Anti-whaling activists detained on Japanese ship

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/jan/15/conservation.whaling/print

Two members of the radical anti-whaling group Sea Shepherd are
reportedly being held against their will on a Japanese whaling ship in
Antarctic waters.

In a vessel called Steve Irwin, members of the group had been pursuing
Japan's annual whaling hunt in the Antarctic for almost a month. 

After locating five Japanese whaling boats this morning, two of its
activists – Australian Benjamin Potts and British man Giles Lane –
boarded the Yushin Maru No 2 vessel. They handed the crew a letter
advising them they were "illegally killing whales" and were then
detained. 

"They were successful in delivering the message, but then they were
not allowed to leave and return to our vessel," said Sea Shepherd
spokeswoman Christine Vasic. 

"Yushin Maru No 2 is still moving away from us and not responding to
radio contact."

The Institute for Cetacean Research, which is linked to the Japanese
government, confirmed the two men were detained and locked in a room
on the ship, but denied claims by the Sea Shepherd founder, Paul
Watson, that the two had been assaulted and bound by a rope to a mast.

"Any accusations that we have tied them up or assaulted them are
completely untrue," said institute chief Minoru Morimoto. 

"It is illegal to board another country's vessels on the high seas. As
a result, they are being held in custody while decisions are made on
their future," he said. 

"The two boarded the Yushin Maru No 2 after they made attempts to
entangle the screw of the vessel using ropes and throw bottles of acid
on to the decks." 

The incident occurred on the day that conservationists won a legal
victory against Japanese whalers when the Australian federal court
banned whaling in Australian waters. 

Other ships are also searching for Japanese whalers to gather
photographic evidence for an international court case aimed at
stopping Japan's annual "scientific" hunt. 

Japan plans to hunt almost 1,000 minke and fin whales for research
over the Antarctic summer, but has abandoned the cull of 50 humpback
whales after international condemnation and a formal diplomatic
protest by 31 nations. 

Japan has long resisted pressure to stop scientific whaling, insisting
it is a cherished cultural tradition. Its fleet has killed 7,000
Antarctic minkes over the past 20 years.