Whaling is abhorrent, but piracy is worse

Saving the whales: that's probably where most of us started out with environmental campaigning, isn't it? And the Japanese with their "scientific" whaling are exploiting a legal loophole most nations don't even consider exists.

So why do the antics of the Sea Shepherd guys down in the Antarctic make me feel queasy? Well, I have my doubts about anyone steaming around in a ship with a bloody great ram (the "tin-opener") attached to it for the purpose of making holes in other ships. When two of the Sea Shepherd activists were left drifting out of control, the Japanese whalers turned around to help search for them. Are Watson and his crew of eco-terrorists going to help pick up the Japanese when they've holed the Nisshin Maru?

Then again, read this.

That's right, the terrorists (I don't think I can describe them any other way) are using chemical weapons against the Japanese. What does Watson have to say? Let's run through it.

According to Japan's Fisheries Agency spokesman, Hideki Moronuki, the two Japanese crewmen sustained injuries from the attack after one was hit by an empty container of acid and the other had acid squirted in his eye.

"Nice try, but a total fabrication," said Captain Watson. "The butyric acid is contained in one-liter glass bottles, all of which broke upon contact with the flensing deck of the Nisshin Maru. These bottles are sealed and the acid released after being broke, so it is impossible to be hit by an empty bottle. Secondly, no one squirted butyric acid into anyone's eye, and even if they did, this is a simple non-toxic butter acid, basically rancid butter. It will not cause eye injury. If we had tossed marshmallows on the deck of the Nisshin Maru, I'm sure the whalers would try to claim they were injured by them"

OK, so they were throwing glass bottles, which broke, releasing acid. So someone being hit by an empty bottle was presumably hit by broken glass (likely to cause injury) and splashed with acid. I suspect "squirted" is a dodgy translation of "splashed".

"Simple, non-toxic butter acid"? Apart from wondering what on earth a butter acid is meant to be, it's easy to nail that lie of Watson's. See here. Or here. And finally here.

Quite apart from wondering what part of "Corrosive: may cause skin burns. Splashes may cause eye damage" Watson has trouble understanding, I liked the bit in the third link there, where it says "Do NOT let this chemical enter the environment. " Never let it be said that these eco-terrorists allowed a little toxic pollution of the sea to get between them and their intended victims.

And as for the marshmallows: well, why weren't the Sea Shepherd people tossing marshmallows onto the whaler's deck? Because that would have been a waste of time, right? So why was throwing this "harmless butter acid" deemed worthwhile (and the butyric acid worth buying)? Not for its harmless properties, that's for sure. I dare say the corrosive nature of the stuff was a mere fringe benefit, and that it was bought because it smells of vomit and tends to make people throw up when they inhale the fumes. Rather like some of the gases police forces use for riot control. As I said: chemical weapons.

In another post on the same site the Sea Shepherd vessels are described as "attacking" the Japanese ships. Watson also proudly states that his ships are technically unflagged pirate ships, and could be attacked and confiscated at will by any nation. War on terror, anyone? Maybe Canada would like to reel in their pirate captain before he actually kills someone. "It could all be prevented by upholiding international law" says Watson. It could indeed, and Captain Watson may get a nasty shock if someone decides to do that.