First of all, we'd like to congratulate each and every one of you, as we've just reached over 2000 visual petitions! A big thanks to everyone for you support!

There has been a lot happening in the last few days - the Australian Federal Court has ruled that the activities of the Japanese whaling fleet are illegal and ordered it to halt its operations.

The very next day, two Sea Shepherd crew members were assaulted and are currently being held against their will by the Japanese whalers!

Now, more than ever, we have to make ourselves heard to our governments and to those continuing to kill whales and dolphins that we won't stand for it any more!

Let's get as many visual petitions in as possible so that at the next International Whaling Committee Meeting in Chile, we will be able to show an overwhelming presence of people who will no longer tolerate this reckless killing.

Conservation group Sea Shepherd says two of its crew members are being held against their will on a Japanese whaling ship. The two men had boarded the whaling ship in an attempt to deliver a letter telling the whalers to leave the Antarctic. "First the whalers tried to throw them overboard, then they tied them to a bulkhead and were beating them," Captain Watson of the Sea Shepherd told the Sydney Morning Herald.

"They assaulted them, they tied them to the rails and actually at one point those rails went under water up to their waists... In fact, they tried to throw Benjamin overboard and he had to struggle to stop being thrown overboard because the boat was travelling at 17 knots (30 kmh) and it would have been extremely dangerous... Then they came back and untied them and brought them up to the top deck and tied them for a couple of hours to the radar masts, and then they brought them inside the vessel and we haven't seen them since." Sea Shepherd says the captain of the whaling vessel has refused their demands for the release of the crew.

Spokesperson for Byron Whale Action Group and Sea Shepherd member Dean Jefferys said "I will be asking local MP Justine Elliot to intervene and insist that  Environment Minister Peter Garrett and Prime Minister Kevin Rudd demand Japan releases their Australian and British hostages.

"In the light that the Japanese whaling has just  been declared illegal in the Federal court I am also calling on the Federal Government to enforce the judgement as they said they would in a pre election promise. The Government has their Oceanic Viking ship in the area and they should hand the whalers the injunction, instruct them to return to Japan and retrieve the hostages immediately." Jefferys said.

The group's media director Christine Vasic says the captain of the Sea Shepherd's ship attempted to reach the Japanese whaling ship by radio before sending the crew over. "He issued a written statement and dispatched a Zodiac ship," she said. "Two of the crew members then boarded the Japanese vessel to deliver the message to the captain. "They were successful in delivering the message, but then they were not allowed to leave and return back to our vessel.

Both men boarded the Yushin Maru to deliver a message to the Japanese captain that the whalers were in violation of international conservation law by targeting endangered species in an established whale sanctuary in violation of a global moratorium on commercial whaling. They also notified the captain that Australia had just passed a court ruling barring Japanese whalers from the Australian Antarctic Economic Exclusion Zone.

"The Yushin Maru is now still moving ahead away from us and not responding to radio contact." A spokesman for Japan's Institute for Cetacean Research has confirmed that the two are being held in a locked room, but denies they were tied up.

But Ms Vasic says the two men have a right to stop whaling activities. "The United Nations' World Charter on Nature does give individuals and non-governmental organisations the right to police and stop those illegal activities," she said. "That's what our vessel is down there to do, and that's what they have requested that the whaling vessel do, which is cease and desist their illegal whaling activities."

If you're in Australia, email your members of government to demand the release of hostages and stop illegal whaling:
justine.elliot.mp@aph.gov.au
Peter.Garrett.MP.aph.gov.au
Kevin.Rudd.MP@aph.gov.au

View article in The Age

A judge in Sydney has ruled that Japanese whalers in Antarctica are breaking Australian law, and has ordered them to stop their activities.  The Federal Court decision applies to an Australian wildlife sanctuary that Japan does not recognize, and is unlikely to affect Japan's annual whale kill.

He ordered the company that carries out Japan's annual whale hunts, Kyodo Senpaku Kaisha Ltd., to stop its activities in a large part of its regular hunting grounds off Antarctica. Japan, however, does not recognize the sanctuary, however, and the ruling is not likely to force the whalers home. The injunction is not enforceable unless the Japanese whaling fleet enters Australian jurisdiction, where the ships could be seized.

Rebecca Keeble of the Humane Society International, which brought the court action, says the judge's ruling has set a precedent.

"It was a huge test case of Australia's environment legislation," she said. "It was a test of the validity of the whale sanctuary itself and it's the first time a Japanese whaling company has been taken to court for whaling activities and those activities have been found to be illegal."

Japan insists that its whaling program in the Southern Ocean is for scientific research. The Australian government has been among the most vocal critics of the whale hunt, rejecting the claim that it is for scientific purposes, and calling it a slaughter instead.

The Japanese fleet plans to catch 935 minke whales and 50 fin whales over the current Antarctic summer.  

(Excerpts taken from article by Phil Mercer, Sydney)

Read article in The Age

At this point in time there is a visible increase in the number of people talking about the issue of Whaling, and Dolphin Kills.  Every time I paddle out at some break for a surf I have scores of people asking me questions about the issue, or telling me their own amazing tales of Whale/Dolphin interaction.  On a very personal level I have seen a radical surge of compassion and willingness to do something, anything to stop the decimation of Cetacean species.

I have personally seen a complete shift in perspective in my Japanese friends.  An 180 degree turn on the issue of whaling.   When the truth of this issue gets to the everyday Japanese person they are just as horrified as any other human being.  Feelings of shame and sadness well up inside them.  Shame associated with being human.  Not so much due to national alliances, just shame that humans of all nations are capable of murdering harmless creatures.

And this is a beautiful process to witness.  Every time we share our compassionate feelings with others we give them confidence to do the same.  As more and more Japanese stand up and let their voices be heard, we can expect to see a radical shift in the society that shies away from voicing their true feelings.

This is a long ride, and I get really tired at times.  But just like in surfing, there are peaks and troughs.  After our trip to Japan and the intensity of it all I slipped down into a trough and have had to rest for a while.  But now, with everything that is going on in Antarctica, and with the kind words of so many surfers and supporters it is obvious that this is a peak moment and those of us who are involved are poised and ready to take off.

''smooth seas never made a skillful mariner''

Much gratitude --//--  dave rastovich

This great photo was sent in from Rafael Wu from Australia... it says "Together we can make a difference - Stop Whaling NOW". Nice work bro!

If you wish to nominate a photo of the month, please send your nominated photo to: info@visualpetition.com and the reason why you think this photo should be nominated.

Please remember to tell all your friends and family about the visual petition, and get them to show their support.  Entries have slowed down, and the next IWC meeting in Chile is happening soon, so we need to get as many petition photos as we can in order to have an overwhelming impact for the visual petition.

Only 5 more months till the deadline of the competition, so please get your submissions in as quickly as possible. 

Remember, we will need at least 100 entries off  the winning contestant from each region for there to be a winner, so if no-one from your surf region can get 100 entries, then that’s a free ticket to Chile going to waste! 

Not only that, you’ll miss out on being a part of this spectacular event with some great surfing heroes and celebrities. So get out those cameras!