The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society’s Operation Ferocious Isles pilot whale defence campaign is over now and it looks like their objective has been achieved. Not a single whale or dolphin has been killed on the beaches or in the waters of the Faroe Islands under Sea Shepherd’s watch over July and August.
The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society’s Operation Ferocious Isles pilot whale defence campaign is over now and it looks like their objective has been achieved. Not a single whale or dolphin has been killed on the beaches or in the waters of the Faroe Islands under Sea Shepherd’s watch over July and August.
Earlier in the summer, the Faroese police ordered that no grinds (pilot whale drives and slaughter) would be allowed for as long as the Sea Shepherd ships were in Faroese waters. Their mere watchful presence prevented any killings this summer saving hundreds of whales as a result. Not a dramatic campaign compared to previous life-threatening ones for the Sea Shepherd crews, but enormously successful nonetheless.
It remains possible that whales may be killed after the Steve Irwin and the Brigitte Bardot leave patrol, but June, July, and August are the three most notorious months for the slaughter of the whales being peak migration months. The objective was to prevent the killing of any whales during the peak summer period and that objective has been realized, therefore, Operation Ferocious Isles has been extraordinarily successful.
New technology was used to create an impact this year in the Faroes (similar to their success with the Antarctic whale defence campaign in the Southern Ocean earlier this year). The conservation group deployed acoustic devices, laying down a wall of sound in the path of the migrating whales to prevent them from approaching the islands. Sea Shepherd will document and make available film of any atrocities committed in the Faroes, and share it all with the public to create awareness; this tactic has proven highly effective in defending the great whales with the Antarctic whale defence campaign in the Southern Ocean earlier this year.
Additionally throughout the duration of the campaign, the crews of the two Sea Shepherd ships were able to meet and speak to hundreds of Faroese youth and were pleasantly surprised to find so many young people in opposition to the grind.
Significant campaign achievements include: increasing international awareness of the whaling that takes place in the Faroes; provoking controversy and discussion amongst the local people; increasing spending for the Danish Navy and police during the Sea Shepherd’s time in Faroese waters and – most importantly – preventing a single grind from taking place.
The crews of the Steve Irwin and the Brigitte Bardot are very happy with the results of this year’s campaign and are now anxious to return once again to intercept the Japanese fleet to prevent them killing whales off the coast of Antarctica in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary.
Captain Paul Watson said: “Over the past few months we saw whales, we deterred whales from approaching the islands, we prevented the killing of whales by just being here. We could not be any more pleased with the results of the campaign. Zero kills translates into a perfect campaign and we are extremely happy with the results of our efforts this summer.”
“This has been a very busy year for Sea Shepherd beginning with our victory over the Japanese whaling fleet by driving them out of the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary a month and a half before their season ended and preventing them from killing 83% of their intended kill quota.”
“Since our victory in the Southern Ocean, we have captured poachers in the Galapagos, confronted tuna poachers off the coast of Libya, protested at the 63rd Annual International Whaling Commission meeting in Jersey, exposed the atrocities of the seal slaughter in Namibia, helped catch the criminals who viciously clubbed seal pups in New Zealand, reduced the number of dolphins killed in Taiji, Japan by half, and now, we can relish in this victory for the pilot whales here in the Faeroes.”
“Never before has Sea Shepherd been so active and effective on a truly international level.”
“And the reason for our successes is your continued support. We do the best we can with the resources available to us and increased support translates into increased activism.”
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