Indonesia refuses repairs for Japanese whaling ship

Barrett808

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Fri Jan-16-09 09:26 PM
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Indonesia refuses repairs for Japanese whaling ship

Edited on Fri Jan-16-09 09:30 PM by Barrett808

Source: ABC News

Indonesia refuse repairs for Japanese whaling ship
By Indonesia correspondent Geoff Thompson

Authorities in Indonesia have complied with requests from Australian conservation groups to stop a Japanese whaling ship from being repaired in a Surabaya port.

The damaged Japanese whaling ship the Yushin Maru 2 has avoided attempting to dock in Australian ports because its crew fears prosecution under an Australian Federal Court order, says the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society.

The Yushin Maru 2 has been seeking to be repaired in East Java at Surabaya's state-owned shipyard.

But following requests from anti-whaling organisations in Australia, port authorities in Surabaya have refused to allow the Yushin Maru 2 to be repaired there.

Indonesia's foreign affairs spokesman Teuku Faizasyah says the Australian Government made no formal request to deny port access to the Japanese whaling ship.

Japan Mum on Rejection of Whaling Ship

Indonesia did not receive any formal objections from Japan after the government rejected a Japanese whaling vessel�s request to dock for repairs at a shipyard in Surabaya, East Java Province, the Foreign Ministry said on Friday.

�I can�t comment on the details, but our position on the conservation of endangered species, including whales, is clear,� said Teuku Faizasyah, a spokesman for the Foreign Ministry.

The Yushin Maru 2, a registered Japanese harpoon whaling ship, was forced to leave Indonesian waters this week after failing to get approval from Indonesian authorities to dock at the state-owned PT PAL shipyard to repair a damaged propeller.

The Japanese Consulate General in Surabaya had guaranteed the vessel would not illegally fish in Indonesian waters.

Sumarto Suharno, head of the East Java Natural Resources Conservation Office, or KSDA, asked that the vessel be ordered to leave because the ship was used to hunt an endangered species.

(more)

http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/national/article/6538.html

Indonesia Sends Whalers Packing
by Jeff (Quartermaster, Steve Irwin)
Australian Director

Today, the Indonesian forestry authorities, CITES authorities, and the local government officials have demanded PT PAL dismiss the Yushin Maru No. 2 from Surabaya harbor without repair.

The harpoon vessel Yushin Maru No.2 had to leave the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary to repair a damaged propeller it sustained while illegally whaling within Australian territorial waters in late December 2008.

The ship has been sitting in port in Surabaya waiting for repairs since the 5th January 2009.

Under the EPBC Act, Australian law prohibits foreign whaling vessels entering Australian ports or an external Territory if the Master of the vessel does not have permission from the Australian Environment Minister. This is detailed in Section 236 of the Australian Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.

Under this Act a foreign whaling vessel means a vessel, other than an Australian vessel, designed, equipped or used for killing, taking, treating or carrying cetaceans; or supporting the operations of a vessel or vessels designed, equipped or used for killing, taking, treating or carrying cetaceans.

The Indonesian authorities took great diligence in researching Australia's stand on these vessels and acted accordingly. They've supported Australia's notion that whales are highly intelligent creatures that play a vital role in sustaining healthy marine ecosystems.

The question has to be asked:

If a foreign country to Australia will enforce Australian law and kick these illegal poachers out of their ports, why is it that the Rudd government refuses to enforce the Australian Federal Court Ruling?

(more)

http://www.seashepherd.org/operation-musashi/blog-090116-1.html