ANTARCTICA (16 Jan 2008) — An Australian (marine patrol officer) released from a Japanese whaling ship says he feared for his safety as he was almost thrown overboard. Benjamin Potts, 28, said he could have been sucked into the sea or crushed between vessels as the Japanese threatened to turf him into the icy Southern Ocean. He and fellow (officer), Briton Giles Lane, 35, were transferred to Australian customs vessel the Oceanic Viking early today, ending a dramatic standoff with the Japanese. Mr Potts believed he was "quite possibly'' fighting for his life as the Japanese crew tried to tip him over their ship railing. "They intended to throw me overboard,'' Mr Potts said. "Yeah they picked me up, two guys picked me up by the shoulders, and the gunner, the guy that shoots the whales, picked my legs up and they attempted to tip me over. "And I held on to one of the rails and they knocked my hands off that and then I put my foot up against one of the other rails and kicked off and they weren't able to throw me over.'' The pair was detained for two days after climbing aboard the whalers' vessel. Mr Potts said he was in danger - but said he would risk his safety again. And their activist group Sea Shepherd has vowed to continue harassing the whalers. "As a citizen of Australia I feel we have the right to inform them ... on behalf of Australian people that they are not welcome here,'' Mr Potts said on 3AW. The families of both men had been informed of the transfer, a Home Affairs ministry spokeswoman said. "The two men were transferred in the early hours of this morning and are safe and well onboard the Oceanic Viking," she said. They were picked up from Japanese whale hunter Yushin Maru No.2 in the Southern Ocean early today and would be returned to their protest ship the Steve Irwin later in the morning, their group said. Whaling was halted near Antarctica after the activists were detained two days ago when they scrambled aboard a Japanese whaling boat to deliver a protest letter from the militant Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. Each side accused the other of behaving like terrorists and Australia's Government offered on Wednesday to act as a neutral intermediary and pick the two men up in a fisheries patrol ship sent to the area to monitor the Japanese whaling fleet. The Australian spokeswoman urged restraint on all sides and said Sea Shepherd and had been given conditions by the Government before Canberra agreed to pick up the men. "This still requires the co-operation of Sea Shepherd," she said. Kim McCoy, Sea Shepherd's executive director, said on local radio that protests against the Japanese whaling fleet would resume when the men were back on the Steve Irwin. "The moment we get them back on board we plan to resume what we came here to do, which is enforcing international conservation law," she said. Steve Irwin captain Paul Watson said he expected Mr Potts and Mr Lane to be transferred to his vessel within hours. "We're very grateful to the Australian Government for assisting on that," he said on Channel 7. "They should be back on board within a few hours and then we will continue our campaign to harass the Japanese whalers. They haven't killed any whales for the last week." Mr Watson said no deal had been done with the Japanese whalers. "We made no deal at all," he said. Japanese whaling spokesman Glenn Inwood said the fleet, would also resume operations. | | Marine patrol officer Benjamin Potts feared for his life as he struggled with Japanese eco-terrorists who tried to throw him overboard into the freezing waters of the Southern Ocean Sanctuary. "It was certainly quite handy for the Japanese Government that the (Oceanic Viking) was there because it helped them resolve the situation with the two illegal intruders," said Mr Inwood, from the Institute of Cetacean Research. "It became very clear yesterday after 24 hours of receiving no communication from the Sea Shepherd organisation that they had no intention of removing the men from the Japanese vessel and therefore the Australian Government was asked to intervene and take them aboard their customs vessel," Mr Inwood said. The Oceanic Viking is seeking to gather photo and video evidence for an international legal challenge by Australia against whaling that Tokyo says is scientific and thus legal. Japan plans to hunt almost 1000 minke and fin whales for research over the Antarctic summer, but has abandoned the cull of 50 humpback whales after international condemnation and a formal diplomatic protest by 31 nations. Despite a moratorium on whaling, Japan is allowed an annual "scientific" hunt, arguing whaling is a cherished cultural tradition and the hunt is necessary to study whales. Its fleet has killed 7000 Antarctic minkes in the past 20 years. Sea Shepherd international director Jonny Vasic said the released pair were in good spirits despite staging a hunger strike. Mr Vasic said the activists had merely peacefully boarded the harpoon ship to deliver a letter of protest against Japan's whaling program. "They got on and planned to get right back off," he said on the Nine Network. "Our intention is to stop the whaling in the Antarctic whale sanctuary where they are breaking international law ... we are enforcing conservation law. "(The) mission accomplished so far is no Australian humpbacks are going to die this year because of international pressure and especially Australia standing up and saying enough's enough." Mr Vasic said the whaling season ran until the end of March and the militant Sea Shepherd Conservation Society would continue fighting to stop whales being killed. Home Affairs Minister Bob Debus said the Federal Government played a key role in resolving the standoff. "The Australian Government has been able to play an entirely constructive and useful role in the difficult circumstances," Mr Debus told ABC Radio. "You understand that the Australian Government's ship has the purpose of essentially taking footage of whaling operations over a period of up to 20 days and using that footage as part of the evidence that we may bring to an international court case. "But nevertheless it has been important I believe that we have been there and have been able to resolve this difficult situation involving the crew of the Steve Irwin." SOURCE - Herald SunSCUBA FORUMDISCUSS THIS TOPIC - Dive in and have your say at Scuba Forum |
