As If This'll Help...

Four governments, including New Zealand's, have issued a warning to both the Sea Shepherd Society and the Japanese whalers to behave in the Southern Ocean this whaling season.
This statement was issued just days after a US appeals court issued an injunction, ordering Sea Shepherd and Paul Watson not to physically attack or endanger the whaling ships, and to remain at least 450m from them at all times. That order was sought by the Institute of Cetacean Research (ICR), which undertakes the Japanese govt's illegal commercial whale-killing programme through a loophole in International Whaling Commission rules that allows whales to be killed for research.

"Research" for sale...

In a joint statement, the NZ, Australian, US and Netherlands governments condemned "any actions that imperil human life at sea", calling for the masters of all vessels to ensure their crews' safety and follow international rules to avoid collisions: "We respect the right to peaceful protest, including on the high seas. We condemn dangerous or unlawful behaviour at sea by any party in the Southern Ocean or elsewhere," said the governments, warning that they were prepared to prosecute anyone engaging in unlawful behaviour.
Well, what a damn shame our government couldn't have grown a spine when the nasty Nippon whalers "engaged in unlawful behaviour" by deliberately steering right through the Ady Gil!!
The NZ Government says it is "resolutely opposed" to commercial whaling, including Japan's so-called scientific whaling. But of course we've yet to see Womble McCully and Co put their money where their respective gobs are, and exercise some naval vessels in the immediate vacinity of the whale sanctuary...
In the meantime, anyone who really thinks this joint statement - or indeed the injunction - will have ANY bearing whatsoever on the behaviour of either party to this impending battle, probably also believes that the Japanese ARE engaging ONLY in research! Riiiiight...