Activists will be held until demands met - Japan

We won't stop protest to get crew back, say activists

Supplied

ROPED UP: Protesters Giles Lane and Benjamin Potts are detained by crew onboard the Japanese whaling ship Yushin Maru No. 2.

Sea Shepherd

SEIZED: Protester Giles Lane cries out as he is tied up, while colleague Benjamin Potts, second from the right, watches on, already bound.

Institute of Cetacean Research

SEIZED PROTESTER: Sea Shepherd activist Giles Lane, held in custody on Yushin Maru No. 2.

Institute of Cetacean Research

CAPTURED: Sea Shepherd activist Ben Potts, detained aboard the Japanese whaling ship Yushin Maru No. 2.

Institute of Cetacean Research

FURTHER ACID CLAIMS: An image of what the Institute of Cetacean Research says is another bottle of acid it claims was thrown onto the deck of the Yushin Maru by protesters.

Relevant offers

Japanese whalers say they will continue to hold two environmental activists aboard their vessel until Sea Shepherd Conservation Society protesters meet their demands.
View video

Hideki Moronuki, the Japanese Fisheries Agency's chief of whaling, said the two anti-whaling activists taken aboard the Japanese ship would not be released unless Sea Shepherd stopped "dangerous and illegal activities".

The two men – Australian Benjamin Potts and Briton Giles Lane – have been held on the Japanese whaling ship the Yushin Maru No2 since yesterday.

Sea Shepherd has said the men were trying to deliver a protest letter to the Japanese crew.

"The ICR (Institute of Cetacean Research) is ready to release the two intruders provided that full security can be secured for our research vessel. Sea Shepherd is a very violent organisation," Moronuki said.

"ICR has to escape from any dangerous activities from Sea Shepherd. If Sea Shepherd promises ICR not to conduct any dangerous, illegal activities, ICR is willing to release the two illegal intruders immediately."

Asked if whalers would continue to hold the men if Sea Shepherd continued their protest he said: "Yes, we must for security reasons."

He refused to say whether Potts and Lane would ultimately be taken back to Japan if anti-whaling protests continued.

The captain of the main Sea Shepherd vessel the Steve Irwin, society founder Paul Watson, earlier said he had no intention of bowing to Japan's demands.

He said the conditions on their return included that his group stop filming, photographing and protesting against the whalers, and that the pair be retrieved by a small boat 10 nautical miles from the Steve Irwin.

"It endangers the life of the crew, to put them out in these waters in a small boat, 10 miles out of view. So I am not going to meet these demands," Watson said.

"When you hold hostages and make demands, that is the definition of a terrorist organisation, and that is the way they are acting," Watson said.

"We are not going to cease and desist from interfering in their illegal whaling activities as a condition."

Moronuki said the filming and photographing of the crew was illegal because it constituted harassment of the Japanese whaling fleet.

He said the small boat needed to be far from the main Sea Shepherd vessel to pick up the men for security reasons.

"Sea Shepherd has been conducting very dangerous illegal activities and I cordially ask them to refrain from those dangerous activities," Moronuki said.

Moronuki said the men were being treated well.

"I think conditions are different from the Sea Shepherd. Those two intruders have received hospitality from our crew. Their living conditions are quite nice. Much better than on the Sea Shepherd vessel," he said.

He said the pair would also be given an opportunity to try whale meat while aboard the ship, if they chose.

Moronuki also commented on a decision in Australia's Federal Court, which yesterday found whaling in Australian Antarctic waters was illegal.

"That is only a domestic issue. Their claim about the Antarctic Treaty is not recognised internationally. That provision is only for Australian nationals," he said.

"That decision by the Australian court has nothing to do with us."

Meanwhile, Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith earlier refused to be drawn on whether he considered the two activists had been held hostage.

A witness said the pair were tied to the rails of the ship and immersed up to their waists in freezing Antarctic seawater after an attempt to throw one overboard after they boarded the Yushin Maru No2  about 4pm yesterday.

Mr Smith said Australian Federal Police (AFP) were evaluating the situation.

"From the very first day I urged all parties in this matter to exercise restraint," he said.

"It's quite clearly the case that restraint hasn't occurred here.

"If there is any illegal or unlawful activity in respect to this matter then not only do I not condone that, I condemn it.

"But I think the priority here for the Australian government and for Australians is for the immediate, safe and secure return of these men to the Steve Irwin."

Japan said the men were never tied up and had been taken to a secure room after illegally boarding the vessel.