<a href="http://flickr.com/photos/deadlyphoto/" target="_blank" title="2189094359_0c7e061660.jpg"><img src="http://strangeattractor.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/2189094359_0c7e061660.jpg" alt="2189094359_0c7e061660.jpg" align="top" border="0" height="292" vspace="8" width="439" /></a>
<pre><strong>[Nisshin Maru, on the run from the Greenpeace ship Esperanza. Dave Walsh]</strong></pre>
<strong>High drama on the high seas as Greenpeace's Esperanza and Sea Shepherd's Steve Irwin close in on the 'cetacean Death Star'.</strong>

<em>'We are obsessed with stopping the cetacean Death Star, that vicious, cruel killing machine otherwise known as the Nisshin Maru, and her fleet of boats armed with explosive harpoons. We know that if we kill the whales, the sharks, the seals and the sea turtles, we will destroy the very foundation of life in the oceans," [Paul Watson] says. </em>

<em>'The Japanese whalers are a disgrace to civilised society and the government of Japan should be ashamed of its subsidies and support for these bloody-minded cetacean serial killers. The Japanese are targeting endangered whales in a whale sanctuary in blatant violation of a global moratorium.'</em>

Full story over at <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/jan/17/whaling.japan" target="_blank">the Guardian</a>

<strong>Plus this comment from Greenpeace's Dave Walsh:</strong>

<em>'I'm sure some of you have already seen reports in the media about a bizarre standoff in the Southern Ocean between whalers and activists.  Two guys boarded a harpoon boat two days ago, and are being held prisoner.</em>

<em>Neither Greenpeace or the Esperanza are connected to this situation - it involves an organisation called Sea Shepherd, which Greenpeace doesn't work with, over fundamental differences in tactics. Greenpeace, as you may know, while a risk-taking, confrontational organisation, bases its tactics on the principles of non-violent direction and action, and bearing witness. '</em>

<strong>Elsewhere, in the Pacific, very bad news for cetaceans:</strong>

<em>President Bush on Wednesday moved to exempt Navy sonar training missions off Southern California from complying with key environmental laws, an effort designed to free the military from court-ordered restrictions aimed at protecting whales and dolphins.</em>

<a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/science/environment/la-me-sonar17jan17,1,2954015.story?coll=la-news-environment&amp;ctrack=1&amp;cset=true" target="_blank">Bush sides with Navy in sonar Battle</a>