Japan's Institute of Cetacean
Research, which sponsors the whalehunt, called Bethune's actions "a
form of piracy" and said the activistwas being restrained and may have
to stay aboard the ship until itreturns to Japan.
It said Bethune used a knife to cut thevessel's protective net to enable his boarding and that he told whalershe then threw the knife into the sea. The crew treated him for a cut onhis thumb he received while boarding, the institute said.
"It's a crime under maritime law to board another country's flagged vessel onthe high seas illegally," institute spokesman Glenn Inwood told Australian Broadcasting Corp. radio. "If he is taken back to Japan, it would be my personal view that ... he should face charges in Japan."
JapaneseFisheries Minister Hirotaka Akamatsu told reporters he wants theactivist handed over to Japan's Coast Guard for investigation. UnderJapanese law, intruding on a Japanese vessel without legitimate reasonscan bring a prison term up to three years or a fine up to 100,000 yen(US$1,100).
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hsHv9pJ7Ey7Nt0kwv93b7Z8ECgPwD9DSVIO82
It said Bethune used a knife to cut thevessel's protective net to enable his boarding and that he told whalershe then threw the knife into the sea. The crew treated him for a cut onhis thumb he received while boarding, the institute said.
"It's a crime under maritime law to board another country's flagged vessel onthe high seas illegally," institute spokesman Glenn Inwood told Australian Broadcasting Corp. radio. "If he is taken back to Japan, it would be my personal view that ... he should face charges in Japan."
JapaneseFisheries Minister Hirotaka Akamatsu told reporters he wants theactivist handed over to Japan's Coast Guard for investigation. UnderJapanese law, intruding on a Japanese vessel without legitimate reasonscan bring a prison term up to three years or a fine up to 100,000 yen(US$1,100).
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hsHv9pJ7Ey7Nt0kwv93b7Z8ECgPwD9DSVIO82
