Is Sea Shepherd in violation of the
United Nations
Convention of Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)?
Consider the predatory actions against the Japanese whaling
fleet in the Southern Ocean, please read the below sections from UNCLOS, practically
Article 101.
United Nations Convention of Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) related articles:
Article 101
Definition of piracy
Piracy consists of any of the following acts:
(a) any illegal acts
of violence or detention, or any act of Depredation (*1 = see below for definition), committed for
private ends by the crew or the passengers of a private ship or a private aircraft, and
directed:
(i) on the high seas, against another ship or aircraft, or against persons or property on board such ship or aircraft;
(ii) against a
ship, aircraft, persons or property in a place outside the
jurisdiction of any State;
(b) any act of
voluntary participation in the operation of a ship or of an
aircraft with knowledge of facts making it a pirate ship or aircraft;
(c) any act of inciting or of intentionally facilitating an
act described in subparagraph (a) or (b).
Article 102
Piracy by a warship,
government ship or government aircraft whose crew has
mutinied
The acts of piracy, as defined in article 101, committed by
a warship, government ship or government aircraft whose crew has
mutinied and taken control of the ship or aircraft are assimilated to acts
committed by a private ship or aircraft.
Article 103
Definition of a pirate
ship or aircraft
A ship or aircraft is considered a pirate ship or aircraft
if it is intended by the persons in dominant control to be used for the purpose
of committing one of the acts referred to in article 101. The same applies if
the ship or aircraft has been used to commit any such act, so long as it remains
under the control of the persons guilty of that act.
Article 104
Retention or loss of
the nationality of a pirate ship or aircraft
A ship or aircraft may retain its nationality although it
has become a pirate ship or aircraft. The retention or loss of
nationality is determined by the law of the State from which such nationality was
derived.
Article 105
Seizure of a pirate
ship or aircraft
On the high seas, or in any other place outside the
jurisdiction of any State, every State may seize a pirate ship or aircraft, or a
ship or aircraft taken by piracy and under the control of pirates, and arrest the
persons and seize the property on board. The courts of the State which carried out
the seizure may decide upon the penalties to be imposed, and may also
determine the action to be taken with regard to the ships, aircraft or property,
subject to the rights of third parties acting in good faith.
Link to the full text of United Nations Convention of Law of
the Sea (UNCLOS):
http://www.un.org/depts/los/convention_agreements/texts/unclos/unclos_e.pdf
*1 Depredation =
1. A predatory
attack; a raid.
2. Damage or
loss; ravage
This video is a tribute to the friendship enjoyed by and
between Shun of Japan, and Tony of the USA.
It is a friendship with its genesis in late 2010 and early 2011. The origins, the first trip and the circumstances
surrounding it would lead one to believe in a Divine intervention. The story may be told in a future video. 
