Whale heroes return to Australia tomorrow

Cetacean activists--Geoffrey Tuxworth, Simon Peterffy, and Glen Pendlebury are expected to return to a hero's welcome by mid-day tomorrow. Monday, Jan. 16th in Albany Australia will end their nine-day protest, engaging the dolphin loving world, frustrating the Japanese taxpayer supported whale killers, and expanding awareness of the international issue.

On Jan. 7th, in a daring pre-dawn action, these men successfully boarded the Japanese Cetacean slaughterhouse, the Shonen Maru 2, to protest the illegal Japanese whale killings and corrupt whale meat trade, banned by the International Whaling Commission in 1986.

Forest Rescue representative, Roland Davidson, confirmed by telephone that the three Forest Rescue activists are scheduled to be returned safely on the Australian customs vessel, Ocean Protector, tomorrow.

Davidson and Forest Rescue representatives--Michael Montgomery and Amy Flee, encourage Taiji dolphin activists to continue to oppose the dolphin hunt. Davidson questioned how the Japanese fishing industry could have the power over the Japanese police to jail non-violent dolphin activist, Erwin Vermeulen, for more than a month, without trial.

Erwin Vermeulen

41 DAYS AND COUNTING! Please share, use as your profile and tag yourself and others as this will change each day he is in custody!
On Dec. 16, Sea Shepherd volunteer Erwin Vermeulen, a member of the Cove Guardians project to monitor and document the capture of dolphins in Taiji, Japan, was arrested by Japanese police and charged with assault

Kerry O'Brien in Taiji - Dolphin Safe day and Komano Temples

Kerry shares some of the beauty that contrasts so starkly the dolphin situation.

Day 2 Kerry O'Brien in Taiji: Risso's Dolphins.

Taiji. 9/1/2012. Risso's Dolphins.

Scanning the horizon, a large pod trapped by banger boats

Eleven Banger boats left the Taiji  bay on this cold January morning. I stood with friends, hoping and praying Dolphins would swim free today. As we waited, anxiously searching the horizon, it wasn't long before we saw the dreaded formation of the banger boats. As they drew closer to us , I could just see Dolphins between the boats. It looked like about 20 to me, this is an educated guess. The boats were starting and stopping quite a bit, these Dolphins were not being coersed along easily. Several times the banger boats changed direction and for a while it seemed as though the pod had escaped. We soon realised some of them had but tragically seven did not. The dolphins put up a valient fight, all the way. Len and I could see that these dolphins were bigger than yesterdays and spent some time trying to figure out what type they were. We knew they were larger and were thinking Pilot or Risso's because they were diving deep and disappearing for several minutes at a time , up to 10 mins at times. Also their movement in the water was slower and more graceful, not so much the leap of life the Striped Dolphins dance. As the 7 were driven through the harbour we confirmed 7 Risso's dolphins, one a juvenile.

Trapped Rissos

I started to shake and feel inconsolably cold as I always do, feeling their panic and despair. All I could do now was stand , document, record and hold them all in the light, praying all the while for their precious souls. The nets finally had them trapped in the cove.The Dolphin trainers appeared from across the cove to choose who they wanted to keep...as if they have the right! We stood my dear friends and I in respectful silence  as they were slaughtered, we could hear the usual fishermen shouting and tails flapping followed by the dreadful thuds of bodies being thrown into the skiff. We waited, then we saw what seemed to be an empty skiff come out from under the tarps and oh my goodness was that they young one in a sling at the side of the boat? Yes , it was. I watched , heartbroken to see one little wee fin sticking up out of the sling. I was  struck by the horror that this little one had witnessed her entire family being mercilessly slaughtered. Tears flowed freely now from me and my friends, we wept for lost beautiful lives and the tragic sight of a little one sitting alone in the cruel , lonely sling on the side of the boat. Through my tears I managed to sing a few lines of Amazing Grace but could not finish , my throat full of emotion and tears.
No matter how heartbreaking it is to be here,  for as long as I have to I will stand with others to say to the world, this is not acceptable, you must stop the captive dolphin trade and slavery market, and stop slaughtering our Angels of the sea. In the arms of the Angels dear Rissos I leave you today, though you be forever in my heart; always. xxx

Day One of Kerry O'Brien's 2012 Visit to Taiji

Len Varley, Ric O'Barry and Kerry O'Brien

Bearing witness for Dolphins.

Day one in Taiji. We met a beautiful cold dawn this morning with the familiar knot in tummy..so it was hot tea only for a quick breakfast. 6am we drove to Taiji, 10 mins away from where we are staying. We were met by a slow driving all lights flashing police car, who didn't stop us, but were observed. The familiar drive for both Len and I took us past the fisherman’s union where they all were standing around their morning fire smoking and talking. We drove on to the Taiji lookout point, keen not to hang around. I climbed the familiar steps to a higher lookout to pray and send healing energy to the oceans and the beloved Dolphins.. As dawn broke, out through the harbor filed 11 banger boats. It was a good clear day for hunters and fishermen. At the same time 3 well-polished and extremely polite policemen arrived to check our passports and ask questions. This year we have to fill in a form as well. Why are you here in Taiji? A direct question. that I answered truthfully. To observe, document and pray for the Dolphins who swim past Taiji. The head of the police was at great pains to make clear they were here to keep the law of Japan and to at all times remain impartial.  Three very well mannered , respectful young men. They left after checking us out and in a flourish Pica Dilly, Masako and Ric O'Barry arrived. Joyful greetings took place then we turned to our business of the morning, the hunt.

All too soon the boats lined in formation and it was clear they had a pod. It took about an hour for them to drive them in. We all watched anxiously, I was begging the universe, sea Gods, higher beings to let the dolphins escape. This was not to be. Ric was ustreaming live from where we were explaining what was happening. Maybe it was jetlag and the shock of being thrown into the raw cold, cruel Taiji morning that had me confused, but I didn't realise at the time the ustream was live. I heard Ric talking away to the screen in the distance, as I watched the boats drive the dolphins closer and closer. I stared to grow very cold and to shake. This is what happens to me when I witness this horror. I can sense and see the dolphin’s confusion and terror and my own body reacts to it. Last season, I would stay cold for so long that only a long hot bath and copious amounts of hot tea would warm me again. And here I was day one, reliving the experience. Ric came to talk with me and ask me questions about my whale stranding experience and how it felt to be here in Taiji now. It was so lovely to meet Ric this morning. He is even more kind and gentle a man that I had imagined. His presence and wisdom I found reassuring.

Dolphin bodies leaving The Cove

The pod of around 12-14 Striped Dolphins was now being driven into the cove. I watched in horror as the dreaded nets drew them in and the first of the dolphins were dragged by divers under the tarps. The remainder of the pod waiting their turn, panicking and getting tangled in the nets. The fishermen casually tried to untangle them but not fast enough for my liking. Meanwhile a Dolphin was up against the rocks injured and bleeding. A skiff attempted to drive over the dolphin and hold it up between the rocks and the boat so that we couldn’t see. However, we could see the drowning, suffering dolphin flaying around. The attempts to hide this cruel and wicked deed failed miserably. Soon the blood from the Dolphin colouring the water gave his horrible deed away.
We had been looking out for calves and hadn't seen any, until as the nets were being drawn in towards the killing place, a baby flipped over the net in a desperate attempt to escape. Sadly, the young one had flipped over to the tarps side of the net and quickly disappeared, dragged under the tarps. Other Dolphins were grabbed by their beautiful tails, tied up with rope and degradingly and heartbreakingly dragged under as well.
We waiting in respectful silence and heard the terrible thud, thud of bodies being carelessly tossed into the skiffs, which then appeared from under the tarps and drove out of the cove to the butcher’s house. Pic a Dilly said to me we need a wailing song at this point. I may just sing one myself the next time. Sadly there will be a next time. And for the next two weeks, I will be here, with my friends, standing, documenting praying, bearing witness and telling the world about the fate of Dolphins of Taiji.

Kerry O'Brien.

Nederlandse Sea Shepherd-activist blijft in Japanse cel
Dutch Sea Sheapherd activist stays in Japanese cell.

He has to stay in cell for another 10 days.
Japanese authorities did a raid in the hotel where the volunteers of Sea Shepherd stayed. Their laptops, camera’s and gsm’s (cell phones) where confiscated.

Ship-engineer Vermeulen pushed a dolphin hunter when he was entering a path that was open / permitted only for dolphinhunters, say the Japanese authorities.
Vermeulen says he did not use violence but only wanted to take some photographs.

Vermeulen could not speak to his family, he is not allowed to make phonecalls.

The Dutch ministry of foreign affairs declares that Vermeulen is well and also gets a different diet now. “In the beginning he did not eat because he is Vegan” tells his sister.
She says that he denied a local lawyer. Sea Shepheard is searching for a Japanese lawyer with a positive attitude towards protectors of whales and dolphins.


Raid at hotel
In a raid at the hotel where the Sea Shepherd volunteers stayed, their laptops, cameras, cell phones where confiscated. Paul Watson, founder of the Sea Shepherd organization says: “They were robbed to make sure that they cannot document the horror that happens in Taiji. This is a desperate attempt to stop the freedom of expression and to hide the horrible massacre. More than ever the Cove Guardians need volunteers.“

You can sign a petition that demands immediately release of Erwin Vermeulen here:
Wie de petitie wil ondertekenen die Erwin Vermeulens onmiddellijke vrijlating eist, kan dat hier doen. (lb)

(The online editon of the Belgian “ demorgen.be “ is related to one of the biggest Dutch newspapers in the Netherlands, “De Volkskrant’)

Thanks to Maria Heidemann for assistance with the English translation.

Erwin Vermeulen Reportedly Gets Visit From Embassy

EINDHOVEN: The Veldhoven (Dutch city) resident Erwin Vermeulen (42), who was arrested on Friday in Japan while doing a protest against the capture of dolphins, was visited on Saturday in his cell by a representative of the Dutch ambassy of this Asiatic country.

That says Geert Vons, director of the Dutch department of Sea Shepherd. Vermeulen is volunteer of this international organization who is committed to the conservation of the oceans. Sea Shepherd did not get any information about the sort of communication between the representative of the embassy and Vermeulen.

After this weekend possibly a conversation with lawyers

Mr. Vons expects that Vermeulen will be able to talk to lawyers after this weekend, but he is not sure of that. “It is very possible that in Japan people have to stay in prison even for a small misbehavior for a long time. That happened to our employee Alex Cornelissen who was arrested in 2003 and for 2 weeks was not allowed to speak to a lawyer.”

Confidence in a good outcome

Sea Shepherd Netherlands nevertheless trusts that there will be a good outcome. “We have had that before, we know that we have a risk of being arrested when we do this sort of action. Erwin himself also is very well aware of that. The Japanese authorities just get nervous of our protest against the capture of dolphins.”

Mr. Vons: “peaceful Activism”

The 42 years old Vermeulen is since one and a half year a ‘Cove Guardian’ for Sea Shepherd. Almost 3 weeks ago the man from Veldhoven flew on his own costs to Taiji, which situated at the Southern coast of Japan. The organization is protesting there already for a long time against the captivity in the ‘baai’ (cove in English) in Taiji. Last Friday Vermeulen photographed with his colleagues how some of the animals where transferred from floating cages in the ocean to pools in the ‘Dolphin Resort Hotel’. According to the police Vermeulen had pushed an employee of the hotel. Sea Shepherd calles that action ‘unjustified’. Mr. Vons: “We do peaceful activism. The authorities are looking for something to give us a bad reputation.”

Dolphinhunt

Every year in Taiji a dolphinhunt is taking place. Japan gives out 23.000 permissions to coast places to slaughter dolphins of all different sorts. Some of the living animals are sold to aquaria worldwide.

Sea Shepherd

The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society (SSCS) is an international organization that protects all sea-life. Her mission is ‘to stop the slaughter of life in the sea and the destruction of the environment in order to protect and preserve the eco-system and the species.”



Documentary

The attention about the dolphinhunt increased significantly since the documentary The Cove (2009) was overloaded with film-awards. The documentary shows how the fishermen in Taiji push about 2000 dolphins in a cove in order to harpoon the marine mammals.



The Cove Guardians are present since the first of September. The operation is called “Operation Infinite Patience”.

Original Article below from http://www.ed.nl/regio/veldhoven/10090404/Opgepakte-Veldhovenaar-in-Japan-krijgt-bezoek-van-ambassade.ece

DUTCH ARTICLE

EINDHOVEN - Veldhovenaar Erwin Vermeulen (42) die vrijdag in Japan is opgepakt tijdens een actie tegen de dolfijnvangst heeft zaterdag in zijn cel bezoek gehad van een vertegenwoordiger van de Nederlandse ambassade in het Aziatische land.

Dat meldt Geert Vons, directeur van de Nederlandse afdeling van Sea Shepherd. Vermeulen is vrijwilliger voor deze internationale organisatie die zich inzet voor het behoud van zeeleven. Over de aard van het gesprek tussen Vermeulen en de ambassademedewerker heeft Sea Shepherd echter niets vernomen.

Na het weekend mogelijk gesprek met advocaten
Vons verwacht dat Vermeulen na het weekend kan spreken met advocaten, al is hij daar niet zeker van. “In Japan is het mogelijk dat je voor een klein vergrijp lange tijd vastzit. Dat is eerder gebeurd met onze medewerker Alex Cornelissen die in 2003 twee weken vast zat in Japan zonder een advocaat te mogen spreken.”

Vertrouwen in goede afloop
Sea Shepherd Nederland heeft niettemin vertrouwen in een goede afloop. “Dit maken we vaker mee, we weten dat we het risico op arrestatie lopen bij dit soort acties. Erwin zelf weet ook heel goed waar hij aan begonnen was. De Japanse autoriteiten raken simpelweg nerveus van onze acties tegen de dolfijnenvangst.”

Vons: 'Vreedzaam actievoeren'
De 42-jarige Vermeulen is sinds anderhalf jaar ‘Cove Guardian’ voor Sea Shepherd. Een kleine drie weken geleden vloog de Veldhovenaar op eigen kosten naar Taiji aan de zuidkust van Japan. De organisatie voert daar al langere tijd actie tegen dolfijnenvangst in de baai (cove in het Engels) bij Taiji. Vrijdag fotografeerde Vermeulen met collega’s hoe enkele dieren vanuit drijvende kooien in zee werden overgezet naar bassins van het Dolphin Resort Hotel. Volgens de politie zou Vermeulen een hotelmedewerker hebben geduwd. Sea Shepherd noemt de actie onterecht. Vons: “Wij voeren vreedzaam actie. De autoriteiten zoeken iets om ons in een negatief daglicht te stellen."

Dolfijnenjacht
Ieder jaar vindt in Taiji een dolfijnenjacht plaats. Japan geeft 23.000 vergunningen af aan kustplaatsen om dolfijnen van verschillende soort te slachten. Een aantal levende dieren wordt verkocht aan aquaria wereldwijd.

Sea Shepherd
De Sea Shepherd Conservation Society (SSCS) is een internationale organisatie die al het leven in zee beschermt. Haar missie is "de afslachting van het leven in zee en de vernietiging van de leefomgeving te stoppen om zo ecosystemen en soorten te beschermen en te behouden''.

Documentaire
De aandacht voor de dolfijnenjacht is flink toegenomen sinds de documentaire The Cove (2009) met filmprijzen werd overladen. De documentaire laat zien hoe vissers in de stad Taiji ongeveer 2000 dolfijnen in een baai bij elkaar drijven om de zeezoogdieren te harpoeneren.

De Cove Guardians zijn sinds 1 september aanwezig. De actie heet Operation Infinite Patience.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thanks to Maria Heidemann for the translation