Australian Activists Illegally Board Japanese Whaling Ship
Three members of the radical animal rights groups Sea Shepherd and Forest Rescue Australia have been detained after illegally boarding a Japanese whaling ship. The incident took place 40 kilometers offshore, outside Australian territorial waters.
Here is Sea Shepherd’s version of the story from the West Australian (one of the many media outlets that uncritically acts as a PR outlet for SS):
“Some of our crew members with experience in boarding the Japanese ships met them in two of our inflatable boats in waters off Bunbury,” Sea Shepherd leader Paul Watson said.
“We (The Steve Irwin) stopped, called in that we were having engine trouble and also posted that on our website, because we know the Japanese monitor our website.
“Our vessel was 12 miles away, and I think being boarded was the last thing the Japanese thought would happen.
“It was total darkness on that ship and they had to climb around razor wire, we also know they carry military equipment.”
Forest Rescue Australia spokeswoman Amy Flee said the three men were well aware of the risks involved when they volunteered.
“They knew full well that they would probably be arrested,” she said.
As the activists note, the people who did this were fully aware that they could be arrested. They were certainly aware of the case of Pete Bethune, who was arrested in 2010 after acting under the orders of Sea Shepherd and carrying out a similar “raid” on Japanese ships. Bethune was convicted, but released with a suspended sentence.
The men were carrying a note that said “Return us to shore in Australia and then remove yourself from our waters.” But, as Australian Attorney-General Nicola Roxon has admitted, the incident did not take place in Australian territory:
”If this vessel is close to Australian waters, you’d think there was a possibility that [they] would promptly have discussions with us about a safe and immediate return,” Ms Roxon said.
But Ms Roxon expressed no confidence this would happen, saying the government’s options were restricted because the incident happened outside territorial waters.
”It is likely that these three Australians may be taken back to Japan,” she said.
Sea Shepherd, which has a consistent record of outright dishonesty, has claimed that they boarded the vessel within Australian territorial waters. (Don’t take my word for it, just ask Pete Bethune, who says the organization is dishonest and morally bankrupt.)
This latest act of illegal boarding seems to show that Japan was being too lenient when it gave a suspended sentence to Bethune. The same organization has repeated the same crime, fully aware of its illegality, and probably thinks that its members will not face actual prison sentences.
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