Baby Dolphins and Japanese Embassies

We save baby dolphins.

by Steven Thompson, TDAG 
Sept. 7, 2012

The next stage begins.

When the hunt is on and the dolphins haven't been netted yet, I hold a vision of escape: fast, far and free. Some dolphins are bound to escape. May they tell the tale to other dolphins to keep away from Taiji as scientists say they can.

When dolphins get roped into the Cove, it is time for the next stage: make the call to consulates and embassies and the people in charge. Get creative. Visit the embassies...remember the names of the people you talk with or meet with.

With a baby pilot whale in the Cove confirmed, our next step is clear. Please call any Japanese outlet and demand that at least the baby and his mother be saved. Killing a baby or pregnant female, even in a hunt, is murder.

This approach focus was suggested by a Japanese man in Taiji when Ric O'Barry and I showed The Cove in his home to him and his guests. He recommended an emotion approach after seeing the scene of the bloody baby dolphin swimming across the nets to diver Mandy-Rae Cruickshank "Japanese love dolphins; use this love to save them", he said.

Holding the pod overnight is rare now. It is an unusual opportunity. Please make calls every hour for the next 20 hours. Babies are the heart string. Play it!

Ask if there are any pregnant females. If Embassy officials don't know the answer, ask them to find out, you'll call back. Give them the numbers of the Mayor and the Taiji union in charge of the hunt. Give them the names.

Mayor SANGEN ,Kazutaka Taiji Town Hall
Call: 073-559-2335
Fax: 073-559-2801

Mr. MATSUMOTO, Shuichi, President and
Mr. Shimetani (Private Space) Kazutoyo, Chief Butcher
Taiji Isana Union
Call: 073-559-2340
Fax: 073-559-2821                                   (Add 81 for Int'l and drop the first zero)


Some may question the survivability of baby dolphins, and their mothers, pregnant females, and perhaps a few males. Dolphin scientist Diana Reiss told me that it is by no means certain that they will die. It is more possible that they will contact other dolphins and warn them! Baby dolphins have been released before with other remaining members of their pod when the pressure was on. Let's apply pressure any way we can!


Dolphin lovers, please place contact lists in the replies section in this document. Thank you.

For the baby dolphins and for all humanity!

We Make Dolphins the Japanese Agenda

Mayor Sagen, Taiji, Japan talking about us

by Steven Thompson, TDAG 
Sept. 2, 2012

I got a telephone call today from a Japanese friend at the Cove today. Ric O'Barry and I showed the Cove (watch for free) at the home of our mutual friends in Taiji four years ago. We still have security issues for the Japanese. Violence is possible. Town shunning is par for the course. It's not easy to challenge the tradition of the-way-it's-always-been-done.

My friend cannot easily contact Sea Shepherd or Save Japan Dolphin activists directly. He has a message for them--he's happy you are here. Many Taiji people are happy you are here! The hunt gives their town a bad reputation. He is on good speaking terms with people in Taiji including hunters. It's a small friendly town.

The message to Cove Guardian, Melissa Sehgal, and Cove Monitor Tim Burns, is that the hunters are upset...he used the phrase "mecha okotteiru" (damn angry). Being here works. Thank you for coming! We could arrange a meeting sometime when the undercover police escort stops tailing you or you slip away.

The hunters get together at the Isana izakaya (bar) after their hands are clean. Deiter Hagmann with Atlantic Blue, got some good footage in the bar and we observed the Korean live dolphin export party when we got one of our tires sabotaged. The hunters also lounge around outside the union smoking cigarettes after they get cleaned up. They are happy to talk to people walking by, including non-Japanese. I have shared potato chips with them. They usually love to debate. Really. It's always a bit of rowdy fun. But today was different.

The media coverage...the heavy and constant police presence...the town meeting...Taiji will feel under siege for 6 months and today is just the second day. The news last night (Sept. 1, 2012) in Japan prime time covered the opening of dolphin killing season. The news anchor seemed more concerned about Sea Shepherd than the peacefully assembled Save Japan Dolphin Activists. Sea Shepherd has become the buzz word for those attacking Japanese "culture".

Activists around the world demonstrated in front of Japanese consulates and embassies. Now that we have activists reporting minute by minute from Taiji, we have taken over the Japanese agenda in every city where there are dolphin activists and a Japanese presence. We are the Japanese agenda.

One well-known hunter, SHIMETANI Kazutoyo (aka Private Space), who helps manage the day to day hunt and butchery, had no idea who he was talking to. He was angry. he even uses the F-word, in English of course. I interviewed him when he was following me around with a video camera when I was alone at the Cove. When I turned my camera off, he started talking. Shimetani san really is a nice guy. He has a good heart. He isn't evil. His soul is not corrupted. I think he is just following tradition, and extremely misguided.

I hope he doesn't have a heart attack. I hope he sees the light and saves baby dolphins and pregnant females at least.

The hunters have gone back after killing and released babies, pregnant females, and a few males when we protested two years ago. It's a time consuming reverse process of banging the poles and pushing frighted dolphins out near international waters. Of course they may be intelligent and warn other dolphins to stay away (I think they did...the hunt numbers are down as a result). When the hunters do make the decision not kill every male, female, and baby, Taiji will not be known as the dolphin baby killing capital of Japan. There are more options for Taiji than following tradition blindly. Please demand that that the dolphins save the babies and pregnant females. This is the strategy recommended to us by trusted Japanese people.

I recommend a letter writing campaign too--it has certainly worked for Amnesy International: Identify the people doing bad things, and inundate them with mail. The wonderful thing about post offices is that they will hand deliver your message. These are the men most responsible for dolphin deaths in Japan.

Let's all write a letter every week to:

1. Mayor SANGEN Kazutaka at the Taiji Town Office

Taiji Town Office 3767-1, Taiji, Taiji-cho, Higashimuro-gun, Wakayama 649-5171  Japan

2. Mr. SHIMETANI Kazutoyo, Chief Butcher, at the Isana Union.

Taiji Isana Union 3167-7, Taiji, Taiji-cho, Higashimuro-gun, Wakayama 649-5171  Japan

Also consider writing to
3. Mr. MATSUMOTO Shuichi, the President of the Taiji Isana Union (Gyo Gyo Kumiai). Same address as Mr. Shimetani.

Taiji Isana Union 3167-7, Taiji, Taiji-cho, Higashimuro-gun, Wakayama 649-5171  Japan

Consulates and Embassies
The staff at these offices exist to answer our questions. Please ask them if they could advocate for the baby dolphins. You can call in English anytime. Many have 24 hour numbers.

If they don't have the telephone number to call off the hunt, you can give it to them.

Mayor Sangen                                          
Taiji Town Hall                                               Taiji Isana Union (Gyo Gyo Kumiai)
Call: 0735592335                                            Call: 0735592340
Fax: 0735592801                                            Fax: 0735592821
Add 81 for Int'l and drop the first zero

The alternative to the killing is to hold a new vision for Taiji...a beautiful Taiji...maybe with wild dolphins happy to interact in the open seas.

Dolphins can be so forgiving.

They will help.

Give 'em a chance.

First, save their lives.

For the Taiji Dolphins!

Note: I am not a member of Sea Shepherd or Save Japan Dolphins, but I think they are doing a heck of a good job spreading outside pressure (gaiatsu) awareness to end the dolphin hunt. Please support the individuals using their own funds to get involved. Please support Japanese activist when you find them. They are ones who will end this. They are the ones who will create an alternative.

Summer Paul Watson Rumors

Freer by the day!

by Steven Thompson, TDAG
Find Pauldo!  Has he jumped bail?  Is he on the lamb?  Is he saving lambs now?

Rumor has been proven false by German conservationists working behind the scenes.

Paul Watson most certainly did NOT jump bail.

Reading is such fun...rumors fly...the challenge to confirm or deny gives some of us something to do.

Some highly detailed speculation in Costa Rica here by people who could be uncovering the actual criminal finner links instead.

If I had a chance to bet on the case, I'd say the case will fade away by Costa Rican finners' inaction in about 17 days.

Take a vacation! Watch Moby! There is no news!
___________________________________________________________________________
ERROR CORRECTION: We were wrong. Capt. Paul Watson found it necessary to leave Germany and forfeit his bail money. His current whereabouts are unknown. We wish him happiness, and the best of luck. We will carry on your work!
__________________________________________________________________________

President Laura Chinchilla: Help! Costa Rican activists attacked

Will President Laura Chinchilla do the right thing? 

By Steven Thompson
Last night, another Costa Rican ocean activist was attacked. The details of the attack (and three previous criminal attacks), cannot be published at this time. We are weak. We are losing. We need help. We don't have enough power to handle the blowback. They might end up in jail. This is the two edged sword of exposure. This person is my friend. It makes me angry. It motivates me to call for more people to get involved.

The group brought together in CR after the Incopesca post, started comparing stories. It looks like they have each been physically assaulted or had property destroyed or their life threatened or all of the above at some recent time. These are regular people under extraordinary stress. They stood up for wildlife or against extradition. It is almost too dangerous for them to work in Costa Rica at this time. They need people in CR who can support them and grow. They need help from people outside of Costa Rica to spread awareness.

If you have any feelings toward the illegal whaling industry, dolphin killers, shark finners, or those that plunder the oceans in other ways, be very aware: violence has started against one of the key people saving our oceans in Costa Rica. Most of us sit safely at our computers, going to work, going to Starbucks, wondering what to do. Very few of us can influence what happens in Costa Rica or with their extradition request to Germany for Paul Watson.

If you do have friends in CR, we need their help. If you have special skills or connections, please use them. I can send you where you can help. I can be easily contacted through the Facebook group: The Taiji Dolphin Action Group.

I know there are a few people holding back, those with special connections or input...I heard about one in our circle who knew a retired pro-baseball player living in CR. If contacting your friends like this speaks to your heart, please do it. Paul needs as much help as he can get.

Another way is to simply call Sea Shepherd and donate to their budding Costa Rica Campaign. I am not a Sea Shepherd member, I just know that they are on the front line on this. It is their ass on the line. This current request by President Laura Chinchilla for extradition could mean Paul locked up in one of her jails, where prisoners are reportedly beaten to death and trial conditions are not far from being a Banana Republic (Please read this Costa Rica-US Dept. of State Document start from page 2).

If you have a contact, please start talking with him or her so that we can be prepared when and if Paul does actually get extradited. At this point I would be surprised if Paul Watson does not stand trial in Costa Rica.

Hold on tight. The next two and a half months, till the extradition is concluded in some way, are sure to be wild.

We will not sit back.
We go to war to fight to save even one.
We have to fight.
Fight together!

For the Oceans and for us!

Incopesca in Costa Rica may be driving the Paul Watson arrest

A corrupt root of shark fin soup?

By Steven Thompson
Friends in Costa Rica strongly believe that Sea Shepherd Paul Watson's arrest in Germany is linked directly to the corrupt work of Incopesca, the Costa Rican Fishing Institute, a Quasi-gov't organization in CR run by finners and long-liners. Incopesca is putting the national government between them and the growing international outrage at Paul's arrest.

Please do not fire on Costa Rica. There is currently massive local opposition to extraditing Paul to CR. A possibly significant point: it has not been found whether Germany actually has an extradition treaty with Costa Rica or not. Japan and Germany do not. Why would Germany and CR? Can anyone find out please?

We still need help digging though. Go for the guts of Incopesca if you can and see what slime comes up. We are looking for probable ties to the Japanese Institute for Cetacean Research (ICR) and a myriad of shark fin interests in Costa Rica. This should not be hard to find. Please share what information you find so that all can keep pulling at the loose strings until it unravels.

There is a curious coincidence of dates regarding the extradition renewal request and the ICR sponsored lawsuit in Washington State. This is what has brought the ICR into suspicion for involvement here, not to mention their multi-million dollar budget and their statements that Sea Shepherd is their major oppositon.

The Germans are covering their tracks better. Please look for ICR links in Germany and shark fin supply routes to restaurants. If anyone finds shark fin being served in any Frankfurt or German restaurant we may be getting close. Those restaurant menus need to be changed.

I'm just scratching the surface here. It looks to me like the Incopesca wording was edited out of the Wikipedia link below. Search: "Incopesca wikipedia".

Please read Wikipedia page that stays up. It looks like the issue behind Paul's arrest is shark fin soup.

We are at the point, after they ignored us and laughed at us. Now they are fighting us--Paul is facing trial and the prospect of disappearing into a Costa Rican jail.

May we fight smart and win release for Paul!

For the Oceans!

http://www.incopesca.go.cr/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shark_fin_trading_in_Costa_Rica

Sea Shepherd Paul Watson Arrest Day 1

Release Paul Watson

by Steven Thompson
Yesterday, Sea Shepherd leader Paul Watson was arrested in Frankfurt by silly Germans for freeing beautiful sharks from corrupt Costa Ricans working for selfish Taiwanese ocean killers.

History is being made. In 7 hours, the German court offices will open. People behind the scenes including European Parliament Vice President Daniel Cohn Bendit and the European deputy Jose Bove have probably been up most of the night negotiating the release of Paul Watson. SSCS Germany will lead with SSCS organized actions. They are waiting to see if he is released in the next 12 hours.

This is a time for those who live in Germany to test their activist skills and put pressure on the puerile Polizei who arrested Paul and those who keep him locked up. Paul went head to head with Taiwanese mafia shark poachers in Costa Rica. That's not a crime. That's cause to receive a Knighthood or an international award.

If you live in Frankfurt, take an emergency day off of work and go to the court house and document this historic moment. Go to the airport and find out who arrested him. Post the names. Get their pictures.

Dig deep! Who in the German immigration and police and judiciary kisses the asses of multi-millionaire Taiwanese shark poachers?

They exposed themselves when they had Paul arrested. Pop them into the light!

Sea Shepherd's goal here is probably to free Paul first. There is nothing stopping independent Sea Shepherd loving activists from working any angle they see. What you uncover and share may be helpful to the future of our planet.

Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/324811

                  Sea Shepherd

The Taiji Tourist Visa

Is saving dolphins a form of tourism?

By Steven Thompson
March 18, 2012

This youtube video shows members of the Zaitokukai (anti-Korean) group. After they spit at a Sea Shepherd vehicle in Taiji, they went to Osaka to push Immigration officials to keep Sea Shepherd "terrorists" out of the country. The officials seemed to humor the Zaitokukai members by meeting them outside of their office. The Zaitokukai filmed themselves doing this and uploaded it on the internet. The French Zen Master put in on youtube for easier access.

I feel that the Zaitokukai's work helps spread the word of the dolphin hunts and encourages more Japanese officials to join in helping the hunts to end.

If Sea Shepherd were demanding to end nuclear power or guarantee absolutely safe radiation free food, it would be an impossible situation. The well-known journalist, Christopher Johnson, probably got rejected re-entry into Japan this year because he was reporting the truth on nuclear issues.  The Japanese government, as it currently exists, could never meet these demands. Chris Johnson made enemies and offered them no way out.

But as things stand, it is not all that difficult to help end the killing of dolphins now costing more and more in security costs and stress on the little Taiji town. The Zaitokukai involvement helps to increase security costs.

Zaitokukai Banzai!
Long Live Silly Japanese Bullies!

The more people who want Sea Shepherds to leave Japan, the better.

End the hunt, and they will leave.

Still, Sea Shepherds and all dolphin activists will need to watch their backs especially if there is any taint of getting paid to be in Japan. That would mean they would need a work visa.