In Time For Whaling Season, Sea Shepherd Returning To Iceland

Anti-whaling activists Sea Shepherd will be sending ships to Iceland, Norway and the Faroe Islands in the weeks to come, as minke whaling prepares to begin.

The organisation has already declared victory over Japan in the southern hemisphere, RÚV reports, and will now be turning their attention to the North Atlantic.

Adam Meyerson, captain of the Sea Shepherd ship Bob Barker (shown above), says it has not yet been decided how many ships will be sent into the region, nor what kind of actions they will be taking, as this is decided on a case-by-case basis. In the southern hemisphere, Sea Shepherd emphasised direct interference with whaling vessels as their primary method.

The announcement comes as the hunting of minke whales is set to begin. A whaling captain MBL spoke to said he expects to begin his hunt this weekend or early next week. More whaling vessels can be expected to follow suit over the coming weeks.

Sea Shepherd has a special history with Iceland. In 1986, the group claimed responsibility for sinking two whaling boats in Reykjavík harbour. The act has never been forgotten by many Icelanders. In 2011, the Icelandic government criticised Holland and Australia for offering services to Sea Shepherd, calling the group a “terrorist organisation”.