Whaling

The Tokyo Two need your help to get a fair trial

Posted by jossc — 21 October 2009 at 1:57pm - Comments
Boxes like these, each containing over 20kg of whale meat, were taken illegally by members of the whaling fleet's crew

As regular readers will know, Junichi Sato and Toru Suzuki, better known as the Tokyo Two, are on trial for intercepting a box of whale meat as part of an investigation into an embezzlement ring within Japan's taxpayer-funded 'research' whaling programme.

The Japanese government subsidises the loss-making whaling programme to the tune of US$5 million a year, making the embezzlement of whale meat exposed by Junichi and Toru a significant crime. But instead of the criminals behind the embezzlement facing justice, it's the Toyko Two who find themselves in the dock.

Article tagged as: japan, oceans, tokyo two, whaling

26 Governments protest at Iceland's continued whale hunt

Posted by Willie — 2 October 2009 at 4:53pm - Comments

Today 26 governments made an official protest (called a 'demarche') to the Icelandic government, caliing on them to reassess their current whaling operations, and end commercial whaling.

Article tagged as: fin whale, iceland, japan, whale watching, whaling

Japanese criminal justice system is like a bottle of rancid milk

Posted by jossc — 24 July 2009 at 3:03pm - Comments

Whaling activist Junuchi Sato of the Tokyo Two descibes his experiences at the hands of the Japanese criminal justice system...

While Japan's criminal justice system may look OK from a distance, once you get close enough to smell and taste it for yourself, it becomes repulsively clear just how curdled and rotten it is.

Article tagged as: japan, tokyo two, whaling

IWC 2009 - whale conservation bloc not playing its hand

Posted by jossc — 24 June 2009 at 2:02pm - Comments

Sara Holden, our International whales campaign coordinator, blogs from the 61st International Whaling Conference in Madeira, Portugal. Even though for the first time in years the anti-whaling nations have a decent majority on the IWC, genuine protection for whales still remains low on the agenda.

As metaphors go, how about this? The IWC meeting is being held in a casino - and anyone betting on a good outcome for the whales would be unlikely to win. Equally aprt, just a few minutes before the opening of the 61st International Whaling Commission meeting, a large rat was seen scuttling through the hotel and out the door. Not a bad illustration of what's going on here.

Article tagged as: cetaceans, iceland, IWC, japan, norway, oceans, whale sanctuaries, whales, whaling

Justice for the Toyko Two - Edinburgh style

Posted by jossc — 18 June 2009 at 11:04am - Comments

Greenpeace activists got a good reception at the Japanese Consulate in Edinburgh yesterday when they handed in a wishing tree* full of requests for justice for the Tokyo Two.

Article tagged as: japan, oceans, scotland, tokyo two, whaling

Justice for the Tokyo Two - justice for whales, coming our way?

Posted by jossc — 21 May 2009 at 11:20am - Comments

Hannah hard at work colouring in our Tokyo Two manga-style artwork outside the Japanese embassy last week

A big thank you is due to everyone who sent messages of support on behalf of the Tokyo Two last week. We presented two 'wishing trees' (complete with hundreds of 'wish ribbons' bearing your requests that they are fairly treated) to staff at the Japanese embassy, and over 2,200 of you emailed the Japanese ambassador.

Article tagged as: japan, southern ocean, tokyo two, whaling

Put the Japanese whalers on trial, not the Tokyo Two

Posted by jossc — 8 May 2009 at 1:44pm - Comments

We've been out and about this morning at the Japanese embassy in London to show our support for the Tokyo Two. Junichi Sato and Toru Suzuki are two brave whaling campaigners who are facing prison terms for exposing a major embezzlement scandal at the heart of the Japanese whaling industry.

Article tagged as: japan, oceans, tokyo two, whaling

Toru is back at work

Posted by jossc — 16 April 2009 at 3:18pm - Comments

This blog was originally posted by Lisa on our Making Waves weblog.

Toru's first day back at work
Toru Suzuki is one of our activists in Japan, now facing a maximum of 10 years in prison for exposing a crime at the heart of Japan's whaling industry.

The so-called 'scientific' whaling fleet has now returned to port from the Southern Ocean whale sanctuary for what we hope will be the last time, and it is almost one year since Junichi Sato and Toru Suzuki exposed the embezzlement of whale meat by the fleet's crew.

Junichi and Toru are still on trial for their efforts to expose this crime, however, recently their bail conditions were relaxed slightly, enabling them to come back to work – just not with each other.

Article tagged as: japan, tokyo two, toru suzuki, whaling

Tokyo Two allowed back to work

Posted by jossc — 14 April 2009 at 11:08am - Comments

This article by Lisa first appeared on our Making Waves weblog on 10th April.

Junichi on his first day back in the Greenpeace Japan office
Junichi on his first day back in the Greenpeace Japan office

After nine months of disconnection from their colleagues and workplace, Junichi Sato and Toru Suzuki walked back into the Greenpeace Japan office last week like long-missed adventurers finally home.

Of course they did not come in on the same day, as while the bail conditions binding them have been relaxed enough for them to speak to their colleagues and come back to work, there are still a lot of kilometres left on their road, and they still cannot communicate directly with one another or be in the same place at the same time.

Article tagged as: japan, tokyo two, whaling
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