Two members of the Sea Shepard group which are deemed as radicals were taken captive and detained by the crew of the Japanese whaling fleet. Both activists: an Australian and a Briton were detained when they boarded the Japanese whaling vessel to deliver a message.
According to the whalers, they are trying to return the two activists but explain that the Sea Shepard group is not cooperating. The crew accuses Sea Shepard of drawing out the stand-off in order to gain free publicity.
The group has been pursuing the Japanese whaling fleet with the mission of using direct action to disrupt the hunt. The crew had said that the activists of Sea Shepard have injured crew members in the past along with accusing them of dangerous harassment.
The Sea Shepard activists say that they were assaulted and tied to the radar mast by the Japanese whaling crew.
However, the whaling officials say differently.
“Any accusations that we have tied them up or assaulted them are completely untrue,” according to Minoru Morimoto of the Institute of Cetacean Research (ICR).
The statement said that the two men boarded the vessel illegally after trying to entangle the ship’s propeller with ropes. It adds that the activists threw bottles of acid on the deck.
Stephen Smith, Australia’s foreign minister said he expected both activists to be returned safely. He added that the Japanese government wants the same thing.
So far, the ICR has made many efforts to contact the Sea Shepard to arrange the handover of the activists.
Paul Watson, the captain of the Sea Shepard said that the whalers would handover the two men on the condition that it does not interfere with the operation.
The Japanese fleet plans to kill the whales as part of a scientific research program. However, many nations including Australia call it a front for commercial whaling.
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