[BartSimpson]

If Sea Shepherd arms their boats then the US Navy will hunt them down and put an end to them.

[PublicAnimalNo9]

stratos stratos:

$1:

Japanese vessel was displaying the Ball-Diamond-Ball

Is this a normal signal for restricted mobility?

Yes it is. They're part of a signals system called Day Shapes. They are mast head signals indicating the navigation status of a vessel at sea to other vessels.

[Jabberwalker]

PublicAnimalNo9 PublicAnimalNo9:

stratos stratos:

$1:

Japanese vessel was displaying the Ball-Diamond-Ball

Is this a normal signal for restricted mobility?

Yes it is. They're part of a signals system called Day Shapes. They are mast head signals indicating the navigation status of a vessel at sea to other vessels.

From the ColRegs (International Collision Regulations):

b) A vessel restricted in her ability to manoeuvre, except a vessel engaged in mine-clearance operations, shall exhibit:

1. three all-round lights in a vertical line where they can best be seen. The highest and lowest of these lights shall be red and the middle light shall be white;

2. three shapes in a vertical line where they can best be seen. The highest and lowest of these shapes shall be balls and the middle one a diamond;

3. when making way through the water, a masthead light or lights, sidelights and a sternlight, in addition to the lights prescribed in sub-paragraph (i)

4. when at anchor, in addition to the lights or shapes prescribed in sub-paragraphs (i) and (ii), the light, lights or shape prescribed in Rule 30.

[Public_Domain]

[Vamp018]

BartSimpson BartSimpson:

If Sea Shepherd arms their boats then the US Navy will hunt them down and put an end to them.

Actually Bart, Pirates on the high sea's is 1 of the core missions for the USCG and our Training/Specialty. The USN would call us in or call for instructions thru our National Incident Ctr. But if fired upon the USN will just sink them and call us later lol.

[Jabberwalker]

Vamp018 Vamp018:

BartSimpson BartSimpson:

If Sea Shepherd arms their boats then the US Navy will hunt them down and put an end to them.

Actually Bart, Pirates on the high sea's is 1 of the core missions for the USCG and our Training/Specialty. lol.

It's bad enough when the Somalis do it and now the Americans want to do it, as well. Do you still issue "letters of marque"?

[Freakinoldguy]

Fuck it.

Arm everyone and let god sort em out.

[Vamp018]

Freakinoldguy Freakinoldguy:

Fuck it.

Arm everyone and let god sort them out.

I like the way you put it . All very true and needed.

[Prof_Chomsky]

Xort Xort:

I hope that one day the self described pirates of Sea Shepard get treated like pirates by a JNSDF ship.

Learn a bit about the topic before you open your mouth.

The Japanese are exploiting a loop hole in the whaling treaty. Australia has banned them from entering any of their waters as a result. They claim research is the reason for the hunt, but EVERY biologist in the friggen world says that's complete BS.

If the Sea Shepherd's were terrorists, they would be hunted down. But they're just exploiting a loop hole the way the Japanese are. Turn about fair play.

[Jabberwalker]

The Japanese should arrest the whole lot and charge them with "Hooriganism".

[Thanos]

Due to the sheer horror of what Japanese fishing practices are doing to the oceans, I'd sink every single one of their fucking ships if I had the means and ability to do so. Ditto with the Chinese and every other ocean-going commercial fishing fleet that behaves in the same way.

[Xort]

Prof_Chomsky Prof_Chomsky:

Learn a bit about the topic before you open your mouth.

I've followed these asshats for years I'm well aware of what the Japanese are doing, but as was said mostly they are hunting Minke whales, which is both sustainable and somewhat needed. They rarely take any of the critically endangered whales, which is the "I like nice things and it would be nice if they wouldn't, but isn't going to cause any real harm if they do" sort of thing. Whale probes notwithstanding.

$1:

The Japanese are exploiting a loop hole in the whaling treaty. Australia has banned them from entering any of their waters as a result. They claim research is the reason for the hunt, but EVERY biologist in the friggen world says that's complete BS.

It's not a loop hole it's the only reason the 3rd largest economy signed on. It's a provision, not a loop hole. And what they are doing isn't useful research I don't think I even slightly suggested that it was.

$1:

If the Sea Shepherd's were terrorists, they would be hunted down. But they're just exploiting a loop hole the way the Japanese are. Turn about fair play.

What loop hole are they exploiting?

They are terrorists, using systematic violence and the threat of violence against people and nations to attempt to reach a political goal.

They could dog the Japanese ships in international waters, film their actions, and report on what they are doing. But what they actually do is try to disable other ships by destroying their navigation ability, ram ships, intentionally place their ships in the path of other ships then maneuver into the way when the other ships makes a correct attempting to get hit.

Sea Shepard are doing the classic bully act of standing in front of someone trying to walk, then moving to block them when the other person moves to get around them. Then claims to be assaulted when someone walks into them.

Maybe the person that should do some research is you.

[Prof_Chomsky]

Xort Xort:

It's not a loop hole it's the only reason the 3rd largest economy signed on. It's a provision, not a loop hole. And what they are doing isn't useful research I don't think I even slightly suggested that it was.

The "provision" is to allow the slaughter of a small number of whales IF the purpose is for viable and necessary research. You just said what they're doing ISN'T research... isn't that the definition of exploiting a loop hole???

Prof_Chomsky Prof_Chomsky:

If the Sea Shepherd's were terrorists, they would be hunted down. But they're just exploiting a loop hole the way the Japanese are. Turn about fair play.

Xort Xort:

What loop hole are they exploiting?...

Maybe the person that should do some research is you.

The sea shepherds are exploiting international maritime law. They aren't breaking any international laws doing what they do so no country's navy can come arrest them. They're skirting the system the same way the Japanese are. Again, turn about is fair play.

[peck420]

Prof_Chomsky Prof_Chomsky:

They're skirting the system the same way the Japanese are. Again, turn about is fair play.

If that video is accurate, I believe they just went from 'skirting' to 'breaking', no?

Although, I would say they broke international law when they started boarding and tossing projectiles at the other ships...

[PublicAnimalNo9]

Prof_Chomsky Prof_Chomsky:

The sea shepherds are exploiting international maritime law. They aren't breaking any international laws doing what they do so no country's navy can come arrest them. They're skirting the system the same way the Japanese are. Again, turn about is fair play.

Exploiting maritime law? Geez dude, just how far is your head lodged in your rectum?
According to its mission statement, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society "uses innovative direct-action tactics to investigate, document, and take action when necessary to expose and confront illegal activities on the high seas". Those actions have included scuttling and disabling commercial whaling vessels at harbor, using limpet mines to blow holes in ship hulls, ramming other vessels, throwing glass bottles of butyric acid on the decks of vessels at sea, boarding of whaling vessels while at sea, and seizure and destruction of drift nets at sea. As of 2009, Paul Watson has said that the organization has sunk ten whaling ships while also destroying millions of dollars worth of equipment. Their practice of attacking and sinking other ships has led to reports of injuries to other sailors as well as the Sea Shepherd crew, including concussions and complications from chemical attacks.

Good to see you justify outright criminal acts as merely "exploiting the laws".

If I come and steal your car and burn down your garage because I don't like what you do for a living, is that merely exploiting the law or would you call the cops and expect them to treat it as the crime it is?