AFP search second anti-whaling boat By Kym Agius From: AAP, AAP March 06, 2010 4:03PM Conservation Society / Glenn Lockitch Source: AFP Bob Barker ships searched Greens' Senator Bob Brown vents outrage Logs, charts, photos seized, says group THE Australian Federal Police (AFP) have boarded a second boat owned by the anti-whaling group the Sea Shepherd, following an official request for a search warrant from Japan. The Bob Barker joined its sister ship, the Steve Irwin, at Princes Wharf about 2.30pm (AEDT) today, with both boats ending their summer campaign chasing and clashing with the Japanese whaling fleet in the Southern Ocean. Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown said federal police are executing the warrant at the request of Japanese authorities in Tokyo. "This is outrageous that Australian police are at the disposal of the Japanese whale killers," Senator Brown said. Senator Brown said the search warrant used to raid the vessel alleges breaches of Australian law, not Japanese law. "The search warrant invokes a lot of potential claims of infringement, obscure or otherwise, under Australian law. "The spineless Rudd government has laid charges, including throwing of rancid butter." An AFP spokesman today confirmed the search. "As a result of a formal referral from Japanese authorities the AFP can confirm it conducted a search warrant on board the Steve Irwin," the spokesman said. Sea Shepherd boss Paul Watson said there is a possibility the raids could lead to a court case. "They've already seized log books, videos, photographs, charts, GPS recordings and copies of the computer hard drives," Capt Watson said. "There's nothing I would love better than to have this whole thing blow up in an Australian court, let's clean all the laundry once and for all. "I just wish they stopped harassing us and get on with it." Capt Watson criticised the federal government for not investigating a clash between its vessel, the Ady Gil, and a Japanese whaling boat in January, that led to Ady Gil being damaged and abandoned at sea. "The Japanese deliberately rammed and destroyed one of our ships and almost killed six of our people, but nobody's questioning them - so it seems to be very one sided." The AFP searched and seized evidence from the Steve Irwin in 2009, but it didn't lead to any charges. I might go down to the warf and give them some support as I'm not far away.
Hey Cobber - you know we are not allowed to upset the japanese, so the pollie's tell us, as they are a major trading partner. They tell us what to do and we jump to it. I say stuff that.
Standing up to the Japanese will be about as successful as it would be for us to challenge the European Community. Now they hold the cards in economic terms they can be imperialists again! But if you want to try, Good Luck!
I do not think we jump when the Japanese say so, they are our best trading partner, but not our masters. Crikey we before drought destroyed our rice industry & production down here exported rice to the Japanese. I also reckon that if the whaling fleet docked in Ozie waters they might of got checked out as well. Our Govt are fighting and have been fighting the japanese whalers and also having heavy discussions on numerous items, for a long time, we all want things to 'change today' but we all know in reality we have to wait and when Govts are involved that wait could be a long time.
Just playing the Devil's Advocate here for a moment, if nothing of consequence is found it blows up in the faces of the Japanese. The government is playing both sides against the middle and really do not have the expertise to deal with the Japanese. They have been able to avoid apologising for their WW2 atrocities for 65 years so this whaling issue to them is like shooting chooks off the fence. Politics and export markets rule - Simple as that. This will go on and on and on with huffing and puffing for years.
