,
Sperm and Minke whales. This annual migration
once made them easy targets for whalers, but now
with the protection of the Southern Ocean Whale
Sanctuary most species can feed on krill and swim
safely with their calves in the Southern Oceans.
It is estimated that the Blue whale population was
once around 275,000 in Antarctica, but due to whaling
where over 300,000 were killed, today the population
is estimated to be only around 5,000. Over 200,000
Humpback whales were killed in Antarctica during the
1900’s. Add to these the Sperm, Southern Right, Sei,
Fin and Minke whales the numbers hunted were
huge. Recent studies estimate that during the 1900’s
nearly 3 million whales were killed worldwide, over 2
million of those were in the Southern Hemisphere
around Antarctica. Sperm (over 400,000) and Fin
(over 700,000) whales make up around half of the
numbers taken, which explains why they are now both
endangered species.
It is only the Minke whales that are still the target of
illegal whaling operations in these waters. This is
where Sea Shepherd makes a stand for the whales
and patrols the waters of the Southern Ocean Whale
Sanctuary each summer to put a stop to illegal
whaling and keep the inhabitants of the Sanctuary
safe.
For more information on the Southern Ocean Whale
Sanctuary visit www.iwc.int/sanctuaries
For information on endangered species on the IUCN
Red List visit www.iucnredlist.org
WWW.SEASHEPHERD.ORG.AU 2 Campaign Update
Operation Icefish
In the last newsletter we reported that
Operation Icefish had come to a
successful end with the Thunder’s illegal
poaching days over after it sank, the
Kunlun detained in Thailand and the
Viking and Perlon being detained in
Malaysia.
Since then there has been even more
good news, with the remaining two illegal
poachers being located in late May at Cabo Verde, off
the northwest coast of Africa. Military personnel and
police boarded the two Interpol-wanted toothfish
poaching vessels, the Songhua and Yongding. This
was only possible thanks to information obtained by
Sea Shepherd crews.
On 20 May 2015, while in Cabo Verde Captain Peter
Hammarstedt happened upon a vessel that was at
anchorage at Mindelo, called the São Vicente, that
appeared to be remarkably like the wanted poaching
vessel, Songhua. Captain Hammarstedt forwarded
photographs of the vessel, to the New Zealand
Ministry for Primary Industries. The Ministry, which
has been involved in on-going investigations into the
Songhua, was able to confirm that this was in fact the
outlawed vessel Songhua.
More good news was received in June with the
announcement that the Spanish Government had
imposed penalties of 11m Euro on Spanish
companies involved in illegal poaching activities. One
of these companies, whose offices were
raided earlier this year, is believed to be
the owner of three of the vessels that
have
been
successfully
detained
following Operation Icefish.
“This is an incredibly encouraging
development in the battle against Illegal
Unreported Unregulated fishing, and a
sure sign that governments of the world
are no longer willing to tolerate highseas criminals. We commend the Spanish authorities
for this historic development and commitment to
bringing these poachers to justice,” Captain
Hammarstedt.
“When we embarked on Operation Icefish, many
doubted that we would have success. Seven months
later, not only are all six of the vessels targeted in the
campaign out of action, but the criminal syndicates
that have hidden behind these poaching operations
are also being exposed and prosecuted. This is an
incredible result for Sea Shepherd and for the oceans,” said Captain Chakravarty.
Shortly after, Sea Shepherd crewmembers stationed
in Cabo Verde noticed the arrival of a second vessel
at Mindelo, which had pulled into port alongside the
Songhua. The vessel, which was carrying the name
Luampa, was later identified as the wanted poacher,
Yongding. Both vessels were detained by authorities.
This means that all 6 illegal poachers, targeted by
Operation Icefish and wanted by Interpol, have been
put out of action or detained by authorities. Operation
Icefish has been a huge success for Sea Shepherd,
but more importantly for our oceans.
For more information about the success of Operation
Icefish visit www.seashepherdglobal.org/icefish
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3
Operation Apex Harmony
Around the world millions of sharks are
wiped out each year, through fishing,
shark finning and culls to reduce shark
numbers. Many people see sharks as
monsters and killers, lurking ready to kill
people when they go into the oceans,
but really they are just living. Swimming
in their ocean home and they need to
eat. With the loss of fish numbers in
many areas, due to overfishing by
humans, sharks are coming closer to
shore to find food.
Sharks use their strong sense of smell and sound to
locate their prey from hundreds of metres away. But
they have also been known to take bites out of what
may seem like strange objects, from buoys to
surfboards. Why, well they don’t expect to see other
objects in the water and their only way to test to see if
it is food is by taking a bite.
The loss of sharks damages the growth of coral reefs
and reduces fish numbers. Why? Well the loss of
sharks in large numbers allows other predatory fish to
increase in numbers and wipe out other smaller fish
species that help to keep reef systems alive, thus
damaging the eco-system. Healthy reefs and ocean
need sharks.
drum lines and shark nets are that they don’t just kill
the targeted species of shark, they kill others shark
species that are harmless along with other marine life,
including turtles, dolphins, rays and whales. Drum
lines and nets do not guarantee that
shark attacks will not happen. Many nets
become dislodged in storms or are
damaged leaving holes for sharks to
swim through. Sharks may swim past
the drum lines uninterested in the free
feed in search of something more to
their taste.
Sadly over recent years a number of
whales and their calves have been
caught in shark nets, with some dying
before help could arrive to untangle them.
There are better ways of protecting ourselves while
swimming in the ocean, that won’t result in other
species being in danger. What is important to
remember is that the ocean is the shark’s home and
not ours. We must respect this when entering the
water and ensure we keep ourselves safe, don’t swim
in waters when we know a shark is present, when it is
dark or in areas where people are fishing.
In 2014 Western Australia introduced a shark culling
programs, to reduce the number of sharks in the area,
and installed drum lines. Drum lines are a fishing line
that hangs from a buoy with a number of hooks on
them baited to attract and catch sharks.
Sea Shepherd is committed to protecting our oceans
and marine life and that includes sharks. In Australia
we have Operation Apex Harmony, which was
established after the WA Government decided to cull
sharks. Sea Shepherd operates rigid inflatable boats
in the waters of WA and Queensland monitoring and
documenting shark culling programs and looking for
ways to implement more environmentally friendly
programs that do not require the killing of sharks or
other marine species.
Queensland uses drum lines and shark nets to protect
beaches, NSW also use shark nets. The problem with
To find out more about Operation Apex Harmony visit
our website www.seashepherd.org.au/apex-harmony
WWW.SEASHEPHERD.ORG.AU 4 Protecting our Oceans
Become an Ocean Protector
Last issue we talked about how you can help by
reducing plastics in your home, but what about
chemicals. Every day households flush all kinds of
chemicals down the drain that end up back in our
water supply or out in the ocean. These are items like
household cleaning products, bleaches, washing
powders, shampoos, soaps, paint and oils, or
chemicals used in the garden like weed killers. These
are all put down drains or washed off the garden by
rain and into the storm water system, ending out in
the ocean.
For example Phosphorus is a water-softening mineral
added to laundry and dishwashing detergents and
other cleaners. It fertilises algae and ends up reducing
oxygen levels in the water.
Ammonia is toxic to aquatic life and can increase the
level of acidification in water, meaning it changes the
natural balance of nutrients. Nitrogen can lead to a
loss of oxygen in waterways as it also fertilises algae
that can take over.
Even if the ingredients are not listed on the bottle the
warning signs on them can tell us if they are full of
toxic chemicals, not just to us but the environment as
well. Never pour paint, poisons or oils down the drain
If you add up how many households there are in
Australia or around the world, if everyone is putting
these chemicals down the drain daily, image how
much that would add up to and the impact this could
be having on waterways and the oceans.
This is why it is important to think about what we are
using and what goes down the drain. There are many
environmentally friendly products and options for
cleaning products and the garden that can be used
that will reduce the impact we are having.
So where to start, have a look at the content of the
products in your home, read the warning labels.
These kind of labels are all to common and are an
indication of the toxic chemicals they contain.
What are better products to look for? Ones where the
labels tell you no phosphates, no solvents, plant
based, biodegradable in 3 - 5 days. Remember nearly
everything biodegrades eventually so you want to
make sure it is one that does so immediately and not
in several years. Alternatively look for natural products
that you can make yourself that won’t harm the
environment.
Another area to be aware of is that even the
medications we take end up going through our system
and end up in waterways. Many of these medications
are treated at filtration plants, but there are some that
just can’t be filtered out of water. If researchers want
to see what diseases are common in a city they only
need test the water supply to see which medications
appear.
Products that contain Phosphorus, Nitrogen and
Ammonia are dangerous to the environment.
Chemicals like these don’t get filtered out by waste
treatment plants, so end up in the waterways and the
ocean. Chemicals can change the natural balance in
the water, changing nutrient levels and oxygen in the
water. This means that plants and species that once
thrived in the area may now not be able to survive or
the chemicals end up in their system. Which means it
could end up in the fish you catch and eat from local
areas.
Taking medications we don’t need is bad for humans,
so the same goes for marine life. The ingredients in
tablets etc. can be very harmful to ocean life and
again may end up in the seafood you eat. Never flush
old medications down the toilet, put them in the bin or
take them back to your chemist.
Remember if its harmful or toxic to us, it will be for
marine life!
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Always remember to
Refuse - Reuse - Recycle
For Our Oceans
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Quick Facts – Whales
The first whales began to evolve some 50 million years
ago. The current species of whales that we see today
evolved from the one land based animal and it is
estimated they have been in existence in their current
form for over 10 million years.
The largest of these and of any mammal that has ever
lived is the Blue Whale, which can measure 30m long
(longer than 2 buses!). A new-born Blue Whale calf can
be over 6m long.
Blue Whale
It is estimated an adult Blue Whale weighs up to 180 tons
(182,888 kilograms), that’s as much as 26 adult
elephants. That’s heavier than any of the dinosaurs! Its
tongue weights as much as one adult elephant.
Blue Whales are an endangered species after being hunted to near extinction by whalers. They were once a
frequent sight in most of the world’s oceans but now their numbers are below 25,000 worldwide, which means that
we need to do everything we can to protect them.
Saving Whales
One growing threat to whales is the lack of food sources.
The biggest food source for big whales like the Blue
Whales is krill.
Krill is being fished from the oceans, including around
Antarctica, in large amounts to be used in products as
food for other animals or krill oil tablets. The more popular
these products become, the more krill that will be fished
out of the ocean and the less there will be for whales and
other marine life.
Krill
Say no to krill products!
Why?
Because krill is Whale food!
Humpback whale feeding on krill
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Schools & Competition News
Sea Shepherd Adelaide runs a schools education program, with
a range of presentations on different marine species, the ways
we are destroying our oceans and what everyone can do to
help. Contact [email protected] for more
information.
Sea Shepherd Adelaide crew recently had the privilege of
visiting Reynella Primary School, Belair Scout Group and
Clapham Primary School. Thank you to the teachers, students
and scouts that attended our talks on marine conservation and
for taking an interest in our Oceans!
Sea Shepherd Australia
www.seashepherd.org.au
[email protected]
www.facebook.com/seashepherdaustralia
Sea Shepherd Adelaide
[email protected]
www.facebook.com/seashepherdadelaide
WWW.SEASHEPHERD.ORG.AU 7 Colour me in and send a copy or photo to
[email protected]
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