A GREENPEACE activist was thrown overboard when a Japanese whale harpoon was launched across an inflatable boat in the Antarctic seas yesterday.Real shame it is, I tell you.
The incident has forced Greenpeace to rethink their human shield style protest against Japanese scientific whaling in the Southern Ocean. The Japanese says Greenpeace is taking the risks for the sake of public relations.
The Japanese speak truth.
A harpoon from Japanese whaling vessel Yushin Maru No.2 was fired directly over the Zodiac inflatable boat, which was shadowing a minke whale in Antarctic seas. Greenpeace chief executive Steve Shallhorn said the harpoon had flown within a metre of the inflatable. "Greenpeace had been doing what it has been doing for three weeks – putting out inflatables between whales and harpoons," he said.
Speechless, I am.
"The harpoon impacted on the whale but the towing rope got caught on our boat. And as the whale began to sink it put our boat in jeopardy. The rope got taut and threw one of our people into the ocean." Canadian activist Texas Joe Constantine, the second mate on the Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise, struggled in the water for a short time before getting back into the boat.
| Wait a minute! How does a "Canadian activist" get to be named "Texas Joe"? Maybe "Manitoba Joe", or even "Yellow Knife Joe," but unless he's from down Amarillo way or points south, "Texas Joe" should be out. |
Salt to taste.