Opinion
Faroe Islands Whaling & How Sea Shepherd Got It Wrong
Sustainability can be complex
I am known as an animal lover and am regularly outspoken about the treatment of animals in commercial farming, trophy hunting, and just plain cruelty. I am also outspoken about the more insidious evils perpetrated against nature in the form of large scale commercial fishing, deforestation, and pollution from extraction industries. The list of crimes against nature fills volumes and deadens the soul. Thus it comes as a surprise to me that I should feel a need to write a dissenting opinion about the killing of whales. The opinions here are my own and come at the personal expense of time spent in research and introspection; I hope that you will read this with an open mind.
I have been following Sea Shepherd for about two years and am acquainted with its history of direct action and relationship with Greenpeace. I applaud their work where they have exposed or halted organizations that break international law or take immoral advantage where no law exists. I cite specifically their work on Operation Icefish where the MV Bob Barker and MV Sam Simon stopped the poacher vessel Thunder in an epic chase and cleaned up miles of abandoned gillnets. This is just one of the many ways Sea Shepherd is being effective in raising awareness and implementing…
