Sustainable development blog : ecology and humanitarian aid

Every winter, the volunteers of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society sail all over the Atlantic Ocean, on board of their boat. Their mission is toprotect whales from the Japanese whalers. This marine animals’ protection movement was created by Captain Paul Watson, co-founder of Greenpeace.

Although whaling has been commercially forbidden for more than twenty years now, the Japanese claim their very harpooning of these magnificent animals only has scientific purposes. Japan, Norway and Iceland keep hunting whales. Since the ban has been established in 1986, more than 25000 cetaceans have been killed. Both Japan and Iceland keep claiming their hunt has « scientific » goals; however, the meat of the shot whales is modified and sold on their national markets.

In order to struggle against this slaughter, each single year, the Sea Shepherd actively hinders this bloody fishing. Their technique is simple but very dangerous: they come in between the Japanese harpoons and the whales to cover the latter’ escape. A powerful technique though, for it has allowed the saving of many cetaceans.

The very last purchase of the association should be of a considerable help for these volunteers and their difficult mission: THE Ady Gil (thus named in honour of the benefactor who helped the association to get this “defense weapon”) is a prototype ship which is used to promote the biofuels: it is thus one of the most ecological boats in the world.

This futurist 24-meter long trimaran holds the world tour speed record (60 days) and can sail as fast as 62 miles per hour. It can dive under 7-meter high waves and be autonomous on more than 14,000 miles. To help it suit its new job, these big-hearted pirates have operated a few modifications on it so as to make it more efficient. This spaceship-like vehicle, which reminds us of the Batmobile, is strengthened by an armour made of kevlar to stand up to the ice, as well as to small-calibre bullets (and, supposedly, to harpoons too ). It has also been covered with a paint which acts like a defector against the radar waves.

Thanks to this technology, the Sea Shepherd hopes to intercept and to disturb whalers in order to put an end to those scientific whale-hunting campaigns. This action goes hand in hand with Australia and New-Zealand, which told about their intention to bring Japan to justice to stop this massacre which takes place on their respective frontier thresholds.

Let us hope that the speed and the advanced technology of this boat, combined with the determination of its crew, will contribute to discourage the Japanese whalers once and for all.

Post edited following the collision of a Japanese whaler with the Ady Gil : more information

Video of the collision