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Whaling season is only 3 months long. The whaling boats have only 3 months to reach their quotas and it's something like 600 of one type of whale and 300 of another (or something similar to that). If they don't reach their quota, then that's it. They can't be out whaling beyond their season. So if Sea Shephards (sp) can stop them for ANY amount of days, they are making it harder for them to get that many more before the end of the season. If that whaling ship just spent a few days trying to keep SS away long enough to harpoon a whale and drag it aboard, and even though SS may contaminate the meat by throwing the rancid oils aboard the whaling ships, then they have been successful because the whalers cannot profit from that whale. You said "If you make the whale unusable to the whalers, they will just go out and kill another whale. It makes the issue worse." You have a point in that it does make the whale unusable, but the time spent on that whale is time lost now. They can't make that up. They can only process so many whales a day and if you make 1 whale unusable, then that makes it one less whale they will get towards their quota. Now they have to go out, find another pod and start harpooning those.
It's a sad situation because of the 'gray area' of the unpoliced whaling waters. I don't feel that their tactics are looney or crazy...SS is doing what they can when they are not getting the help they need from their government. They raise the $$ to fight the whaling ships, get donations-including the new Bob Barker vessel. Why do you think the name of the SS vessel is the Steve Irwin?
Noone is willing to settle the argument as to whether or not the waters that are being whaled is legal or illegal. That's the problem...the gray area. Personally, I wish someone would decide whether or not it is illegal to whale in those waters because it is only going to get worse. But it is also quite impressive to see a group of people so passionate and willing to stand up for what they feel is right.
Now after reading this THAT makes a lot of sense. Imagine if they contaminated all the dead whales, no profits for the whalers ! Its great! Now if that theory works hopefully they will be out of business someday. Now, how do those guys who stall them make money? Running those ships must be expensive...