HOST: Each May, humpback and southern right whales in the Southern Hemisphere migrate north to warmer sub-tropical waters to breed, and then return in November with their offspring to the Southern or Antarctic Ocean. During these months Australians and visitors from around the world enjoy whale-watching on Australia’s coast as families of the gentle giants swim by.

Welcome, brave viewers, to Animal World: Our Co-Inhabitants. Today we’ll visit the Steve Irwin, flagship of Australia’s Sea Shepherd Conservation Society to speak to crew members about their mission to protect the noble whales. The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society is a non-profit environmental group founded in １９７７ by vegan Captain Paul Watson of Canada to safeguard whales and other marine life.

In keeping with the Society’s desire to preserve all life on Earth, only vegan meals are served on its vessels.  
Paul (m): We will lose more species of plants and animals between １９８０ and ２０４５ than we have lost in the last ６５ million years. That rate of extinction is unprecedented and we, as one species, are responsible for that.

The oceans are dying in our time. And if the navies of the world had any sense of responsibility, they’d be protecting the oceans. The problem is that we have all of the rules, the regulations and treaties we need to protect the world’s oceans and the marine wildlife in them, but we don’t have any enforcement.
HOST: For many years the Society has gone to the Antarctic to defend whales from whaling fleets. Captain Alex Cornelissen of the Steve Irwin describes his experiences in the polar region.

Alex Cornelissen(m): We see a lot of beautiful things because we go to Antarctica. There are icebergs, penguins, whales and orcas. It’s all fantastic; we see a lot of beautiful things.
We also see a lot of bad things. We see the destruction that takes place in the oceans, we see illegal longlines, and we see the whalers.

So it’s a very difficult job at times and it’s also a very pleasant job because you get to go to places where nobody goes. But in reality, the oceans are dying, and we need to step up the measures to protect the oceans and we are not doing enough presently. Yes, we really need to improve conservation of the planet in order to save it.

HOST: Over the last three years the Sea Shepherd’s Antarctic Whale Defense Campaign has saved １,３０５ whales.

In appreciation of the Australian people’s continued support of their work, the Society is calling its sixth Antarctic Whale Defense Campaign, which begins on December ７, ２００９, 『Operation Waltzing Matilda』 after Australia’s unofficial national anthem. During the Campaign whales will be safeguarded from whaling ships that operate illegally in the Antarctic Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary.


For more details on the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society please visit:
www.SeaShepherd.org