美國一海洋保育團體「海洋看守保育協會」（Sea Shepherd），目前正朝南半球海域前進，加拿大籍船長華生（Paul Watson）宣佈，他們預計12月抵達南極鯨魚保護區，進行連續第五年對抗日本捕鯨船隊。
海洋看守旗艦「史蒂夫厄文號」目前位在澳洲布里斯本，計畫於12月1日出發前往南極洲；同時間，北美的探索頻道（Discovery）動物星球新紀錄片系列「鯨魚戰爭」也在介紹這艘船與其任務、船長華生和他們對抗日本捕鯨船的故事。
11月7日於美國和11月9日於加拿大播放的第一集中，已介紹了該船在地球盡頭冷冽的海域中前行，打算挫敗日本捕鯨船隊、同時自己也遭遇一些挫折的故事。
「海洋看守」成立於1977年，是一個國際性非營利保育組織，任務是終止對海洋世界中野生動物的棲息地破壞和屠殺，保育並保護生態系統和物種。
「海洋看守」採用創新的直接行動戰術來進行調查、收集證據，並且必要的時候挺身對抗在公海進行的不法活動。「我們打算在經濟層面上擊沉日本船隊。我們的策略是防止鯨魚遭到殺害，迫使日籍捕鯨船耗盡燃料卻無法殺死鯨魚。我們是日本捕鯨船隊連續3年虧本的原因。我們打算讓捕鯨船第4年虧損。」華生說。
這次行動命名為「武藏行動」（Operation Musashi），反映海洋看守保育協會積極而非暴力的對抗方式，以及全球逐漸瞭解日本正在進行的非法捕鯨行動──宮本武藏的「五輪書」正包括了筆和劍的雙重方式。
「如同所有海洋看守保育協會的行動一樣，全部戰略和戰術均避免對捕鯨船隊的造成實體傷害，」華生聲明。他將在下周抵達澳洲，監督到南極洲旅行兩個月的最後準備工作。
身為海洋看守保育協會的創始人暨會長，華生將在全國各地舉辦的活動進行演說，以凝聚支撐這次行動所需的最後支持力量。他的第一站將在11月15日於澳洲動物園舉行的史蒂夫厄文紀念日。他將陪伴泰瑞歐恩，這位前澳洲動物專家和主持人的妻子，一起紀念她的丈夫。
在11月最後兩個星期，華生將現身於雪梨、伯斯、黃金海岸、拜倫灣，和布里斯本，出席11月2日在阿瑞納由音樂人舉辦的大型的送行義演音樂會。
「我們期待今年能再次邀請動物星球的採訪團隊來記錄這次行動。藉由觀看動物星球頻道的『鯨魚戰爭』，數以千計的人們將和我們一起身處在最危險、遙遠而美麗的地方。在武藏行動期間，我們將再次盡我們所能保護壯麗的鯨魚免受捕鯨船隊的致命魚叉攻擊。我們不會站在一旁看著鯨魚死去。我們將再次干預阻止捕鯨船隊-直到永遠。」華生說。
日本捕鯨船隊目前正停泊在日本下關港，並即將前往南半球海域，進行日本政府所謂研究性的捕鯨行動。日本打算在未來4個月內捕殺超過1,000頭鯨魚。
補給船東方藍鳥號與捕鯨船隊共同停泊在下關港。這艘船在10月份經查從事未經許可項目，遭巴拿馬海事局撤銷國籍並罰款。它未經許可裝運鯨魚肉（而非鯨魚油），並違反《防止船舶污染海洋》國際公約（MARPOL）在南極洲海域替捕鯨船隊加油──《防止船舶污染海洋》國際公約致力於消除從船舶到海洋環境中，任何蓄意，疏忽，或意外釋出油和其他有害物質的行為。
如果東方藍鳥號仍停泊在港內，日本船隊將缺少一艘補給船協助日新丸號裝卸數以千噸計的鯨魚肉。
華生說他預期捕鯨船將使用東方藍鳥號，不論是懸掛日本國旗，或者其他可供便宜行事的旗幟。
據報載，日本政府今年將投資800萬美元派出一艘日本海岸防衛隊砲艦前往南半球海域，保護其捕鯨活動。「這也將違反南極條約禁止武裝軍隊在條約保護區活動的規定。」華生說。
The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society is heading to the Southern Ocean in December for its fifth year defending whales in the Antarctic Whale Sanctuary against the harpoons of the Japanese whaling fleet, Captain Paul Watson has announced.
Sea Shepherd's flagship vessel, the Steve Irwin, is in Brisbane, Australia and is scheduled to depart for Antarctica on the first of December.
By the time the Steve Irwin departs from Brisbane, television viewers across North America will know the ship, its mission and Captain Watson from the new Animal Planet documentary series "Whale Wars" about their fight against the Japanese broadcast by the Discovery Channel.
In the first episode broadcast November 7 in the United States and November 9 in Canada, Watson's native land, the ship and its crew travel to frozen waters at the ends of the Earth intending to frustrate the Japanese whaling fleet and meeting with some frustrations of their own.
Established in 1977, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society is an international non-profit conservation organization whose mission is to end the destruction of habitat and slaughter of wildlife in the world's oceans in order to conserve and protect ecosystems and species.
Sea Shepherd uses innovative direct-action tactics to investigate, document, and take action when necessary to expose and confront illegal activities on the high seas.
"We intend to sink the Japanese fleet economically," said Watson. "Our strategy is to prevent whales from being killed, to force the Japanese whalers to spend money on fuel without killing whales."
"We have been the cause of the Japanese whaling fleet losing profits for three years in a row. We intend to make it a fourth year of red ink for the whaler's books," he said.
The campaign's name Operation Musashi was chosen to reflect Sea Shepherd's approach of aggressive, yet nonviolent, confrontation and the increasing global awareness of Japan's ongoing illegal whaling activities. Musashi's "Book of Five Rings" includes the approach of the Twofold Way of Pen and Sword.
"As with all Sea Shepherd campaigns, all strategies and tactics are designed to avoid any physical injury to the whalers," Watson declared.
Watson will arrive in Australia next week to oversee the last minute preparations required for a two month journey to the Antarctic.
As Sea Shepherd's founder and president, Watson will be speaking at several events around the country shoring up the final support needed for the campaign.
His first stop will be Steve Irwin day at Australia Zoo on November 15th. There he will join Terri Irwin, wife of the late Australian animal expert and broadcaster, in commemorating her husband's life.
Through the last two weeks in November, Watson will be appearing in Sydney, Perth, Gold Coast, Byron Bay and in Brisbane for a big send-off benefit concert hosted by musical performers the Red Paintings on November 2 at the Arena.
"We look forward to having the camera crews from Animal Planet document our campaign once again this year," said Captain Watson.
"By watching "Whale Wars" on Animal Planet, thousands of people will be able to join us in one of the most hostile, remote and beautiful places on Earth," Watson said. "During Operation Musashi, we will once again do everything we can to defend the magnificent whales from the deadly harpoons of the whaling fleet. We will not stand by and watch whales die. We will once again intervene with the intent to shut down the whaling fleet - for good."
The Japanese whaling fleet is currently berthed in Shimonoseki, Japan and is due to depart shortly for the Southern Ocean on what Japan calls research whaling. Japan intends to kill more than 1,000 whales over the next four months.
Berthed with the fleet is its supply ship Oriental Bluebird, although this ship was last month de-flagged and fined by the Panamanian Registry after being found guilty of using the ship for purposes it was not licensed for - carrying whale meat rather than oil - and violating the MARPOL Convention by refueling whaling vessels in Antarctic waters.
The MARPOL Convention is a treaty designed to eliminate the deliberate, negligent or accidental release of oil and other harmful substances from ships into the marine environment.
If the Oriental Bluebird were to remain in port, the Japanese fleet would be without a supply ship to offload the thousands of tons of whale meat from the Nisshin Maru.
Watson says he anticipates that the whalers will utilize the Oriental Bluebird nonetheless under either the Japanese flag or another flag of convenience.
Reportedly, the Japanese government will be investing US$8 million to send a Japanese Coast Guard gunboat down to the Southern Oceans this year to defend its whaling activities.
"This will also be a violation of the Antarctic Treaty that prohibits armed military forces from operating in the treaty zone," says Watson.
