Interview - Sky News

Subject: Southern Ocean incident

FEMALE COMPERE: More now on our top story, and that is the transfer of two whaling activists to the Oceanic Viking.

Joining us now from Perth is the Foreign Affairs Minister, Stephen Smith. Stephen Smith, good morning.

STEPHEN SMITH: Good morning.

FEMALE COMPERE: A pleasing result you'd have to say, but admittedly, none of this really should have happened in the first place.

STEPHEN SMITH: Well, we've got the first leg done. We've got Benjamin Potts and the British national off the Japanese whaling vessel onto the Oceanic Viking. That occurred early this morning. But later today, we're hopeful that we can effect a successful transfer of the two gentlemen from the Oceanic Viking back onto the Steve Irwin. That still requires the cooperation of the Steve Irwin and the Sea Shepherd, but we're hopeful that that will occur.

We're half way home, but there's still a bit more work to be done because transferring men from one ship to another on the high seas, particularly in the southern oceans, can always be difficult and problematic. But we're half way home and I'm pleased to advise that the men's condition is described as safe and well. They're comfortably on board the Oceanic Viking and Benjamin Potts' family in Australia have been advised. So, so far this morning, it's been good news for Benjamin and the Potts family.

MALE COMPERE: Have they said anything about their experiences to those on the Oceanic Viking?

STEPHEN SMITH: Not that I'm aware. I haven't had a report on that. The report that I've had early this morning is simply that the first part of a successful operation has occurred, a successful transfer onto the Oceanic Viking with the cooperation of the Japanese whaling vessel.

We now need the continuing cooperation of the Steve Irwin to get them safely back on board the Steve Irwin, and we hope that can occur in the course of today.

FEMALE COMPERE: How confident are you though that you'll have that cooperation, because really, both sides have been, I guess, dodging drakes up until this point haven't they?

STEPHEN SMITH: Well, the Australian Government and the Japanese Government very quickly agreed that the two men should be transferred back to the Steve Irwin. We had difficulty in getting the captains of the two ships to cooperate. I suppose, in some respects, that's no surprise, given the history of events, and that was why the Japanese Government asked us to consider assisting. We responded yesterday by making the Oceanic Viking available, and the Oceanic Viking and the relevant Australian authorities required separately the cooperation of the Japanese whaling vessel and, subsequently, the Steve Irwin to effect the transfer.

I'm hopeful, indeed - probably confident - that that cooperation will continue. But we're not out of the woods yet, but we're in a very good position this morning having Benjamin Potts and the British national on board the Oceanic Viking.

MALE COMPERE: Is it possible that these two could face charges over this incident, over their boarding of this vessel?

STEPHEN SMITH: Well, as I've said consistently, people have drawn allegation and counter-allegation to the attention of the Australian Federal Police. The Australian Federal Police will evaluate these matters. And I've made it clear that if anyone, wherever they come from, whether they come from the Sea Shepherd, whether they come from Greenpeace, whether they come from the Japanese whaling fleet, if anyone does anything which is unlawful or illegal, then not only do we not condone that, we absolutely condemn it.

And I see one of the papers this morning is - has tried to interpret those remarks as me having a go at one side rather than the other. I've been very carefully even handed on this, but we've been urging - the Australian Government's been urging - all concerned to exercise restraint.

From day one, late last year when we announced the array of measures that we wanted to implement to try and get the Japanese to cease whaling in the southern ocean, we said that people should exercise restraint.

In the great southern oceans, as we've seen in the last couple of days, the capacity for risk to life and limb is great, and the capacity for rescue is often difficult or low. So we just hope that if we get the successful transfer later today, that in the days and weeks ahead, everyone in the Southern Ocean will exercise restraint and commonsense.

FEMALE COMPERE: Okay. So you get the two activists back off the Oceanic Viking and they're returned safely to their homes. What do you make of comments that the captain of the - I think it was the Steve Irwin yesterday actually said that they wouldn't rule out re-boarding this whaling vessel.

STEPHEN SMITH: Well, this morning, the captain of the Steve Irwin has said, as I understand it, that as they've delivered the letter or the message to the Japanese whaling fleet, and they wouldn't be proposing to repeat the exercise.

Now, I hope that is what is intended, because that would be a very sensible course of conduct to adopt.

We've got, over the last couple of days, very, very close to a very, very adverse incident on the great southern oceans. We've had some good work by the Oceanic Viking, and Australian authorities and Customs officers today. That's seen the two men onto the Oceanic Viking.

We're not there yet, but we're hopeful and confident it'll occur later in the day, and then that'll allow the Oceanic Viking to get on with the job that it was originally tasked for, which is to seek to gather evidence in respect of Japanese whaling for use, potentially, in a future international legal case. And we hope that in the days and weeks ahead, all of the parties in the Southern Ocean exercise sensible restraint so we don't have to revisit something like this.

FEMALE COMPERE: This is all costing money. Do you revisit it if they do re-board? Do you just keep chasing them?

STEPHEN SMITH: Well, let's cross those difficulties if and when they arise. But as I say, I've heard the captain of the Steve Irwin this morning say that they're not proposing to repeat the exercise. They should take that very sensible advice themselves. This is not something that we want to see repeated.

FEMALE COMPERE: Okay, Stephen Smith, we appreciate your time. Thank you.

STEPHEN SMITH: Thanks very much.

Ends

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