Here’s a photo of a New Zealand P-3 surveillance plane that landed at one of McMurdo’s runways last month. I did not publish this earlier because one of my Bureau Chiefs suggested that if I wait, I would be assisting the Kiwis getting the jump on those wily Japanese whalers and/or Patagonian Toothfish poachers. (Go whales! Toothfish, I have no idea if you’re cute or not, so you’re on your own.)

On a political note, I’d like to mention that this aircraft and its crew using McMurdo resources has absolutely nothing to do with science support. Kind of like how the whaling vessel below has the word “Research” printed, in English, on the side in very large letters. I’m going to tattoo “Research” on my forehead and start my own Antarctic Program.

Update:  

From BBC:

Japan to probe whale meat ‘theft’

By Justine Parker BBC News, Tokyo

Greenpeace’s Junichi Sato presented the allegedly stolen meat to reporters

Officials in Tokyo are to investigate claims that shipping crews stole a tonne of meat from Japan’s whale hunt.

Documents seen by the BBC confirm that public prosecutors will examine corruption allegations lodged by the environmental group Greenpeace.

It says crew members posted boxes of stolen whale meat to their homes.

Whaling fleet operator Kyodo Senpaku says small amounts of whale meat are routinely given to the crew as a “souvenir” at the end of the hunt.

A Fisheries Agency official said it had ordered separate internal probes by Kyodo Senpaku and the government’s whale research body the Institute of Cetacean Research (ICR), which are due within a week.

ICR declined to comment on the prosecutor’s case, due to its own internal investigation.

Japan catches whales in the Southern Ocean around Antarctica under a clause in international whaling regulations permitting hunting for scientific purposes.

Link to whole article