By Paul Watson, BOB BARKER - EVER RELENTLESS Through snow and ice, heavy seas, freezing conditions and under the threat of a violent response, Sea Shepherd keeps up the pursuit of the Nigerian poacher “Thunder”. It’s hard to get to anywhere on the planet more remote than the shadowlands along the coast of Antarctic due south of Sri Lanka. The Sea Shepherd ship “Bob Barker” continues to stick like glue to the tail of the Nigerian flagged toothfish poacher “Thunder” as the “Sam Simon” searches for other illegal operations hundreds of miles away. Sea Shepherd’s requests for assistance from Australia and New Zealand have been ignored despite the fact that three other illegal poaching vessels are reported to be heading towards the “Bob Barker” to assist the poachers on the “Thunder”. The poaching vessels F/V “Yunnan,” F/V “Jianfeng” and F/V “Taishan” are all listed by Interpol as being criminal operations. All four poaching vessels are presumed to be armed. There are Australian and New Zealand crew onboard. There are also French citizens onboard and the French base at the Kerguelen Islands some 700 nautical miles north of the “Bob Barker’s” position has been officially asked to offer assistance. The Bob Barker has a great range and superior speed and ice class to the “Thunder” and will be able to keep the poachers from their illegal activity unless attacked by greater numbers. Interpol has declared these vessels to be criminals. Australia and New Zealand are members of Interpol. In 2013, New Zealand made attempts to arrest Captain Paul Watson at the request of Japan saying they were obligated by Interpol to do so. Apparently that obligation does not extend to real criminals whereas it appears to extend to people trying to stop real criminals like unlawful whale killers and toothfish poachers.
Posted on: Sat, 20 Dec 2014 23:51:58 +0000