by: Austin Welch source: Yahoo News
Godzilla to Japanese whalers: “Fuck you!”
Well, it seems that animal rights groups have a new ally in the fight against controversial Japanese whaling: Gojira. No, not the prehistoric beast that has starred in any number of Japanese filmed productions, but the 115-foot, high-tech, anti-whaling boat, launched by über hippies Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. The high-speed interceptor, whose name is Japanese for Godzilla, is part of a three-boat team that aims to put a dent in the killing of minke and fin whales by Japanese seamen.
Yahoo says that the whales are not an endangered species, and while whaling on the high seas is banned by the International Whaling Commission, those wacky Japanese get away with it by claiming the whale hunts are scientific outings, a loophole in international law – this, despite the fact that the vast majority of the whale meat is sold commercially.
But that’s never stopped a bunch of hippie crusaders from going toe-to-toe with the whalers, sometimes culminating in violent clashes, and occasionally, boat collisions. International pressure to reduce whaling mounts, but perhaps Godjira will strike the decisive blows in this war of wills.
