Dear Sea Shepherd Members and Friends,
Thank you for the hundreds of heartfelt emails you have sent us regarding the Taiji dolphin slaughter and Sea Shepherd's efforts to put an end to this cruel hunt and other atrocities committed against marine mammals and wildlife. We very much appreciate your feedback, feelings, and support. We've recently improved the Sea Shepherd Website so that information and ways to support our efforts are much easier to find and access.
In the past week, the Taiji story has made headlines around the world - the Associated Press and global media outlets are providing the public the details, including the graphic pictures and video documenting the hunt on October 6, 2003, which we have available at our updated Taiji Dolphin Campaign Webpage (www.seashepherd.org/taiji.shtml).
The public outrage against this hunt is clear and Sea Shepherd is determined as ever to keep this issue in the world media spotlight until Japan stops brutally killing innocent, defenseless dolphins and small whales.
Despite the fierce local opposition to our conservation efforts, the vigilant Sea Shepherd volunteers in Taiji have effectively disrupted the fishermen's attempts to resume the dolphin drive, and very few cetaceans have been killed since Oct. 6th. World famous dolphin expert and protector, Ric O'Barry (dolphinproject.org) recently traveled to Taiji to join the campaign. Ric and the Sea Shepherd crew will stay in the area as long as possible to prevent any additional dolphin and small whale slaughter.
Many of you have inquired where to write to protest and put pressure on the Japanese government to stop the hunt. We recently added the contact info on our Taiji Dolphin Campaign Webpage. Please send your protests to the officials as soon as possible. Also, please contact your local papers, radio, and TV and ask them to cover the story (if they haven't yet) or to continue their coverage. And here's a great way to take the protest to the streets this Tuesday, November 4:
Nov 4, 2003 - International Day of Protest Against Japanese Dolphin Slaughter (www.seashepherd.org/events/protest031104.html)
Sea Shepherd is organizing this world-wide protest event with the help of other groups and individuals on Nov. 4, 2003, starting at 12:00pm (noon). Simply arrive at the selected Japanese consulates or embassies (you can find the location by visiting the Nov. 4 protest link above), and be ready to shout, waive home-made signs, distribute flyers & petitions, and make the statement "Japan, Stop Killing Dolphins and Whales". Be as creative as you want with the message, but please no profanity. Try to arrive by 12pm so you can be briefed by the organizers at each location. Be sure to wear your Sea Shepherd T-shirt if you have one!
Other Ways To Support Sea Shepherd:
Financial Assistance:
In addition to the usual high costs of conducting a direct-action conservation campaign like the one in Taiji, our budget is affected by the expensive prices in Japan. We need financial assistance to keep Sea Shepherd volunteer crewmembers in Japan until the hunt season is over. If you support our efforts on behalf of the dolphins, and/or want to contribute to our other life-saving campaigns, please visit our improved and easy to use Join & Donate Webpage (www.seashepherd.org/donate.shtml). NOTE: If you've been having problems donating via credit card from outside the USA, this revised webpage will provide you simple directions how to make it go through.
Donate Frequent Flyer Miles:
Sea Shepherd welcomes donations of your airline frequent flyer miles (25,000 miles or more) which greatly help us transport our volunteer crew to areas of trouble, like Taiji. To donate your airline miles, please send an email to donations@seashepherd.org.
Join Our Volunteer Crew:
Interested in joining the most active direct-action conservation group in the world? We're always looking for enthusiastic volunteers to help in areas like Taiji or crew upon on large ocean-faring conservation ships. For more info, please visit our volunteer webpage (www.seashepherd.org/volunteer.shtml).
Newspaper Article Clippings & Media Coverage For Our Archives and Press Kits:
Sea Shepherd is a volunteer network and depends on people like you to send us newspaper articles that report on Sea Shepherd and our campaigns. If you've read about Sea Shepherd in one of your local papers and can provide us an original clipping or photocopy (please include the front-page banner for the paper), please mail it to our headquarters:
Sea Shepherd
P.O. Box 2616
Friday Harbor, WA 98250 USA
If you can scan clippings at 300dpi, you can also email us the articles to: sscsmedia@seashepherd.org
Arrange Speaking Engagements and/or Fundraisers:
In addition to commanding the Sea Shepherd ships and supervising the campaigns, Captain Paul Watson is a prolific writer and speaker. If you know of a local university, college, bookstore, or other venue that would like to provide Captain Watson a large audience opportunity, please make initial contact with the point person at the venue and then call our main office at (USA) 360-370-5650 to discuss the Captain's schedule. If you want to put together a fundraiser, small or large, please call the main office and speak with one of our dedicated staff.
More Info:
For recent and past media releases on Taiji Campaign and other important Sea Shepherd conservation activities, please visit the our media page: www.seashepherd.org/media.shtml, or start at our home page: www.seashepherd.org.
Thank You,
Sea Shepherd Conservation Society
www.seashepherd.org
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Sea Shepherd Conservation Society is an international non-profit, non-governmental organization dedicated to the enforcement of international marine conservation law and to campaigns designed to actively protect marine wildlife and eco-systems. A registered international 501c(3) non-profit organization in the United States. All donations within the U.S. are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.