Sea Shepherd Has Intercepted the Whale Poachers Before a Single Whale is Killed

Last night while on patrol in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary, Sea Shepherd Australia's fast interceptor vessel the SSS Brigitte Bardot intercepted the Harpoon kill ship, the Yushin Maru No. 3.

Brigitte Bardot Captain Jean Yves Terlain stated, "The Yushin Maru 3 was on a westerly course, indicating that the fleet has been in bad weather for the past several days. The latitude at which they were found was rather far north and given that the large concentrations of whales are found further south, closer to the Antarctic Continent, where there are high concentrations of krill as this would indicate that they have not yet begun whaling."

Operation Zero Tolerance Co-Campaign Leader Bob Brown was thrilled when he heard the news. "It is likely that we have intercepted these whale poachers before a single harpoon has been fired. Whale lovers of Australia and around the world will be elated that Sea Shepherd is down there, but still daunted that the whaling fleet is in the Whale Sanctuary."

Bob Barker Captain Peter Hammarstedt stated, "From past experiences, we know that the harpoon ships are never far from the factory ship, meaning the floating slaughterhouse, the Nisshin Marumust be close by."

Operation Zero Tolerance co-campaign Leader Jeff Hansen stated, "We are at the end of January and it looks like not a single whale has been killed. We now just need to hang in there and keep on these poachers. Sea Shepherd will do its part to uphold the Australian Federal Court ruling. We will not tolerate a single whale death inside the established whale sanctuary by these poachers."

The three remaining Sea Shepherd ships, the SSS Steve Irwin, SSS Bob Barker and SSS Sam Simon, remain on guard and on the hunt for the Cetacean Death Star, the Nisshin Maru, in defence of the whales.

Sea Shepherd Founder, Captain Paul Watson, has made the following comment: “As a US citizen, I will respect and comply with the ruling of the United States Ninth District Court and will not violate the temporary injunction granted to the Institute for Cetacean Research. I am aboard the Steve Irwin on Operation Zero Tolerance as an observer to document Japan's illegal butchering of whales. I have every faith in former Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown to lead Sea Shepherds’ ninth Antarctic whale defence campaign, Operation Zero Tolerance. I am equally as confident in the abilities and leadership of the captains of all four Sea Shepherd ships, because they have the passion and commitment to uphold the Australian Federal Court ruling prohibiting Japan's whale hunt."

File photo: Sea Shepherd Australia's fast interceptor SSS Brigitte Bardot

File photo:  Japanese harpoon vessel Yushin Maru No 3 as seen 
during 2012's Operation Divine Wind