Sea Shepherd South Island representative, Tony Denley of
Dunedin, is confident the vessel Steve Irwin will visit
Dunedin in March following increased interest in its
anti-whaling campaign in the Southern Ocean. Photo by
Gregor Richardson.
The New Zealand representative of the anti-whaling group
Sea Shepherd met police in Auckland yesterday to lodge a
criminal complaint of attempted murder against the captain of a
ship from the Japanese whaling fleet.
Sea Shepherd national co-ordinator Bill Watson, of Auckland,
said the complaint was on behalf of the crew of the New
Zealand-registered Ady Gil, which was allegedly rammed
last week by Shonan Maru 2.
Ady Gil skipper Peter Bethune and his crew allege the
vessel from the Japanese whaling fleet in the Southern Ocean
deliberately rammed the vessel in an act of attempted murder.
Glenn Inwood, the New Zealand-based spokesman for Japan's
Institute of Cetacean Research, dismissed the complaint as a
publicity stunt, with Sea Shepherd having a "snowball's
chance in hell" of succeeding.
Mr Inwood said it was inconclusive which vessel was in the
wrong, with Japanese, Australian and New Zealand authorities
investigating the incident.
However although the complaint "was slightly out of the
parameters of normal police work", it had been referred to
the Auckland CIB, and the conservation society was hoping to
hear by the end of the week if charges would be laid, Mr
Watson said.
Mr Watson said a lawyer in the Netherlands had also filed a
criminal case against the whalers, as there were Dutch
citizens aboard the rammed vessel, with an arrest warrant for
the captain and crew possible, he said.
By comparison, the New Zealand Government was doing little,
and Prime Minster John Key should step in and relieve Foreign
Affairs minister Murray McCully of his portfolio, he said.
A spokesman for Mr McCully said the incident was being
handled in the correct manner and agencies were investigating
the matter.
Mr Watson said the sinking of Ady Gil had resulted in
membership for the conservation society "increasing
significantly".
To capitalise on that exposure, there was a "distinct
possibility" its flagship vessel, Steve Irwin, could
come to Dunedin in March.
Sea Shepherd South Island representative Tony Denley, of
Dunedin, said that in previous years Steve Irwin had
berthed in Hobart following its anti-whaling campaign, but
Dunedin was likely to be their first choice.
"I think this will lead to a lot of national and
international interest in the city."
hamish.mcneilly@odt.co.nz
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