Yesterday at 3pm local time the Esperanza departed from Hobart in Tasmania, Australia bringing to a close the 2007/2008 Southern Ocean Expedition. The ship had arrived on Sunday evening to a great welcome from the people of Hobart, including the mayor and a number of councillors.
After spending close to two months tracking the Japanese whaling fleet, Esperanza was forced to leave the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary last week when her fuel supply started to run out. The sanctuary had remained fatality free for the whales during the previous fortnight while the Espy chased the factory whaling ship, the Nisshin Maru, across 5,000 miles of the Southern Ocean.
Without the factory ship, the rest of the whaling fleet were unable to operate - bringing the entire whaling programme to a halt. During the two weeks Greenpeace spent with the fleet more than 100 whales were saved. Sadly, once Esperanza left the scene the Japanese whaling fleet again defied world opinion and resumed whaling, killing at least five whales.
But the pressure on the whalers is mounting on their own home turf. Since Esperanza gave chase across the Southern Ocean, media coverage and public discussion on the whaling issue has reached unprecedented levels in Japan, where Prime Minister Fukuda has been forced to discuss the whaling issue in Parliament.
Once more, Japanese taxpayers must be wondering why they are funding this fake research operation which produces no real science, whale meat that no one wants to eat, and brings their country into international disrepute.
The campaign to end whaling in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary is now moving from the open ocean to Japan where we are calling on Canon – a company known for its support of conservation issues, to publicly speak out against whaling.
Already over 44,000 concerned camera owners from around the world have responded to our call to email Fujio Mitarai, the CEO of Canon Japan. Fujio Mitarai is also the head of the influential Nippon Keidanren (Japanese Business Federation).
Take action
Show your support for the whales and send your email to Fujio Mitarai here.
