Support boost for activists

First mate James Brook, from Australia, on Steve Irwin yesterday. Photos: Gregor Richardson.
First mate James Brook, from Australia, on Steve Irwin yesterday. Photos: Gregor Richardson.
People queue for a chance to go on board Sea Shepherd’s flagship vessel  Steve Irwin during a...
People queue for a chance to go on board Sea Shepherd’s flagship vessel Steve Irwin during a stopover in Dunedin yesterday.

Strong public interest in  Steve Irwin’s Southern Ocean whale fight has delivered a boost to its crew during its Dunedin stopover, Sea Shepherd says.

The vessel and its 36-strong crew are in Dunedin after spending 83 days harrying the Japanese whaling fleet and its factory ship, the Nisshin Maru, in Antarctic waters.

It was the vessel’s second visit to the city, but the first time the public had been allowed on board. More than 2000 people turned up for a look inside during ship open days, held on Saturday and yesterday at the Birch St wharf.

The level of interest gave the largely volunteer crew a boost, Sea Shepherd director Michael Lawry said.

"I think it gives them courage and, I suppose, motivates them, that what they’ve done is worthwhile doing, and that standing up for wildlife is worthwhile doing."

The visitors included plenty of families with young children, which was "really cool" for the crew, he said.

"They’re our future and we want them to understand that marine wildlife is really important, and biodiversity, and protecting our oceans is really important," he said.

Sea Shepherd remained a small, largely volunteer organisation, about 5% of Greenpeace’s size, but its campaigns against Japanese whalers and toothfish poachers appeared to have struck a chord, he said.

Entry to the ship was free, although donations were accepted and merchandise was on sale. 

Proceeds would help fund the organisation’s’s activities, he said.

Steve Irwin’s visit was because Dunedin was a convenient southern port, but it was also "a very cool city, like Wellington, so there’s lots of support here", he said.

New volunteers had been recruited for Sea Shepherd’s on-shore team, which helped with fundraising activities, and there were always volunteers for positions on board  Steve Irwin, he said.

The ship would not be returning to the Southern Ocean immediately, as the whaling season was drawing to a close, but Sea Shepherd’s newer ship,  Ocean Warrior, remained in the area, he said.

"We’re still down there and we’re still fighting for the whales."

chris.morris@odt.co.nz

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