Nov. 21, 2011. In the first of a three-part interview with Rosie Kunneke of Sea Shepherd, Suite101 caught up with the animal activist as she reports live from the dolphin drive season currently underway in Taiji, Japan. The annual slaughter of over 2,000 dolphins in Taiji, first captured the public's attention with the release of the 2009 Academy Award-winning documentary, The Cove. This is Kunneke's second year of on-the-ground reporting from Japan, and although it never gets any easier, the activist says she'll do whatever it takes to get the word out during 'Operation Infinite Patience'.
From Antarctica to Namibia and back to Taiji
Fans of the popular Animal Planet series, Whale Wars, have met Rosie Kunneke before. A member of the Antarctica 'Operation No Compromise' (2010-2011) aboard Sea Shepherd's vessel the Bob Barker, Kunneke was also involved with 'Operation Desert Seal' in Namibia earlier this year. Getting ready to take over the position as coordinator for Sea Shepherd South Africa, Kunneke for now, is focused on her second year in Taiji. Since September 2011, she has reported on this year's dolphin drive season as Lead Cove Guardian for the SSCS campaign, 'Operation Infinite Patience.' The role has rallied tremendous support for the Sea Shepherd organization and much respect for Kunneke across a variety of social media platforms.
Suite101: You have gained an immense online following through Twitter and Facebook as you report events live from the cove. Dolphin lovers and activists around the world follow your updates on a daily basis. What would you like people to know about Rosie?
Kunneke: I'm a passionate animal rights activist who is willing to die for what I believe in. I am vegan and my two English Bulldogs (Guinevere and Napoleon) are the love of my life. I was born in Namibia, but now live in Cape Town, South Africa.
Possible kidnapping attempt shows effect of activist's actions
Being willing to die for what she believes in, might come across as overly dramatic to many, but recent events in Taiji, show Kunneke does not jest. On Nov. 09, the activist reports, she foiled an alleged kidnapping attempt outside of her hotel in Taiji, by two suited men in a black SUV. While this sounds like the plot of a bad movie, it was the local Japanese police force themselves who informed Kunneke, that the incident was possibly a kidnap attempt on her by Japanese "Yakuza" gangsters.
Yazuka organizations are members of traditional organized crime syndicates in Japan prevalent in the Japanese media. Called "boryokudan," by Japanese police, which literally means, 'violence group,' the Yakuza, says Anthony Bruno of TruTV.com, ironically present themselves dressed in the Western style of the "1950s rat-pack." Lauren Williams of Australia's Daily Telegraph, recently reported that "Yakuza" gangsters may indeed have launched a campaign of intimidation to force a media blackout on the furor surrounding the country's killing of dolphins and whales.
Suite101: Certainly Taiji has significantly increased security measures this year, including having police following you around and even employing the Japanese coastguard. How has this impacted operations for Cove Guardians and have there been any clashes?
Kunneke: As we are legally limited to the direct action we can take here in Taiji, Japan, part of our continued strategy is to affect Japan economically – where it hurts them most. In this case, the Japanese government is forced to spend huge amounts of money to staff large police units around-the-clock, to monitor the Cove Guardians, and ensure we do not disrupt the dolphin killers from carrying out their despicable deeds.
As you said, the police presence has significantly increased, but with regards to our operations here there is no real impact on our freedom to move around. There was an incident where myself and another Cove Guardian were assaulted by one of the senior dolphin killers. The police have investigated and the matter will be forwarded to the public prosecutor. What the dolphin killer's punishment will be, is not yet known. Sea Shepherd stays within Japanese law and I have a good relationship with the safety police, they have always been friendly and helpful.
Coping with adversity appears easier than coping with the slaughter
The role of a Cove Guardian means bearing witness to the dolphin drives and the capture of pods driven into the cove for slaughter. It is primarily why Sea Shepherd maintains a presence in Taiji, to document and record events to share with the world. But for an animal lover and activist, witnessing the killing is far harder than coping with adversity.
Suite101: How do you cope, reporting on events everyday and keep your sanity watching pod after pod of dolphins being killed?
Kunneke: Every activist has their own way of coping with the horrors we see. Tears will run down my cheeks and I will taste blood in my mouth from biting into my lips, but I will not look away because we are the last people there in the dolphins' last and darkest minutes. If everybody looked away, who is going to look, or keep fighting for them or tell the world what has happened to these beautiful creatures who senselessly and brutally lost their lives? The images are etched into my memory forever.
Kunneke will remain in Taiji until her visa expires in December, but vows to return provided Japanese authorities will issue another visa. "Somebody else from SSCS will take over from me for the last 3 months of the season," Kunneke says. "I will definitely try to return to Taiji, but I do not know how strict the Japanese embassy will be on granting me a visum to return again." Still the activist adds, "The public can help support the Cove Guardians' presence in Taiji by donating to Sea Shepherd Conservation Society to fund the Cove Guardian campaign, as well as volunteering their efforts to join the Sea Shepherd Cove Guardians in Taiji."
"Without the selflessness of passionate people around the world who give up their time and money in order to defend marine wildlife and habitats," Kunneke says, "Sea Shepherd would not exist."
For those who believe they have what it takes to be an Onshore Volunteer at the cove in Taiji, send an e-mail to coveguardian@seashepherd.org to express your interest. Watch Capt. Paul Watson talk about the responsiblities of a cove guardian. Kunneke adds that her "Live daily updates from the cove can be followed via Sea Shepherd’s official Facebook page, or through @seashepherd on Twitter where we 'Tweet for Taiji' and feature the official breaking news updates as they happen."
In the second part of Suite101.com's interview with Rosie Kunneke of Sea Shepherd, the animal activist talks about how the dolphin drives work, and why despite outside pressure, a group of dolphin fishermen numbering less than thirty men, have the financial support and backing of the Japanese government.
Elizabeth Batt - Elizabeth Batt is a former large animal nurse, certified NREMT, lover of equines and conservationist.
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