Saturday, March 10, 2012



Saving the whales

Japan's whaling fleet is going home early for the second year in a row. And they're quite clear about who is responsible: Sea Shepherd:

Japan has ended its whaling season with less than a third of its annual target, said the country's Fisheries Agency.

The whaling ships headed home from the Antarctic Ocean this week with 266 minke whales and one fin whale, falling short of its quota of about 900.

The agency blamed "sabotage" by anti-whaling activists for the shortfall.

That "sabotage" - really vigorous, confrontational protest - has saved the lives of at least six hundred whales this year. In the process, they've made the Japanese whaling fleet that much more uneconomic, and hastened the day when the "scientific" whaling programme ends for good. I'd call that a success.