Whale Wars

Summary:
After Peter Bethune was arrested at sea and taken to Tokyo in handcuffs, people see him as a controversial hero in the environmental movement. Peter was arrested for trying to stop Japan's annual whale cull. He is on trial for boarding a whaling ship and attacking a crew member and now faces a possible fifteen years in jail. Japanese nationalists now call him an eco-terrorist. Peter is accused of throwing a certain type of acid and injuring a member of the crew of the Shonan Maru No 2. Peter says this is a lie. Australia and New Zealand are now close to taking Japan to the International Court in The Hague.

Opinion:
I think that the whaling of Japan is somewhat like a double-edged sword. Since most people know it is ecologically a bad thing to do. But who are we to say what a country may or may not do. The rather aggressive means of behaviour of known anti-whaling groups might be occasionally effective, but do not justify the means in my eyes. Even though I feel that Japan should stop commercial whaling, even though they say they don’t, I think that groups like the Sea Shepherd are morally on the same level as the Japanese are. The crews of those boats are just doing their jobs to support their families and know no better.

Article:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/case-against-me-is-all-lies-says-whaling-activist-on-trial-in-japan-1991022.html