A few days ago, the Esperanza - which had been pursuing the Japanese whaling fleet for two weeks - was forced to quit the chase and head back to port as the ship is running low on fuel. But this year's Southern Ocean expedition has been a resounding success.
To start with, based on the quotas set for the whaling fleet, we estimate that over 100 whales have been saved from the harpoon this year. The Japanese government announced that no whaling would take place while the fleet was being watched so the presence of the Esperanza has prevented them from hunting. We'd like nothing more than to keep going until the end of the whaling season but, unlike the whaling fleet, we're not able to refuel in the middle of the ocean. Iréne aboard the Esperanza has written an illuminating piece about the refuelling issue and why, for us, it isn't an option.
Iréne also points out that the campaign to end whaling won't be won in the Southern Ocean, but on the streets of Japan. This year, we've seen a big shift and an issue that hasn't previously been talked about is making its way into the mainstream press. Various articles and letters have been published questioning Japan's involvement in whaling, and last week the prime minister was obliged to talk about the issue in parliament.
To demonstrate how the subject just hasn't been discussed in Japan up until now, in 2006 a survey was conducted by the Nippon Research Centre which found that 90 per cent of the Japanese public didn't realise their government hunted whales in the Southern Ocean sanctuary. When they found out, 69 per cent disagreed with it, so public opinion is behind us; the problem is getting whaling onto the political agenda.
And even though the Esperanza is leaving the whaling grounds, the campaign continues. Canon is a Japanese company which makes a great deal of how its photographic equipment is used to capture amazing wildlife images, and is also a major sponsor of conservation and environmental projects. We want the company to say that it opposes the lethal research that the Japanese government conducts - so far they've resisted but you can tell Canon's CEO why he should take a stand.