Japanese whaling: Should the Australian navy board Japanese whaling ships, take them and deport their crews?

Question

or Should Australian Navy attack japanese whaling ships after a stern warning given to turn their ships back to japan from Antarctic waters?

Answer 1

i think whaling is barbaric! they should do both, or OR throw them over board, and use the harpoon on them instead? just a suggestion, the japanese wud soon get the message i guess

Answer 2

No, that would be piracy and an act of war. Whaling may be dissagreeable, but it is not a crime.

In fact the Australian Navy should be chasing away the Greenpeace pirates and others that are attacking the whaling ships.

I know people do not agree with what Japan is doing, but attacking ships is outright wrong. If those ships try to chase away the whales from the whaling ships, thats fine, but when they activly try to disable the whaling ships leaving them stranded in Antartic Waters, that is a crime.

Answer 3

Last week I received an E-mail from GreenPeace asking for information regarding the whaling. GreenPeace is following the Japanese and their ship has difficulty in those choppy huge waves. I was told that the plan for GP is to go between the whales and the grenade tipped harpoons. They are risking their lives.

I am disgusted that Japan would go take these measures when there is an abundance of food for the, and the people are use to not eating whale meat.

Answer 4

First, it is correct that these waters are claimed by australia for the sole purpose of prosecuting australian citizens. Internationally the waters don't belong to australia and they have no right of enforcement there.

Now, to correct something that has been said repeatedly here: A naval vessel sinking or boarding a flag bearing vessel of another nation in international waters is NOT an act of piracy. Piracy constitutes actions taken by independent bands (such as the raiders that greenpeace expelled some years back).

When a national military ship fires on or boards other nations' vessels in international water it extends into the realm of an act of war. Japan would have every right to make complaint to the UN and seek sanctions against Australia, as well as to unilaterally attack australia and her ships in return.

Answer 5

The Aust. navy can't do anything except monitor the whalers, because the waters down there are not really Australian waters. Australia has claimed the waters so that we can prosecute any AUSTRALIAN person who harms a whale there, but they are not recognised internationally as waters belonging to Australia.
Australia can't prosecute anyone from another country for doing anything there.

Answer 6

Boarding a foreign ship in international waters is an act of piracy, as would attacking the ship in any way. According to Maritime Law, the hypothetical Australian government that authorized that would soon find all of its naval and merchant marine vessels siezed in port wherever they go.

Answer 7

No. Australian navy ships need to mind their own business. It is interference in another nations affairs that starts wars.

One nation needs to respect the sovereignty of another. One nation cannot tell another nation how to live, what animals they can hunt, what customs they need to adopt, or how to worship.

It's called FREEDOM.

Answer 8

by what authority would they be doing any of your suggestions? as far as i know it's not Australian waters, so they have no jurisdiction over it, unless through a treaty and the hunting is illegal.

Answer 9

Australia must apprehend Japanese ships that encroach to their marine territory because of whaling.

Answer 10

Yes whether they are in Australian waters or Antarctica which is supposed to be a wildlife sanctuary if they want to hunt whales well they should do it in Japanese waters if there is any left.