Operation No Compromise is Officially Over

The Steve Irwin and Bob Barker arrive in Hobart.
Photo: Barbara VeigaThe Steve Irwin and the Bob Barker have arrived in Hobart, Tasmania. For the third year in a row, the Australian Federal Police were on the dock waiting to raid the ship at the request of the Japanese government.

As they’ve done for the last two years, Sea Shepherd is cooperating with the Australian Federal Police with their obligations to do the bidding of the Japanese government. Sea Shepherd is confident that their activities in the Southern Ocean have been non-violent and lawful. 

Japan has never charged Sea Shepherd with any crime related to their activities in obstructing their illegal whaling operations in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary. Despite this, the Japanese government keeps demanding that Australia stops Sea Shepherd ships from entering and leaving Australian ports. Unfortunately for Japan, Australia is a democratic nation that actually needs to have a violation of the law before taking punitive action against citizens or visiting foreigners.

Senator Bob Brown of the Australian Greens Party will greet the ships and crew upon their arrival. Captains Paul Watson and Alex Cornelissen will hold a media conference with Senator Brown at 11:00 hours AEST.

Operation No Compromise is now officially over. It has been Sea Shepherd’s most effective campaign to date against illegal whaling activities in the Southern Ocean.

Sea Shepherd will be prepared to return to the Southern Ocean at the end of this year once again, if the Japanese whaling fleet returns. “We will be prepared and we will be ready,” said Captain Watson. “Our objective is to defend the integrity of the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary. We have done so since 2002, and we will continue to do so if there are any future threats to the sanctuary and the whales.”

Operation  No Compromise