Environment News

Dave Rastovich and Hayden Panettiere Make Daring Mission Back to Japanese Dolphin Killing Cove

30 October, 2007 : Tokyo - Less than 24 hours after professional surfer Dave Rastovich led an international group of over 30 surfers, celebrities, and musicians on a peaceful paddle-out ceremony to honor the more than 25,000 dolphins killed each year in Japan, fishermen in the tiny village of Taiji resumed the slaughter that had been delayed by the increased worldwide media attention.

In response, the surfers decided in solidarity to make a pre-dawn return to the killing cove to recreate the ceremony, albeit with fewer people to evade detection. Rastovich and the others paddled within a stone’s throw of a pod of captive pilot whales and their calves that had been herded into the cove for early morning slaughter.

“The reason we surfers were there was to share the blood-stained waters at eye-level with our ocean kin awaiting their execution,” said a dripping, visibly shaken Rastovich just after paddling in. “Despite the fishermen taking great pains to hide their acts of cruelty, we seized an opportunity to bring this travesty to the world’s attention.”

Taiji-area fishermen, who kill dolphins and whales for their meat, netted off the bay and constructed green tarps to shield the slaughter from prying eyes and front-line cetacean activists bent on shutting down the dolphin trade forever. When the surfers learned of the imminent slaughter, they did not hesitate to return despite the distinct possibility of violent resistance and police arrest.

Rastovich and his core team of surfers trailed by camera crews arrived at the infamous Taiji cove to paddle out to the captured pilot whales. After entering the water they quickly arrived alongside the whales who swam back and forth along the edge of the seaward net.

The six paddlers, including Rastovich, his wife mermaid model Hannah Fraser, Heroes TV star Hayden Panettiere, Australian actress Isabel Lucas, author Peter Heller and professional surfer Karina Petroni, formed a traditional surfers’ memorial circle situated between the whales and the blood-ridden shallows.

Local fishermen converged almost immediately, harassing the paddlers with yelled threats and advancing on them with whirling propeller blades. The irate fishermen, who yelled “Why are you here? Go Home!” then used a long wooden pole to attack and intimidate the surfers.

“Even though the fishermen used force to try and break us up we held our peaceful stance. The feeling in the circle was of incredible strength” said mermaid model Hannah Fraser.

With tensions escalating and the police sirens growing, the surfers quickly paddled back to shore where a distraught Hayden Panettiere fell to her knees sobbing, overwhelmed by the carnage she and the group had just witnessed. “I couldn’t believe how red the water was,” said Panettiere. “The whales were so scared. Hopefully their deaths won’t be in vain.”

After hightailing it out of Taiji, 30 policemen readied with a paddy wagon stopped the three-van convoy at the border of the Wakayama prefecture. After politely checking passports and questioning the group intently, the police waved the crew on their way. Rastovich expressed extreme sorrow, saying “With many nets and kill boats waiting beyond the cove, the fishermen’s intense desire to kill left no room for escape.”

Reflecting on the day’s experience, a somber Isabel Lucas expressed that the worst part was that the whales are probably all dead by now. “We couldn’t save these whales but hopefully shining the light on their deaths will save others.”

www.savejapandolphins.org

Taking place at the Sandsifter, Godrevy, this will be a quality night.

The UK’s premier Surf Film Event, with loads of surf films and content - it is the latest offerings from our shores showcasing the latest UK talent both in front of, and behind the camera. Not to be missed and worth a visit ahead of a few waves over the weekend (hopefully). Think the guys will also be showing the Finisterre film ‘Beef or Salmon’ that premiered last year at the same event. Now got this documentary on our site and you can watch it direct from there if you cannot make the event (click the right hand option on the nav bar - ‘film’).

8am ’till late. £4/£3 (conc)

Titled as recognising ‘excellence and achievement in promoting sustainability and environmental consciousness in the surfing world’, we were stoked to be nominated for this award, now in its third year of running.

Some great names have won in the past and we were stoked to be nominated by The Surfer’s Path, who host the awards. We do what we do and stick to our guns, but it’s great when commitment to making the right decisions is recognised like this. There have been many deep rooted environmental and ethical decisions we’ve had to make over the years, which have often been hard from a small business point of view, but we felt had to be made.

If any of you have an urge to let those in charge know what you think of what we’ve been doing over the last six years, feel free to get in touch with the Surfers Path and shine a light on this little company from Cornwall.

Many of you will have spoken to this guy on the phone. Steve is in charge of customer service and getting your product to you. It is all about attention to detail and an area that we pride ourselves on.

Anyway congratulations are due as Steve’s girlfriend, Lex, gave birth on Wednesday evening to Amelie - weighing in at 7.6lbs. They are all doing well and thought you’d like to know…Many congratulations to you both.

Tom, the founder of Finisterre, was recently featured in The Daily Telegraph, as Eco-Hero of the month. You can see the article here..

“>

October 10, 2007 - Rite Group conference, ecotextiles and sustainable design conference.Place - Park Lane Hilton, London. All the big guns were invited; M&S, Timberland, Patagonia, Levi’s and there stood Finisterre, the little man amongst the large corporate behemoths, flexing a little muscle and presenting our groundbreaking work.

Our Design Director, or TP as many of you may know him, walked up there, no flash powerpoint presentations (just pencil behind the ear and that old leather brief case) and lit the place on fire.

” alt=”

Our design philosophy (as told straight from the horse’s (also our designer’s) mouth) has made it onto the treehugger website. Considered by some as the most prominent and pioneering ‘green/ethical’ online magazine, we were stoked.

Read the full interview here

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/10/dropping_in_on.php

Thursday 27th September 2007

‘Surfers are in tune with nature, right? Wrong. All that plastic – and all those flights to exotic locations – are an environmental disaster. But the emergence of sustainable boards, green clothes and even a carbon-zero shop shows the sport is cleaning up its act.’ By Alex Dick-Read (editor, the Surfers Path).

This is interesting reading – see the article in full here

The new product arrived a bit later than expected - about 2pm last Friday.

What with customs, a late truck and then one lot of boxes temporarily misplaced (things always come in threes), it was good just to have the stuff in our hands. After months of fabric sampling, testing, more sampling, pattern cutting and finally manufacturing, these are always heart in the mouth moments for us all. Opening up the first boxes, it was clear that all the hard work had paid off, as the product was bang on in every single way, so a load of happy faces.

By now it was 2.30 Friday and the race was on to make the 4.30 post deadline and get the product out to all pre-orders. This was done with all hands picking, checking and packing. We just about made the deadline and the workshops are covered in boxes and packing tape. For all those who have ordered, hope you enjoy the product and keep us updated with feedback etc.

” alt=”" />