Monday, September 7, 2015

Faroese Turn On Their Own

"Sam Simon"
Last Tuesday (01 Sept.), authorities in the Shetland Islands, Scotland, seized a small boat from the Sea Shepherd ship Sam Simon.
The warrant for the seizure was presented while the vessel was in the Shetlands to refuel. In the warrant, authorities claim there are "reasonable grounds to suspect an offence has been committed under the law of Denmark."
This relates to the small boat's involvement in the defence of 61 pilot whales at a grindadráp at Sandavágur in the Faroe Islands on 12 August.
The seizure follows a legal challenge against the recently-enacted Faroe Islands Pilot Whaling Act. Faroese legal consultant, former police officer and adviser in issues regarding safety, security, defence and emergency preparedness - Henrik Weihe Joensen - has filed charges against the Faroe Islands Ministry of Fisheries and Maritime Affairs, challenging the law's legality. He claims the law is 'invalid' because the Faroese Parliament does not have the legislative authority to implement new laws in relation to police activity "which concerns action
against persons and objects."
Joensen believes that, if the Pilot Whaling Act is declared invalid, it may have a great impact on the cases already brought against Sea Shepherd, and may also have implications for the political relationship between the Faroe Islands and Denmark...watch this space.

UPDATE: 04 October 2015 - end of a tough campaigning season in the Faroes.

2 comments:

BigMac said...

For some time I believed that you actually wrote your articles yourself. Have now checked the internet and done some google´ing and found that basically all your articles about grind are in fact word by word exact copy paste from www.seasheperdglobal.org.

e.g. this one:

http://www.seashepherdglobal.org/news-and-commentary/news/denmark-orders-seizure-of-sam-simon-small-boat-as-faroese-consultant-challenges-grind-law.html

All this time I thought I had a discussion with YOU, but do now realize that it is Sea Shepherd who is doing the talking. There was never a doubt about your affiliation, but now it is evident that you ARE Sea Shepherd.

Don´t understand why you have chosen to be a simple mirror of SS homepage, but it says a whole lot and what to expect, given we are dealing with a SS foot soldier.

Writer Of The Purple Sage said...

Dear BigMac:
For some time I believed that you actually THOUGHT before you WROTE.
But logic seems to have flown out your window this time.
I live in New Zealand, on the other side of the globe from the Faroes.
Sea Shepherd is on your doorstep, posting regular updates to the world.
Do you SERIOUSLY expect me to ONLY blog about things that I have personally seen or witnessed or experienced? In this social media age, we all access information from the worldwide web - just as you source my blog.
I glean details from multiple sources. I build a composite picture of the Faroes' inhumane butchering carried out in the name of sustainability. I note the political machinations used by Denmark to avoid its responsibility and culpability in this unnecessary killing. As much as possible, I try to find corroborating pieces. But I have also written critical posts about Sea Shepherd, highlighting its often "creative" viewpoint.
I have never maintained that SS is angelic in its intentions, nor god-given in its right to take action. But I support every person's right to peaceful protest.
I also support every creature's right to a quick humane death when necessary.
I maintain that the grindadrap killings are neither quick, humane nor at all necessary.