Japan Seeks To Block Sea Shepherd Protection For Palau Shark Sanctuary

by Michael dEstries April 16, 2011
Categories: Animals.

Looks like Japan is about to spend even more cash to stymie conservation efforts by Sea Shepherd.

In a bizarre move that reeks of spite from this year’s earlier failed whale hunt, Japanese officials have proposed a counteroffer to a Sea Shepherd plan to help patrol the Palau marine area; designated as the world’s first shark sanctuary. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Pacific nation and the conservation org last month – with the condition that the SSCS would help curb illegal shark fishing in the sanctuary on their own dime.

The exclusion zone covers 240,000 square miles of the northern Pacific.

According to the AFP, the Palau government is said to now be reconsidering Sea Shepherd’s offer after a high-level Japanese delegation weighed in on the decision – calling the group “terrorists”. The official said the Japanese are willing to send their own patrol boat to help enforce the zone.

As Japan is a major trading partner for Palau, I think we know where this one is headed. But considering their role in catching annually some 25,000 tonnes of sharks (9th worldwide), it’s laughable that they’ll be more effective at enforcing the sanctuary than Sea Shepherd. For the conservation org, this is serious – but for Japan, it’s just politics fueled by scorn.

photo credit: Palau President Toribiong, Captain Watson, and Steve Roest at the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding.

Categories: Animals.

About Michael dEstries

Michael has been blogging since 2005 on issues such as sustainability, renewable energy, philanthropy, and healthy living. He regularly contributes to a slew of publications, as well as consulting with companies looking to make an impact using the web and social media. He lives in Ithaca, NY with his family on an apple farm.

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crumpets are yummy

Japan copped a black eye in the Antarctic whale sanctuary this year from Paul Watson and Sea Shepherd. So this definitely smacks of revenge and desperation on the part of japan who have shown they will stop at nothing when it comes to securing future profits from the sea. Its a shame that despite their country needing all the help it can get following the earthquake/ tsunami/ nuclear disaster at Fukushima, that Japan would be interested in pursuing & hassling further conservation efforts by Sea Shepherd to protect the worlds oceans from the environmental vandalism that is occurring right now from the giant fishing fleets of Japan and other countries who seek to rape and pillage. No doubt there will be plenty of offers of “aid” from Japan towards Palau to dis-honor the agreement they have signed with Sea shepherd to protect and patrol their territorial waters.
boo radley

President Johnson Toribiong did not identify who was in the Japanese delegation but said they were of “ministerial level” and they described the conservation group as “terrorists”.

So it seems as though Japan have sent the usual conformist cage rattlers and witch burners to the fray, all bowing low on the tatami mat and genuflecting for the party.

President Johnson Toribiong said the Japanese had offered to send their own patrol vessel, adding: “I am weighing things now. I want to make sure I get potential diplomatic issues resolved.”

Perhaps this simply means “we are looking to see how much money we can get from Japan before making any final decision”.

If Japan is to patrol the area, it will do so, first and foremost, to serve its own interest.

Japan buys a lot of Tuna from Palau and it is also a former Japanese colony.
georgina

HA! Japan dipping its hands into a shark sanctuary. We all know what goes on with the whale sanctuary so i hope Sea Shepherd keeps the pressure on the Palau government.

boo radley

Yes indeed, having lost their southern ocean whale business, Japans fishing interests certainly don’t want to lose their precious north pacific shark fin business!

boo radley

WELCOME to Palau Shark Sanctuary

• Palau Shark Sanctuary was founded in 2001 in an effort to end the annihilation of Palau’s sharks as a result of rampant shark-finning at the hands of foreign long-line fishing vessels licensed by Palau to fish in their waters. Palau Shark Sanctuary seeks a declaration by Palau establishing the waters of Palau’s Exclusive Economic Zone as a sanctuary for all sharks.

•”Shark-finning” is the process of catching sharks, cutting off their fins and throwing the rest of the fish, still alive, back into the ocean to die. Sharks drown because they cannot swim without fins. The fins are prized throughout Asia for use in sharks fin soup and supposed medicines.

• Then Palau President Mr. Tommy E. Remengesau Jr., became a key supporter of the efforts of Palau Shark Sanctuary and in May 2003 he publicly set fire to shark fins found aboard a foreign vessel caught fishing illegally in Palau waters; in September 2003 he signed in to law some of the toughest anti-shark-finning legislation in the world.

In 2004, President Remengesau received an award from Sharkproject naming Palau as Shark Guardian of the Year.

• Through education and awareness programmes, lobbying and active public relations Palau Shark Sanctuary supports international efforts to end shark-finning.

For the latest information on Palau Shark Sanctuary click here for our Blog: http://sharksanctuary.blogspot.com

http://www.sharksanctuary.com/
http://www.facebook.com/people/Hart-Noecker/100001623066825 Hart Noecker

Japan is dumping millions of gallons of radioactive water into the ocean and they think they know a damn think about protecting marine wildlife? How utterly, miserably pathetic of Japan. Get your nuclear crisis under control and leave the sea shepherding to the pros.
ben gilbert

I swear to you this japan should just sit back and lick it wounds right now and tread as light as possible when it comes to messing about in the outside world. the best part of palau is the sharks if they start to become hunted then they will start to fear and or attack divers. as all who has been there knows tourist dont come for the beatlenut. ali to all my friends there in palau. ben gilbert cat 130-01