Danes complicit in whale killing

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SEA SHEPHERD INTERNATIONAL

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

July 19, 2000

DENMARK DELAYS OCEAN WARRIOR, KILLS 36 WHALES

- " Your papers are in order, but... "

 

Applying pressure on the Cayman Islands Registry of Sea Shepherd

International's flagship Ocean Warrior, the Danish government succeeded in

keeping the whale protection vessel in port in the Shetlands yesterday while

fishermen killed 36 pilot whales in the Faroe Islands, an administrative

division of Denmark.

 

Late on July 13, Cayman Islands Registry sent an urgent inquiry to the

shipping agent for Ocean Warrior concerning " allegations " that the

private-use registered vessel is engaged in commercial operations, that it

was carrying crew and passengers in excess of a registered limit, and that

there were inadequate living quarters and life rafts on board.When reached

on board ship on July 14, Captain Paul Watson pointed out that there is in

fact no upper limit on crew and passengers in Ocean Warrior's registry, the

crew are volunteer and receive no financial remuneration for their efforts,

the ship's activities are not commercial, on-board accommodations have been

constructed for all persons on board, and the Ocean Warrior's life rafts can

accommodate more than twice the maximum number of persons who have been on

board in the course of the Faroe Islands campaign thus far.

 

On July 19, a sudden " routine " inspection required that a British Registry

inspector be flown from London to Ocean Warrior's dock in the Shetland

Islands. After the inspection, Captain Watson was told that everything was

in order, but that he must sign a statement acknowledging that he had been

served an order by Faroese police " prohibiting entry of both myself and the

Vessel into the territory of the Faroe Islands " and would abide by that

order. (The order was issued last week after Captain Watson piloted the

Ocean Warrior to a location directed by Faroese Customs officials in order

to receive customs clearance, and, after receiving clearance, was told by

Faroese police that he had committed a violation by having entered Faroese

waters.)

 

Captain Watson has refused to sign the statement.

 

Sea Shepherd trusts that Cayman Islands Registry will pursue any legal means

available against those responsible for making false allegations concerning

Ocean Warrior's registry. We regret that Cayman Islands authorities were

forced to go to needless trouble and expense in verifying that the

allegations were false, and we will be happy to assist them in seeking

satisfaction against the guilty party.

 

" Denmark's tactic was undeniably effective in that it allowed the Faroese to

slaughter whales, and allowed Denmark to maintain plausible deniability as

to their involvement, " said Watson. " But by employing this tactic, Denmark

has aided in the direct killing of pilot whales, and is thus in violation of

the Berne Convention and the Bonn Convention protecting European wildlife,

to which they are party. Accordingly, we will be expanding the ongoing

boycott of Faroes seafood to include Danish fish and seafood products. "

 

As a Party to the Berne Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife

and Natural Habitats, Denmark is required to " take appropriate and necessary

legislative and administrative measures to ensure the special protection " of

the long-finned pilot whale as a species of " strictly protected fauna. "

Under Article VI, " all forms of deliberate capture and keeping and

deliberate killing " in particular are prohibited.

 

The Bonn Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals

lists the pilot whale as among " migratory species which have an unfavourable

conservation status and which require international agreements for their

conservation and management. " As a Party to the Convention, Denmark is

required to " enforce legislation that prohibits the intentional taking and

killing of small cetaceans " and, " at a minimum, prohibit, in relation to a

migratory species of the Order Cetacea, any taking that is not permitted for

that migratory species under any other multilateral Agreement. "

 

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Sea Shepherd International

P.O. Box 2616

Friday Harbor, WA 98250

(360) 370-5500

http://www.seashepherd.org

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