Sea Shepherd vessel, the Steve Irwin, was attacked today in Libyan waters as it attempted to free Bluefin from cages. Their Operation Blue Rage has gone swimmingly until now, and the Steve Irwin is currently heading up to International waters.
This latest attack is ominous, considering Captain Bethune’s recent trial in Japan. Bethune was found guilty of several charges after he boarded the ship of a captain responsible for ramming and sinking a Sea Shepherd vessel under his command.
To make matters worse, former allies with the WWF and Greenpeace have turned tail on the international whaling ban that has been in effect for over two decades, leaving Sea Shepherd, which employs direct action on the side of International law by using aggressive methods to deter whaling vessels, in the lurch.