The use of unmanned aircraft, made popular by the U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, has now become a non-violent weapon employed by environmentalists.

 

In the Southern Pacific Ocean, the anti-whaling activist group Sea Shepherd has utilized a small drone donated two New Jersey allies to locate Japan’s whaling fleet. Having spotted the vessels, the environmentalists’ ship, the Steve Irwin, intends to harass the fleet and disrupt their annual hunt for hundreds of whales.

 

“We now have an advantage we have never had before—eyes in the sky,” said Paul Watson, the ship’s captain. “'We can cover hundreds of miles with these drones and they have proven to be valuable assets for this campaign.”

 

The drone, named Nicole Montecalvo, was donated by Bayshore Recycling of New Jersey and Moran Office of Maritime and Port Security, also of New Jersey. It was previously used to search for blue fin tuna poachers off the shore of Libya.

 

Commercial whaling was banned in 1986, but the Japanese claim they are onlu killing whales to use in research because lethal research is still allowed.

-Noel Brinkerhoff

 

Activists Use Drone to Track Japanese Whaling Fleet (by Jessica Wright, Sydney Morning Herald)

Bayshore Recycling Striving to Protect and Conserve Nature: Drone Nicole Montecalvo Aids Sea Shepherd in Preserving Ocean Wildlife Worldwide (Bayshore Recycling of New Jersey and Moran Office of Maritime and Port Security)