i m not really saying you re doing anything wrong there. - but you also need to think of what a trader can do to be inRP.
a zoner using a zoner whale is more zonerish than a zoner using an adv. train ( if you think in these patterns )- cause one is a generic 5k transport, the other is a generic zoner only ship.
a zoner delivering goods to freeports or from freeports does what is expected of them. - that is zoner RP as we WANT it. i know that pirates like to pirate zoners that fly between gran canaria and omicron-74. - and you have every right to do so.
but you have no right to call those traders powertraders in any way - or label them as something "bad". - these traders are doing 100% what is expected of them. - edgeworld trade between their own installations... it does not get any more roleplayed than that.
punishing those zoners on such a route drives them to routes that are NOT so much zonerish. so if the crusade is meant to "nudge" zoners into more RP routes - one shouldn t touch those traders for what they do. ( punishing in terms of focussing on them not cause its your zone of operation, but cause you consider them "deserving" )
a zoner that says "you cannot touch me, i m a zoner" also doesn t need to be taxed twice as much. ( i mean, whats the point of it ) - but he can be proven that "yes, he can be pirated" without malice, without spite, without a false sense of rightousness.
a zoner that makes so much money that he gets so filthy rich that he buys a mako and hunts you down is metagaming. - that is not good. - its as bad as punishing the trader for what the battleship does - which is metagaming, too... unless the pilot is the very same person RPed.
so, yes you can pirate zoners all you want - all in RP, you will experience the consequences from that ( all in RP, too ) - but you should NEVER act on behalf of patronizing or teaching others "the good way". - that is wrong when its done by a modified blood dragon, that is wrong when its made by a half godlike faction in sigma-13 and its wrong when its done by any other faction / player / veteran / newbie - whoever.
and one should be happy that the zoner whales are very good to pirate. - you can stand still and write your message without fearing a barrage of transport turrets hitting your shield and hull any instance. zoners could also easily all fly transports with dozens of guns.