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Anti-whaling activist says Sea Shepherd sank its own ship
AFP ^ | Oct 7, 2010

Posted on 10/07/2010 9:23:46 AM PDT by george76

A former Sea Shepherd activist on Thursday accused the militant conservation group of deliberately sinking one of its own ships as a publicity stunt after a collision with a Japanese whaler.

New Zealander Pete Bethune labelled Sea Shepherd's leadership "morally bankrupt" for allegedly ordering the hi-tech trimaran "Ady Gil" to be scuttled after it collided with a Japanese whaler last January in the Southern Ocean.

Bethune, the Ady Gil's captain, said Sea Shepherd founder Paul Watson ordered the ship's sinking to "garner sympathy with the public and to create better TV" in the publicity battle against Japan's Antarctic whaling program.

"It was definitely salvageable, it was still rock solid from the engine room back," he told Radio New Zealand.

Bethune, who spent five months in custody in Japan earlier this year after illegally boarding the same whaler "Shonan Maru II" a month after the high-seas collision, said he had cut all ties with Sea Shepherd.

"I think an organisation that relies on public money and public generosity to survive has an obligation to be honest," he said.

(Excerpt) Read more at nz.news.yahoo.com ...


TOPICS: Australia/New Zealand; Crime/Corruption; Extended News; Japan; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: adygil; ecoterrorism; ecoterrorist; ecoterrorists; greenieweenies; greenpeace; paulwatson; pirates; pravdamedia; seashepherd; terrorist; watson; whalers; whalewars; whaling
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To: george76

I simply don’t understand why whale ships aren’t armed and defending themselves from these idiots. Its happening in international waters, and isn’t much different than whats happening off the coast of Somalia.

That said, a friend of mine told me he watches the cable show about these idiots. I was stunned, and asked ‘Why?!’

He said each episode ends in failure, the whaling ships continue, the idiots get injured, sometimes their boats sink, and they are always frustrated.

Good point....(laughing)


21 posted on 10/07/2010 9:40:24 AM PDT by Badeye (I can see NOVEMBER from My HOUSE.)
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To: george76

It’s an old trick in the revolutionary’s playbook.


22 posted on 10/07/2010 9:42:36 AM PDT by egannacht (Inalienable rights granted by...)
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To: a fool in paradise
Has anyone pitched them a program about pro-life activists protesting abortionists?

That would be interesting:

Scene I

Pro-Life Activist: "Our Father, Who art in Heaven ..."

Abortionist: "%^#@#^*() *&^%$- ())&*$%#% )(*()& $#$%#%$ !!!!!!!!"

Scene II:

[Obviously pregnant woman approaches]

Pro-Life Activist: "Ma'am, would you like to have some information about your baby?"

Abortionist: "%^#@#^*() *&^%$- ())&*$%#% )(*()& $#$%#%$ !!!!!!!!"

23 posted on 10/07/2010 9:42:55 AM PDT by ArrogantBustard (Western Civilization is Aborting, Buggering, and Contracepting itself out of existence.)
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To: Badeye; Revolting cat!; The Comedian
That said, a friend of mine told me he watches the cable show about these idiots. I was stunned, and asked ‘Why?!’ He said each episode ends in failure, the whaling ships continue, the idiots get injured, sometimes their boats sink, and they are always frustrated.

Sounds like the plot of every Gilligan's Island.


24 posted on 10/07/2010 9:45:01 AM PDT by a fool in paradise (Ask yourself,where does Saudi Arabia fit on a scale of "passive" to "moderate" to "extremist" Islam?)
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To: OCCASparky
I agree 100%. ...they are comical and sad.

Paul Watson will get someone killed.

The Steve Irwin is not double-hulled and should not even be in the Antartic.

'The Price Is Right' Bob Barker donated/bought the Sea Sheppard's a double-hull to give them a 2nd ship.

Japan should deal with them as Pirates, no different from the Somali pirates of Africa.

25 posted on 10/07/2010 9:45:27 AM PDT by TexasCajun
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To: TexasCajun
no different from the Somali pirates of Africa.

One worships Mohammed, the other Gaia.

26 posted on 10/07/2010 9:46:34 AM PDT by a fool in paradise (Ask yourself,where does Saudi Arabia fit on a scale of "passive" to "moderate" to "extremist" Islam?)
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To: george76
New Zealander Pete Bethune labeled Sea Shepherd's leadership "morally bankrupt" for allegedly ordering the hi-tech trimaran "Ady Gil" to be scuttled after it collided with a Japanese whaler last January in the Southern Ocean.

Imagine my surprise.

Bethune, obviously, has found he is no longer of use to Paul Watson, and has received the standard treatment Marxists give to useful idiots, so he drops a dime on Watson. I'll bet he wasn't smart enough to record the order, Japan would have rewarded him and Watson would be in a Japanese jail.

27 posted on 10/07/2010 9:46:46 AM PDT by Navy Patriot (Sarah and the Conservatives will rock your world.)
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To: george76

Aren’t they using this fraud to raise funds in the USA? So, isn’t fraud a felony?


28 posted on 10/07/2010 9:47:18 AM PDT by Seruzawa (If you agree with the French raise your hand - If you are French raise both hands.)
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To: george76
"It was definitely salvageable, it was still rock solid from the engine room back," he told Radio New Zealand.

I've seen the video of the Japanese ship running into the Ady Gil. Even the Japanese video clearly shows them hitting the ship. I also don't doubt that Bethune made the statement above. However, the incident was over a 1000 miles from the nearest ship that could tow the boat to port. I think it is doubtful that the Sea Sheppard could have affected a successful tow to any port, so the decision was made to scuttle the Ady Gil, partly because it could pose a navigation hazard until it did sink.

Bethune built the ship with his own money and you could tell by the video taken at the time how upset he was. However, this article appears to want you to think that the sinking was purely motivated by seeking sympathy for their cause. I really doubt that. There was simply no way to tow the ship for repairs and they couldn't let it wallow about until Nature sent her to the bottom. I'm uncertain as to why Bethune is making a stink now, months after the incident occurred.

29 posted on 10/07/2010 9:49:08 AM PDT by econjack (Some people are as dumb as soup.)
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To: a fool in paradise
Have you seen the video of the Ady Gil getting run over, losing its bow, on YouTube?

Pete is lucky he didn't get himself and his crew killed.

30 posted on 10/07/2010 9:50:15 AM PDT by TexasCajun
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To: george76
"I think an organisation that relies on public money and public generosity to survive has an obligation to be honest" he said.

I see a faint flicker of enlightenment in that statement. Imagine his surprise when he learns about the damage Rachel Carson has caused.

31 posted on 10/07/2010 9:52:14 AM PDT by Tex-Con-Man
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To: a fool in paradise

It does.

And a fact related to the three year run of Gilligans Island.

It won its time slot all three years. And then was cancelled.


32 posted on 10/07/2010 9:54:58 AM PDT by Badeye (I can see NOVEMBER from My HOUSE.)
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To: george76
"Bethune, the Ady Gil's captain, said Sea Shepherd founder Paul Watson ordered the ship's sinking to "garner sympathy with the public and to create better TV" in the publicity battle against Japan's Antarctic whaling program"

Right. So Watson 'Svengali'd' the Ady's Captian to sink his own ship, for "better TV", then never aired the footage.....Right. I'm certain Bethune has remorse for his involvement, this sounds like a load of sour grapes.

33 posted on 10/07/2010 10:00:04 AM PDT by moehoward
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To: econjack
I'm uncertain as to why Bethune is making a stink now, months after the incident occurred.

Read it again. He was in a Japanese jail for the last 5 months.
34 posted on 10/07/2010 10:11:06 AM PDT by TalonDJ
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To: KarlInOhio
Here's the long, long version:

Pete Bethune Blasts Sea Shepherd In Online Letter Of Resignation (Ady Gil not sunk by Japanese)"

and here's the nasty emails between Bethune and Watson:

Sea Shepherd Emails That Started Online ‘War Of Words’ Released

Since it's information that's already posted I don't think I"ll ping everyone.

35 posted on 10/07/2010 10:13:55 AM PDT by Pan_Yan
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To: george76

Yeah... I wondered how damage to one of the trimeran’s three hulls could have sunk it...


36 posted on 10/07/2010 10:14:12 AM PDT by pabianice
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To: a fool in paradise
Sounds like the plot of every Gilligan's Island.

GI had better looking females...

37 posted on 10/07/2010 10:36:30 AM PDT by Last Dakotan
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To: Badeye
He said each episode ends in failure, the whaling ships continue, the idiots get injured, sometimes their boats sink, and they are always frustrated

I saw the trailers for this show and thought, "No way I'd watch this crap."

However, you do make a convincing argument in favor of checking it out. :-)

38 posted on 10/07/2010 11:09:13 AM PDT by wbill
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To: GeronL

I’ve watched several seasons of the show now. I’m not a fan of the Sea Shepard’s, and in fact do find them pretty inept most of the time.

However - I think there are few points that are indisputable concerning the sinking of the Andy Gil.

1) The entire crew of the Andy Gil was on the back portion of the ship when the collision occurred because they were out of gas. They were un-powered, so couldn’t move.

2) The Andy Gil was rammed by the Japanese vessel which was powered, i.e. could navigate and turn out of the way if the Japanese Captain had wanted too.

3) The Japanese vessel had been previously attacked by the Andy Gil with a Spud gun.

Conclusions I draw from this are that the Japanese vessel intentionally ran over them to destroy the ship. It was an opportunity to get revenge - and the Japanese did.

Now - the “intentional” sinking of the vessel has to be put into proper context. It was a floating hulk. You COULD call it a hazard to navigation possibly. It literally was cut in two by the collision.

Further - the guy making this statement is a wild-eyed fanatic (just like the rest of the Sea Shepard bunch..) with an axe to grind because his 2 million dollar baby got wiped out.

I don’t like the Sea Shepard operation - but then I don’t like the Japanese whaling either. This time - the Japanese are the blame. (Can’t say that often!)


39 posted on 10/07/2010 11:19:20 AM PDT by fremont_steve
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To: george76

Some of the stunts they have pulled they are very lucky tht some ship hasn’t opened fire on them as pirates.


40 posted on 10/07/2010 11:29:33 AM PDT by chris_bdba
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