Sea Shepherd Captain Detained Onboard Japanese Whaling Vessel

by Barbara McPherson | February 15, 2010 at 10:07 am

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The Sea Shepherd Society Captain, Peter Bethune, has boarded the Japanese whaling vessel, the ShonanMaru 2.

Captain Peter Bethune was in charge of the Ady Gil, the high tech ship that sunk after a collision with the a Japanese whaling vessel. The Sea Shepherd news release stated that Captain Bethune boarded the Shonan Maru 2 in order to make a citizen's arrest for the destruction of the Ady Gil and the endangerment of the six crewmembers.

At 0800 Hours, once the sun had risen, Captain Bethune calmly knocked on the bridge wing door, entered the wheelhouse, and presented himself to the Captain of Shonan Maru 2 where he informed the skipper that he was under arrest for the sinking of the Sea Shepherd ship Ady Gil on January 6th, 2010.

All radio communications with Peter Bethune ceased at 0805. The Shonan Maru 2 did acknowledge that Bethune was onboard.

The boarding of the Shonan Maru 2 is reported to have been made via jet ski, in the dark, in the ocean surrounding the Antarctic.

“This was an impossible mission,” said Captain Paul Watson. “Captain Bethune boarded a Japanese whaling fleet security ship at high speed in total darkness, breached the spikes and anti-boarding nets and is presently onboard and the Japanese crew are still not aware that he is there. He is there to demand justice for the sinking of his ship.”