When diving with a new buddy, it is always worth reviewing hand signals to make sure there is no confusion when you are underwater. Some divers develop their own signals outside of the basic hand signals, so make sure you know what you're both saying before you go under!
After consistent direct action, the Japanese whaling fleet claimed the activities of Sea Shepherd for the loss of 31 days whaling.
Clashes betweem the Japanese fleet and Sea Shepherd have come to a head in January this year after Sea Shepherd's "Ady Gil" was rammed by the Shonan Maru 2 harpoon boat in Australia earlier this year.
Peter Bethune, the skipper aboard the Ady Gil, could be facing a long prison term after boarding the Shonan Maru and attempting to carry out a citizens arrest of the captain and presenting a bill for £2,000,000 for the destruction of the Ady Gil. He is currently waiting to face charges brought forward by the Japanese authorities including trespassing and assault.
News report of the Ady Gil ramming
It has been the smallest catch in years for the whaling fleet. The Nisshin Maru, the fleet's flagship returned back to port in Tokyo with a catch of 507 whales, well down on it's target of 935 and last year's catch of 680 whales.
Shigetoshi Nishiwaki, the leader of the Japanese was said to be "furious" and blamed the low catch squarely on the activities of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society.
"They say they protect the sea, but they don't care about leaking oil or leaving pieces of a boat behind," he said, in a reference to the stricken Ady Gil.
Shigetoshi Nishiwaki
Japan is pushing legal action against all who stand in the way of their whaling fleets. Toru Suzuki and Junichi Sato, both Greenpeace activists charged with theft while investigating Japanese whailing may face up to ten years in prison if found guilty.
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