Sea Shepherd activists put on international wanted list

ELP Information Bulletin (18th of August 2008)

Dear friends

ELP has just learnt that Japan has named three Sea Shepherd activists on an international wanted list following last years anti-whaling protests. Below is a mainstream media article about Japan's actions.

As always, subject to ELP's normal guidelines, ELP will be supporting any Sea Shepherd activist arrested as a result of Japan's actions and we will bring you more news on this as we get it.


http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/aug/18/japan?gusrc=rss&feed=networkfront

# Justin McCurry in Tokyo
# guardian.co.uk,
# Monday August 18 2008


Japan seeks to arrest Sea Shepherd anti-whaling activists
Police to place men - including one Briton - on international wanted list
after clashes last year

Japan today said it would take legal action against three members of the
Sea Shepherd conservation group, including one Briton, whom it accused of
obstructing its whaling fleet during clashes in the Antarctic in February
2007.

In a further sign of Japan's hardline stance against anti-whaling
activists, police will place the men, a Briton named by sources as Daniel
Bebawi, 28, from Nottingham, and two Americans on an international wanted
list as soon as arrest warrants are issued.

"It's only natural to seek an arrest warrant as we've determined that a
crime was committed," Nobutaka Machimura, the government's chief
spokesman, told reporters.

"Regardless of the differences of opinion, it is unacceptable that those
involved (in whaling) get injured … or have their lives put in danger."

Sea Shepherd was unavailable for comment this afternoon.

Last month, police charged two Greenpeace activists with stealing a
consignment of whale meat. The protesters intercepted the meat to support
allegations that Japanese whalers were selling it on the black market.

Junichi Sato and Toru Suzuki, both members of the group's Japan branch,
are accused of stealing a box containing 23kg of whale meat from a postal
company warehouse in April.

Japan claims the three men involved in the Sea Shepherd case illegally
obstructed the whaling fleet by jamming the propeller of the Kaiko Maru
with a rope and throwing flares on to its deck.

Police will not pursue allegations that two whalers were injured by
containers of butyric acid - rancid butter - hurled by Sea Shepherd
activists.

The environmental group says the Kaiko Maru twice rammed one of its ships,
leaving gashes in its hull, and denies whalers were hurt in the acid
attacks.

Japan's recent hunt in the southern ocean was frustrated by protests from
Sea Shepherd and Greenpeace. The country had planned to catch 850 minke
whales but returned with 551.

Sea Shepherd has vowed to disrupt the next whaling expedition, due to
start at the end of the year.

The International Whaling Commission banned commercial whaling in 1986 but
allows Japan to conduct "lethal research" into the cetaceans' migratory
and breeding habits.

The moratorium requires that meat from the hunts be sold on the open
market, although domestic consumption is at an all-time low.

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