| SSCS Launches New Camapign |
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| Thursday, 25 June 2009 03:11 | |
 Sea Shepherd Launches Operation Waltzing Matilda The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society is today officially announcing Operation Waltzing Matilda – the Sixth Sea Shepherd campaign to defend the whales of the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary from Japanese poachers. “This is a research project,” said Captain Paul Watson. “We’ve decided to demonstrate our solidarity with the Japanese, Australian and New Zealand Research projects.” “Our primary objective is to research non-lethal means for defending whales,” said Captain Watson. “Of course this may include research into Japanese ship’s hull plate thickness, vessel stress tests and paint chip analysis as well as observation of whaler behaviour in response to olfactory stimulation.” The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society will be returning to the Southern Ocean in December for the sixth Antarctic Whale Defence campaign. This year the Society will be sending two ships to the Southern Ocean, the upgraded and fully repaired Steve Irwin and the fast interceptor vessel Earthrace.. On board will be a Discovery Animal Planet crew to film the 3rd season of Whale Wars. “We are taking the most powerful anti-whaling weapon at our disposal,” said Laurens de Groot, a Sea Shepherd Netherlands director. “A film crew. The cameras are more powerful than cannons and our ammunition is the naked truth about illegal whaling. We intend to keep the focus on Japanese crimes and we intend to sink the Japanese whaling fleet – economically.” An international crew of volunteers will crew the ships to the Southern Ocean but this year’s campaign will have an Australian face. For this reason the name Operation Waltzing Matilda has been chosen. This is the unofficial national anthem of Australia. Translated from Aussie it means "hiking with a bedroll or pack." “Australians are the most passionate whale defenders on the planet,” said Captain Watson. “Operation Waltzing Matilda will reflect our gratitude to Australia for the incredible support we have received from the people of this wonderful nation since 2005. The Steve Irwin will depart in December from Western Australia with the majority of the crew being Australians.” Kylie Herd, a Sea Shepherd crewmember from Perth attending the IWC Conference in Madeira said, “Our logo this year is modeled on the art that adorned the fighter planes of the legendary Flying Tigers who fought the Japanese Imperial forces in China. The colours of the Aboriginal and Australian flags have been incorporated into the design with the pirate kangaroo holding Neptune’s trident of justice. We intend to waltz down to the Southern Ocean to dance dangerously with the Japanese whaling fleet and we intend to unroll a Matilda full of defensive tactics for the whales against the Japanese whale poachers.” Operation Waltzing Matilda is scheduled to depart for the Southern Ocean on December 1st, 2009. As usual Sea Shepherd has some new surprises for the Japanese pirate whalers this year and the whalers will surely have some surprises for Sea Shepherd. The confrontations are escalating as the whalers lose more and more money each year. The Sea Shepherd crew intends to persist and will never retreat from the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary until the last harpoon has been silenced and the word “sanctuary” is understood once and for all. There is no retreat for Sea Shepherd from the whale wars, there is only victory or defeat for the whales, and we do not intend see the whales defeated, nor do we intend to let these blubber chewing murdering barbarian butchers win.
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