News In Australia - We're dealing with terrorists: Sea Shepherd

Benjamin Potts, second right, and Giles Lane, second left, are restrained with rope.

Photo: Sea Shepherd Conservation Society

Dylan WelchJanuary 17, 2008 - 8:23AM

The anti-whaling group in the middle of a furious slanging match with the Japanese whaling fleet has branded them "criminals" and "terrorists" and would not rule out trying to board the ship holding two of their crew captive.

"These guys are criminals and we must remember that," said Sea Shepherd Conservation Society spokesman Jonny Vasic.

"We have no intention of having [the whaling fleet] demanding anything from us while they are breaking international law," Mr Vasic told Sky News this morning.
He refused to comment on reports that Paul Watson, the captain of the Sea Shepherd's vessel, Steve Irwin, threatened to attempt to "rescue" his two captured sailors - Australian Benjamin Potts, 28, and Briton Giles Lane, 35 - by sending more crew to the Yushin Maru No.2, where they are still confined.

"At the moment we're not willing to talk about what we will or will not do, we just hope a diplomatic solution can be found."

Mr Watson told Macquarie Radio this morning the pursuit of the fleet of five whaling vessels would not stop until they stopped killing whales.

"The fact that they're holding hostages and making demands, that's extortion and that's the kind of activity you'd expect from a terrorist organisation and we're demanding that they release the hostages without any conditions at all."

Mr Potts and Mr Lane boarded Yushin Maru No.2 with a letter to give to the vessel's captain, Mr Watson said.

He denied reports the pair threw acid on the Japanese ship's deck.

"When our two people went on board they went peacefully with a message for the captain," he said.

"After that we tried to stop the vessel every way we could and one of the ways was to throw stink bombs onto the deck, it's really ... rotten butter, and that was in an effort to deter them to try and get them to stop so that we could get the return of our people."
The Japanese Government ordered Maru to return Mr Potts and Mr Lane to Steve Irwin, Mr Watson said.

"Japan's threatened to take them back to Japan and put them on trial for piracy, which is somewhat ludicrous, but they're coming under increasing pressure the longer they keep these people hostage," he said.

"I'm hoping they will come to their senses and release them soon otherwise it's just an ongoing international incident and I don't see Japan benefiting from that."