The Rewilding Institute’s Carnivore Biologist, Dave Parsons, testifies before the House Natural Resources Committee on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s failure to conserve the critically endangered Mexican wolf.
“The Danger of Deception: Do Endangered Species Have a Chance?”
Download Parsons’ Testimony (Adobe PDF)
Dave Foreman’s Around the Campfire Issue 20
Excerpt…
Shortly after the end of World War Two, visionary conservationists and scientists such as Fairfield Osborn began to warn that continued human population growth would cause all kinds of problems including heightened plundering of wild Nature. It was not until the late 1960s, however, that population growth moved to the front burner of the conservation stove as shown by the Sierra Club’s publication of a book called The Population Bomb by a young biologist named Paul Ehrlich. During the next decade those who were worried studied, wrote, and warned about human population growth and its consequences.
Ehrlich and physicist John Holdren (currently in the highly prestigious position of president of the American Association for the Advancement of Science) suggested a formula for understanding the consequences of human growth: I=PAT. This formula, once recognizable but now widely forgotten, means that human impact is a production of population, affluence (consumption), and some measure of technology. At the time, P (population size) was seen as the underlying and key factor for determining the magnitude of human impact. During the last two decades, however, it has become fashionable to discount P and stress A (affluence or consumption).
The level of consumption is a key multiplier of population’s impact and individuals worldwide have vastly different levels of consumption of goods and services. Nevertheless, some “environmentalists†and social engineers (right and left) now argue that population size or even continued growth is relatively unimportant; they say it is the level of consumption of certain groups that is key for calculating how much damage an individual or population causes. Such activists argue that reducing consumption is much more important than stabilizing population. Others of us still see population as the big rock. Consumption vs. population may be an intractable debate since it is grounded in worldview as much as in evidence. In general, those who are biologically (or scientifically) oriented are more likely to see population as paramount in I=PAT, while those socially and economically directed tend to stress consumption. I would argue that biologists deal with a more fundamental and real world than do culturalists.
Let me offer just two examples to show how total population is the key. China’s remarkable and frightening economic explosion in the last few years has now thrust it into the lead of nations cranking out greenhouse gases. However, were it not for the draconian population policies of China since the 1960s, the population of China would be closer to two billion instead of a billion and a half. How much more greenhouse pollution would China be pumping out had it not taken extreme measures to reduce the birth rate?
Read more… (Adobe PDF Document)
Photos, video and additional information: http://media.seashepherd.org
Captain Paul Watson Shot in Chest; Cameraman and Crew member Injured by Flash Grenades
At 1545 hours (0445 GMT), a clash between the crew of the Sea Shepherd vessel Steve Irwin and the Japanese whaling ship Nisshin Maru turned violent when the Japanese Coast Guard began to throw flash grenades at the crew of the Steve Irwin.
Captain Paul Watson was struck by a bullet in the chest. Fortunately, the bullet was stopped by his Kevlar vest. The bullet struck just above the heart and mangled Captain Watson’s anti-poaching badge, which was worn on his sweater underneath the Kevlar vest.
Dr. David Page was videotaped prying the bullet from Captain Watson’s Kevlar vest. “You have been hit by a bullet,†he said.
The Kevlar vest and anti-poaching badge effectively saved Captain Watson’s life.
Additional injuries were sustained by crewmembers Ashley Dunn and Ralph Lowe. Dunn, 35, from Launceston, Australia suffered a hip injury when he tried to get out of the way of the exploding grenades. Lowe, 33, from Melbourne, Australia received bruises to his back when one of the flash grenades exploded behind him.
The Japanese Coast Guard was retaliating against Sea Shepherd crewmembers for tossing rotten butter onto the decks to discourage their illegal whaling activities. The clash came after a week long pursuit by the Steve Irwin of the Nisshin Maru, in an effort to stop illegal whaling activities in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary.
Earlier in the day at 0800 hours (1900 GMT), the Steve Irwin had ordered the Nisshin Maru to leave French territorial waters. The Japanese whaler complied and turned around, heading back west into Australian waters.
The confrontation occurred inside the Australian Territorial Zone at the position of 63 Degrees, 41 Minutes South and 133 Degrees, 27 Minutes East.
Photos of the incident are available now on Sea Shepherd’s media site, and videos are currently being transmitted to Sea Shepherd’s headquarters. Videos will be posted immediately upon receipt.
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About Sea Shepherd Conservation Society
Established in 1977, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society (SSCS) is an International non-profit conservation organization whose mission is to end the destruction of habitat and slaughter of wildlife in the world’s oceans in order to conserve and protect ecosystems and species. Sea Shepherd uses innovative direct-action tactics to investigate, document, and take action when necessary to expose and confront illegal activities on the high seas. By safeguarding the biodiversity of our delicately-balanced ocean ecosystems, Sea Shepherd works to ensure their survival for future generations. Visit www.seashepherd.org for more information.
Aboard the M/Y Steve Irwin Southern Oceans —The crew on the Sea
Shepherd ship Steve Irwin engaged in a confrontation with the Japanese
factory ship Nisshin Maru this morning between 0800 and 1000 Hours.
The Nisshin Maru cannot outrun the Steve Irwin. After a 12 hour chase
the Sea Shepherd ship closed the gap and passed alongside the Nisshin
Maru.
The crew deployed over two dozen bottles of rotten butter sending a
stench throughout the whale killing ship that will remain for days.
The crew also threw packets of a slippery chemical onto the deck of
the Nisshin Maru. This will make it very difficult to cut up whales.
The substance becomes even more slippery with water so it will be
difficult to wash it off the decks.
“I guess we can call this non-violent chemical warfare,” said Captain
Paul Watson. “We only use organic, non-toxic materials designed to
harass and obstruct illegal whaling operations.”
Four armed Japanese Coast Guard officers clearly identified in their
uniforms videotaped the confrontation.
The Captain of the Nisshin Maru played a tape over and over again with
a woman’s voice saying “Warning, warning, this is the Nisshin Maru
captain. Stop your destructive actions immediately. If you dare to
board this vessel you will be taken into custody and restrained as
illegal intruders under Japanese law.”
Captain Paul Watson radioed the Nisshin Maru to inform them that they
had no authority in the Australian Antarctic Territory. Captain Watson
ordered the Japanese captain to cease all whaling operations and to
comply with the Australian Federal Court ruling that prohibits the
Japanese whaling fleet from killing whales in the Australian Antarctic
Territorial waters.
The confrontation took place at 63 Degrees 17 Minutes South and 126
Degrees and 20 minutes east. This is 175 miles off the Andare Coast
inside the Australian Economic Exclusion Zone.
The Steve Irwin has fallen half a mile off to the starboard side of
the Nisshin Maru.
“It stinks too bad to remain any closer,” said Todd Emko 32, of New York City.
Not a single whale has been killed since the Sea Shepherd ship Steve
Irwin returned to harass the Japanese whaling fleet in the Australian
Whale Sanctuary.
“They will not be getting their quota this year and that is a
certainty,” said Jeff Hanson 35, from Fremantle, Western Australia.
“In fact I don’t think they will be getting half their quota.”
In total the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society has shut down illegal
Japanese whaling operations for over four and a half weeks.
###
About Sea Shepherd Conservation Society
Established in 1977, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society (SSCS) is an
International non-profit conservation organization whose mission is to
end the destruction of habitat and slaughter of wildlife in the
world?s oceans in order to conserve and protect ecosystems and
species. Sea Shepherd uses innovative direct-action tactics to
investigate, document, and take action when necessary to expose and
confront illegal activities on the high seas. By safeguarding the
biodiversity of our delicately-balanced ocean ecosystems, Sea Shepherd
works to ensure their survival for future generations. Visit
http://www.seashepherd.org for more information.
Here’s a neat site to check out: BigWildlife.
What’s Big Wildlife?
“Big Wildlife was formed in 2006 to provide a voice for carnivores such as cougars, bears, coyotes, and wolves in North America. Dynamic, gutsy, and visionary, Big Wildlife combines innovative media strategies with nuts and bolts grassroots organizing. We provide training to activists – including hands-on skills development workshops in organizing, outreach, lobbying, and media – coordinate grassroots efforts at the local level, build effective coalitions with alternative voices, and work closely with activists to generate media. “See our extensive guide to activism”
A lot of great pictures and activism guides to help big carnivores survive.
(Photos, video and additional information: http://media.seashepherd.org)
Aboard the Sea Shepherd ship Steve Irwin –The Japanese whaling fleet is on the run again. The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society ship Steve Irwin re-located the Japanese whaling fleet at 0600 hours this morning, February 23, 2008.
A few hours earlier, the Steve Irwin had been side tracked when it chased a vessel that turned out to be a Namibian Toothfish vessel. The Antalles Reefer registered in Walvis Bay was found at 0200 Hours. The vessel refused to give a fishing permit number and threatened the Steve Irwin by reporting that it was armed. The Captain of the Antalles Reefer claimed to speak only Russian. The Steve Irwin has a Russian speaking crewmember and during the conversation the Captain said he would resist with force if there was any interference with his operations. Captain Paul Watson relayed the information to the Australian Customs vessel Oceanic Viking and reported that a suspicious toothfish fishing vessel was operating inside the Australian Economic Exclusion Zone.
At 0600 Hours, the Steve Irwin encountered the Fukuyoshi Maru No. 68 which immediately headed eastward to lead the Sea Shepherd crew away from the whaling fleet. The Steve Irwin continued west and the Fukuyoshi Maru No. 68 turned and began to pursue the Steve Irwin. It is believed that the Fukuyoshi Maru No 68 carries armed Japanese coast guard officers. The Steve Irwin is now pursuing the Nisshin Maru and two harpoon vessels with the Fukuyoshi Maru No. 68 in pursuit of the Steve Irwin.
“The great Southern Ocean whaling ship chase is on again,†said Captain Paul Watson. “I don’t think any whales are going to be dying today. Our goal is to keep the harpoons quiet for the next three weeks.â€
The weather is good, the seas are calm and the chase is threading its way southwest through an obstacle course of icebergs, growlers, and bergy bits. The Steve Irwin has plenty of fuel, water and provisions and a crew that is committed to shutting down the illegal whaling operations of the Japanese fleet.
“I can’t think of a place I would rather be right now,†said Jeff Hansen from Fremantle, Western Australia. “Seeing the Japanese whalers running like cowards from the Steve Irwin is a very satisfying experience.â€
The chase is taking place some 80 miles north of the Shackleton Glacier off the coast of Queen Mary land, well inside Australian Antarctic Territorial waters.
On January 15th, 2008, an Australian Federal Court ordered that Japanese whaling be “restrained†in Australian territorial waters. The Sea Shepherd crew is acting to enforce that court order and to uphold numerous international regulations that the Japanese whaling fleet has and continues to violate.
###
About Sea Shepherd Conservation Society
Established in 1977, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society (SSCS) is an International non-profit conservation organization whose mission is to end the destruction of habitat and slaughter of wildlife in the world’s oceans in order to conserve and protect ecosystems and species. Sea Shepherd uses innovative direct-action tactics to investigate, document, and take action when necessary to expose and confront illegal activities on the high seas. By safeguarding the biodiversity of our delicately-balanced ocean ecosystems, Sea Shepherd works to ensure their survival for future generations. Visit www.seashepherd.org for more information.
Population decline of the wild population of Mexican gray wolves in the Blue Range Wolf Recovery Area in southwestern New Mexico and southeastern Arizona.
From a statement published by Dave Parsons, Conservation Biologist for the Rewilding Institute:
“Today’s news of a 12% decline in the wild population of Mexican wolves is a big disappointment but, frankly, not a surprise. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and its cooperating state and federal agencies stopped managing for the conservation of endangered lobos four years ago, and the population has declined in three of those four years.
The stated objective for 2007 was a 10% population increase, thus the Fish and Wildlife Service fell 22% short of their goal, leaving only 52 of these critically endangered animals in the wild.
Of even greater concern is that the number of breeding pairs declined from seven at the end of 2006 to only four at the end of 2007. When breeding pairs are routinely destroyed or broken apart it is hard to grow a population. Indeed, only nine new pups were added to the population, and two of those have died already in 2008.”
To read the entire report, click below
Guest post by Dr. Brian L. Horejsi
I suspect that too few Montanans are aware of the activities of their governor, particularly when he ventures beyond state borders. Very recently he popped up in Calgary, Alberta, to glad hand with the oil and gas industry. Now we’ve all heard that ignorance is bliss, and while it worries me that too many people feel that’s OK, I prefer to know what my elected and appointed government, and its officials, are up to. Montanans are exceptionally fortunate in this respect: you have a constitution that says you have the right to know and the right to participate; powerful stuff! In other words, not only do you have a citizens responsibility, but you have a legal avenue to tune in and keep both a sharp eye and a tight rein on government.
There are few industries, lobbyists and promoters with a record of causing, and potential to cause, greater environmental, social, democratic or economic disruption and corruption than the oil and gas industry. In Alberta they wield ruthless control over the political agenda and every day workings of government. For a society that values freedom, transparency, fairness and honesty, as Montanans are inclined to say they do, courting the oil and gas industry is a bit like inviting the Mafia into your inner circle.
In Alberta a Royalty Review Panel (you call royalties severance taxes), consisting of various industry bigwigs recently arrived at the startling determination that the oil and gas industry, in cahoots with a fundamentalist conservative government, has short changed Albertans to the tune of between two and four billion dollars a year. That is not what you call chump money, in fact it equates to a conservative seven million public dollars a day shunted into industry pockets. What’s startling is not that our society is getting shafted by the industry – hundreds of thousands of Albertans have known that for decades; what shocked everyone was that this panel and its analysis “got away” from the oil and gas lobby and control machine. Imagine, 50 billion dollars weaseled away behind closed doors in recent decades and for 20 years not a peep from government or media! It ranks as one of the greatest financial scandals in Canadian history.
The oil and gas industry are part of an Alberta energy industry colossus, including captive regulatory agencies led by the Energy Utilities Board (roughly the equivalent of your oil and gas commission), which licenses oil and gas wells and is 60% funded directly from oil and gas industry coffers. Industry and conservatives like to call this an “independent regulator”! This outfit recently got caught infiltrating public groups and meetings with paid spies in order to find out what those dangerous ingrates – citizens like you and I – were thinking about their schemes to ram another industrial project down our throats. They have corrupted the regulatory structure so that no formal legal process for environmental impact analysis exists; how better to drill 99.99% of 15,000 to 20,000 wells licensed annually, no matter where or when industry chooses to drill? Many of you have heard of the ecological, social and economic avalanche known as global warming now barreling down on all of us like a semi approaching a packed school crosswalk at full speed. It began with, and continues because of uncontrolled, mindless exploitation of fossil fuels orchestrated almost exclusively by an oil and gas (and coal) industry that successfully subverted scientific, legal, democratic and social checks and balances.
Montanans ought to be alarmed that Gov. Schweitzer is travelling into North Americas corporate oil and gas heartland with his briefcase full of snake oil. The oil and gas industry is very, very good at some things. One of these is sending its tentacles into the heart of government, paralyzing and corrupting the legislative and regulatory process, what people more commonly refer to as the backbone and superstructure of democracy. The industry normally attacks the legislative structure of democratic process, as has recently happened in Washington during the Cheney command; where that “structure” is weak or non existent, as is the case in Alberta, they aggressively subvert public and social - activist efforts to develop and implement any legal structure to protect the public and our resources. Their goal, remember, is to divorce you from your government and your resources (a.k.a, money). A critical part of this legal and democratic vacuum is to indoctrinate and effectively paralyze the people who we traditionally view as the keepers of our democratic process; resource management and conservation agencies and elected officials at every level of government, from town to county to state. Very quickly citizens, should they dare venture into the public realm, find themselves isolated, divided, and having to beg for their rights.
The oil and gas industries primary objective is to insert its tentacles into the public purse; The latter, of course, is the “big prize” – it is, as the industry well knows, the biggest pot of money in existence. No one knows better how to convert public wealth into private riches than big oil and big gas.
Having a optimally large public purse is what a democratic government should do; after all, virtually every one of you get most of your services - school buses and teachers, roads and snow plows, policemen and court rooms, or parks and conservation officers - from some version of government. That slurping” sound you hear, however, is your money, and your services, being sucked into the oil and gas industries profit column. As your money gets diverted, campaign donations skyrocket for politicians that make the “right” calls, as in “there is no money for that” public service, law enforcement or educational services quickly become a “luxury” government can’t afford, and conservation of land and water is quickly labeled “red tape”, an impediment to the unrestricted growth of greed. The oil and gas industry then uses your money to sway local officials with simpleton diversions like “donating” new swings for the town campground, a new handicap bus (always gets front page coverage), and new TVs at the local high school. These are services that should and could be paid for by an independent government if it were collecting fair severance earnings. To add salt to the wound, the media then aggrandizes the big oil CEO as a hero for his generous community support! Soon the media succumbs to industry stroking and a constant flow of false propaganda about achieving the energy nirvana of independence and extolling the virtues of “free” enterprise begins. It’s a propaganda stranglehold that ultimately turns many citizens and businesses into zombies. No more ugly example exists than Alberta.
A governor bearing gifts of regulatory breakdown and tax giveaways, now that is a birds nest on the ground to the money and resource gobbling oil and gas industry. And your resources, land, water, and wildlife, along with the legislation you use to protect yourself, are the eggs in the nest. Montana sells itself as “the last best place”, and I fully agree that it is such a place (even if it is not the last such place), but if governor Schweitzer carries on with these dangerous antics, you will loose “the best” and citizens and taxpayers will come up last.
Is he striving for more oil and gas development, more extensive landscape destruction, more fossil fuel consumption, and accelerated global warming? That’s the chain of happenings. Here’s how the rabid oil and gas media advocates in Alberta, the Calgary Herald, reported his hi-jinks; Montanas “tax rate and regulatory environment is better” than Albertas. I can only speculate at what Schweitzer intends to give away, but we’ve been bilked out of at least 50 billion dollars over the last decade or so! Alberta have no Environmental Impact Assessment legislation, no wilderness Act, and precious little wilderness; don’t suppose the two could be related, do you? Coal bed methane wells are defined as “experimental”, a neat new category for which companies do not have to publicly disclose gas production or water consumption, and as icing on the cake, industry and government have decided no royalties - severance taxes - shall be paid on CBM! Legislation forced down the throat of Albertans in spite of elected and public opposition in December of last year has finally eliminated the ability of Albertans to earn legal standing at public hearings into oil and gas industry “projects” unless government labels them as “directly” affected. This is what Schweitzer wants Montana to emulate?
According to Schwetizer, some Montana residents “would welcome new refineries shunned by others”. We know oil and gas refining and processing degrades environmental quality, consumes massive amounts of the worlds most valuable resource – water, spews toxins into water and air by the ton, accelerates the world wide shroud of global warming, sickens people and animals, and corrupts the tax, economic and social structure of a region, but can Governor Schweitzer think this is a good thing? Benefits for a few, expense for many! And big oil and gas will get a break because you already “have a tax holiday”; “our taxes are already lower” he crows!
Is this the man that ran for governor occasionally wearing a green gown, claiming he was environmentally tuned in and there to serve the people? Sorry Governor, this is a package; no matter how you spin this, you cant be one without the other.
Nothing strikes fear into the oil and gas industry, or for that matter into politicians, more than the voice and involvement of the people. Big Gas and Big Oil, along with the timber and coal industries, spend hundreds of millions of dollars trying to kill or manipulate the will and vision of citizens. Democracy, on the other hand, functions only if there is strong and consistent resistance to corporatism and political tyranny of the sort we have seen rise in America over the past decade. The fact is, the stronger citizens resistance, the more powerful your democracy. Only people like you can provide that resistance.
Montanans, with the assistance of people from across North America, provided one of modern histories most remarkable displays of democratic force to defeat the threat when the oil and gas industry made a grab for the fabulous ecosystems of the East Front of the Rocky Mountains. You have honest government when first the people and science define what life giving attributes and landscapes are important to you, and you then use democratic process including the law, to defend what’s important to you, your friends and family and the society you will have to live within. Then, when you have laws that protect society and the ecological integrity of the land firmly entrenched, and only then, might you open the door part ways to a closely regulated oil and gas industry.
I suggest to Montanans that they strip off the emperors clothes. As painful as it might be, take a hard look at the Governors grandiose ideas! There appear to be some unpleasant brown stains hiding under the those robes. You may not like what you see but you’d best know now before you find yourself with a ring in your nose and the oil and gas industry jerking the chain.
Dr. Brian L. Horejsi
Wildlife Scientist
Calgary, Alberta
This letter ran in three regional southern Alberta newspapers (Ft. MacLeod Gazette, Pincher Ck Echo, and the Crowsnest Pass Promoter)
Dear Editor,
The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society and their Alberta representative have finally removed their robes and exposed a truly vacant environmental and conservation philosophy. They did it in an e-mail solicitation of off road “clubs,†wisely released to the public by a concerned citizen, in which they attempt to placate these ecologically destructive users of public lands by “offering” them continued use of the Castle should it be designated a park or wilderness area. Many Albertans and Canadians are aware of the multiple use, just-about-everything-goes policy often promoted by CPAWS, and they are also aware that such a policy is scientifically, ecologically and socially fraudulent. Just as importantly, it is completely out of synchrony with public opinion and the public interest, even in Alberta, to suggest, let alone campaign for, the inclusion of motorized vehicles in a wilderness or wildland setting.
Establishing the fact that the ecological function and social value of wilderness and parks are incompatible with motorized and mechanized invasion was a battle fought and won in the U.S. over 40 years ago. This foundation principle and practice is widely accepted around the world, including most parts of Alberta. For CPAWS to come along with this senseless and irresponsible discussion aimed at accommodating motorized violation of the Castle landscape is truly offensive.
For close to 40 years many Albertans, people like Bill Michalsky and Mike Judd for example, have battled for honest wilderness designation for the Castle. CPAWS subservience to motorized vandalism (and let me remind Albertans that any motorized or industrialized use on lands intended for wilderness, wildland or wildlife refuge use, is vandalism) in a possible Castle land use designation is an insult to these pioneer (and continuing) activists and the many people who have agreed with them and supported them for close to half a century. If CPAWS and its collaborators were to succeed in gutting efforts to recover the Castle they would cheat Albertans and further damage the landscape they claim they want to manage for conservation purposes.
CPAWS has demonstrated a near total lack of understanding of the ecological destruction and social conflicts associated with thrillcraft (ORVs and snowmobiles). We’ve all heard of fundamentalist corporate and conservative propaganda, including distortion of conservation language, but that is no different than CPAWS suggesting that a park, wildland or wilderness meets acceptable public standards when those areas are subjected to thrillcraft use. CPAWS seems to be unaware of the mountain of scientific ecological and behavioural evidence linking motorized activity to the destruction of fish and wildlife habitat effectiveness, to subsequent population declines, and to human conflicts and displacement of legitimate peace and quiet respecting recreating citizens. Apparently they have not read my report on the significance of the Castle area to grizzly bears (and other wildlife) and the existing state of ecological degradation partly reflected by conflict between motorized and industrialized users and grizzly bears.
This prostitution of park, wildland, wilderness and wildlife security standards helps clarify why CPAWS, and collaborators like the Sierra Club, seem to be avoiding promotion of public hearings and appear instead to be working behind closed doors to keep discussions of the potential Castle wilderness out of the public realm. I’ll throw in the phrase “public hearings” not because I know it will cause CPAWS to duck, but because it is the Alberta public who are legally entitled to, and ultimately shall, decide the future of the Castle area and presently entrenched special interests like off road vehicle use, livestock use, and industrial activity.
CPAWS is not entitled to, nor qualified to, speak for the public. Nor are they entitled to or qualified to speak for me. And they, and their Alberta representative, are not qualified to speak to the environmentally-destructive consequences of motorized users of public lands. Further, they have been careful not to advocate the completion of a professional independent environmental impact assessment that would provide evidence of those hazards, analyze that data, and provide a basis for more informed public interpretation and participation. If CPAWS dares to make a “private deal” with traditional land abusers - and the recent e-mail re: the CNP quaders suggests they relish that idea - they violate the public trust and threaten the public interest.
Their capitulation and / or willingness to capitulate to some of the very forces that have destroyed and degraded the majority of public lands, not only in Alberta but in North America, is disgraceful. The damage this does to honest grassroots citizen and environmental activists is crippling, and so too, as a consequence, is the damage done to the ecological integrity of our already piecemeal remnants of public land.
I would suggest that if CPAWS and their representative can’t and won’t work to reclaim and protect the ecological integrity of the proposed Castle Wilderness Area, and can’t protect the ecological, democratic and social wealth that lies within wilderness, and continue to undermine the already shaky environmental movement by eroding established principles and progressive public lands vision, it would be a welcome gift to Albertans for 2008 if they and their rep were to step aside in favour of the many Albertans that have principles and vision.
It is Albertans, and this includes all citizens regardless of place of residence, that are entitled to public process. Public process is based on public hearings that allow all people who wish to participate to collectively establish the vision and set the agenda for the conservation of public lands like the Castle, even if it is done area by area.
That is, after all, what democracy and freedom is and should be.
Brian L. Horejsi
Photos, video, and additional information: http://media.seashepherd.org
ABOARD THE STEVE IRWIN – 15 January 2008 — 0700 GMT – Antarctic Whale Sanctuary
The captain of the Japanese Whaling Vessel Yushin Maru No. 2 is holding two Sea Shepherd crew members from the conservation vessel Steve Irwin hostage.
Australian citizen Benjamin Potts and British citizen Giles Lane have been tied to the radar mast of the harpoon vessel. The Captain of the whaling vessel has refused Captain Paul Watson’s demand for the release of the crew.
The two crew members boarded the whaling vessel with a message to inform them that they were illegally killing whales in the Southern Whale Sanctuary.
Sea Shepherd is demanding that Australia and Great Britain demand an immediate release of these two crew-members.
The letter delivered to the captain of the Japanese whaling vessel stated the following:
To: The Captain of any Japanese ship
Involved with poaching operations in The Australian Antarctic Territorial Economic Exclusion Zone.
Sir,
My name is Giles David Lane
I am a British citizen and an unpaid volunteer on the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society vessel Steve Irwin
I have come onboard your ship because you have refused to acknowledge communication from our ship pertaining to your illegal activities in the waters of the Australian Antarctic Territorial Economic Exclusion Zone.
I am not boarding your ship with the intent to commit a crime, to rob you or to inflict injury upon your crew and yourself or damage to your ship. My reason for boarding is to deliver the message that you are in violation of international conservation law and in violation of the laws of Australia. It is my intent to deliver this message and then to request that you allow me to disembark from your vessel without harm or seizure.
I am empowered to act to uphold these laws in accordance with the United Nations World Charter for Nature and the laws of Australia.
I am boarding you with the request that you please refrain from any further criminal activity in these waters and cease and desist with the continued killing of endangered whales in this designated Whale Sanctuary in violation of the IWC global moratorium on commercial whaling and that you cease and desist in continued violations of Australian law by killing whales within the territorial waters of Australia without permit or permission from the government of Australia.
I am boarding you on the orders of Captain Paul Watson who requests that you treat me with respect and in accordance with the Geneva Convention.
—
UPDATE:
SEA SHEPHERD CREW REMAIN HOSTAGES ON THE JAPANESE WHALING SHIP
ABOARD THE STEVE IRWIN – 16 January 2008 — 0500 GMT
Twenty-four hours later, Sea Shepherd crew members Giles Lane from the U.K. and Benjamin Potts from Australia remain hostages on the Yushin Maru No. 2.
Media Reports that the hostages have been released to the Sea Shepherd ship Steve Irwin are false. Reports that the Steve Irwin will not accept calls from the Japanese vessels or authorities are false. No calls have been received. The Yushin Maru No. 2 has refused to return radio calls from the Steve Irwin.
No one from the Japanese or Australian government has contacted Sea Shepherd to organize the transfer of the hostages from the Japanese whaler back to the Steve Irwin. The Institute for Cetacean Research, the front group for the illegal Japanese whaling operations did send a letter with demands to be met prior to a release. Sea Shepherd is not interested in any demands based on the holding of hostages.
“Using hostages to make demands is the hallmark of terrorism and Sea Shepherd has no interest in negotiating with terrorist groups,” said Captain Paul Watson. “The hostages must be released unconditionally.â€
Sea Shepherd is releasing the letter it received from ICR to the media. Click for letter.