Sea Shepherd ban on Bethune 'bizarre'

A decision by anti-whaling organisation Sea Shepherd to cut adrift Kiwi protester Pete Bethune has puzzled his supporters.

Bethune, who is on trial in Japan and facing up to 15 years' jail for boarding a Japanese whaling ship, has been banned from future protests by the group, Sea Shepherd chief executive Chuck Swift said yesterday.

Mr Swift said Bethune broke Sea Shepherd policy by taking a bow and arrows on to the protest boat Ady Gil, which sank this year after colliding with a Japanese whaling ship in the Southern Ocean.

The decision to bring weapons aboard the ship broke the group's policy of "aggressive but non-violent action", even though the organisation accepted that Bethune did not intend to shoot it at anyone, Mr Swift said.

"His decision to bring them on a Sea Shepherd campaign is unacceptable.

"He will no longer be formally associated with, or be a representative of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society." The group said it would still support Bethune through the trial, which is due to finish tomorrow with a verdict and sentence expected later this month.

Gary Thomason, a New Zealand supporter of Bethune and Sea Shepherd, said the decision to bar Bethune from future Sea Shepherd protests was "fully bizarre".

"Sea Shepherd grew out as a separate organisation because it was too radical for Greenpeace – and now they're setting certain limits on how far to go."

Throwing bottles filled with rancid butter and attempting to sabotage the propellers of boats in the Japanese whaling fleet could be potentially just as dangerous as firing a bow and arrow, he said.

He was surprised that Sea Shepherd had issued the ban as the trial was wrapping up.

"This is very, very bad timing to pull support from Pete given that on Thursday the final judgment comes down."

Jason Stewart, the Aucklander who was at the helm of the Ady Gil during the collison, told TV3 that Bethune had been given the go-ahead to take the bow and arrows on board.

He had planned to use it to fire rancid butter into whale meat on board the Japanese fleet in order to spoil it, Mr Stewart said.

"It was never a secret that we were carrying bow and arrows on the Ady Gill and in fact we did have the full permission of the director of Sea Shepherd Paul Watson to be carrying those bow and arrows," he told 3News.

Stewart said he thought the bow and arrows were allowed by Watson as he believed Bethune had originally planned to carry a firearm.

Sea Shepherd did not return calls yesterday.

Bethune is not contesting four charges in relation to boarding the Japanese whaling fleet's security ship, the Shonan Maru II.

He is contesting one charge of assault and faces up to 15 years in prison if he is convicted of all charges.

- © Fairfax NZ News