UAVs Join Fight Against Whaling

If any recent news story illustrates the potential of unmanned technology to up-end things, it's this one. Australia has approved the use of unmanned aircraft over Antarctic waters by conservation group Sea Shepherd in support of its anti-whaling campaign Operation Divine Wind.

In late December, Sea Shepherd announced it had intercepted the Japanese whaling fleet using an unmanned aircraft launched from its ship the Steve Irwin to locate and photograph the factory ship Nisshin Maru (below). Although Japanese security ships moved in to shield the Nisshin Maru and allow it to escape, Sea Shepherd says it was able to use drones launched from the Irwin and another vessel, the Bob Barker, to track the factory ship.

Photos: Sea Shepherd

The Japanese fleet was intercepted off the coast of Australia while still 1,000 miles north of the Southern Ocean Whaling Sanctuary, says Sea Shepherd. The group continued using the hand-launched UAVs to track the Nisshin Maru as the pursuit moved south into Australian Antarctic territorial waters. Initially Australia banned the UAVs until an environmental assessment required by the Antractic Treaty had been completed, but it has now approved their use.

Sea Shepherd claims its use of UAVs has forced the Japanese whaling fleet to keep moving and as of January 3  says there is no evidence the three harpoon/security ships accompanying the Nisshin Maru have had time to kill any whales.

Tags: awt, unmanned