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Captain Pete Bethune Boards Shonan Maru 2 to Arrest Japanese Skipper
Monday, 15 Feb, 2010
Captain Pete Bethune Boards Shonan Maru 2 to Arrest Japanese Skipper
 credit JoAnne McArthur / Sea Shepherd |
At 0629 Hours (Perth Time), New Zealand Captain Pete Bethune of the recently sunk Sea Shepherd vessel Ady Gil breached the Japanese government security ship Shonan Maru 2 and successfully boarded the vessel under cover of darkness.
His mission is to attempt a citizen’s arrest of the skipper of the Shonan Maru 2 for the destruction of the Ady Gil and attempted murder of the six Ady Gil crewmembers.
At 0600 Hours, Captain Bethune (of New Zealand) left the Sea Shepherd ship Steve Irwin on a Jet Ski driven Larry Routledge (of Great Britain).
The Jet Ski lay in wait for the Shonan Maru 2 to approach. With the Japanese vessel making 14 knots through the water, Routledge maneuvered the Jet Ski into position under the anti-boarding spikes along the port side of the Shonan Maru 2.
Captain Bethune made the jump and climbed onboard the whaling ship without being noticed. Captain Bethune is presently onboard the Shonan Maru 2 awaiting sunrise to make his presence known.
Captain Bethune also has a bill for $3 million dollars to present to the Master of the Shonan Maru 2. The bill is for the cost of replacing the Ady Gil.
Captain Bethune will be demanding that the Shonan Maru 2 Captain surrender himself to Sea Shepherd or take his ship to the nearest Australian or New Zealand port to turn himself in to legal authorities.
Captain Bethune will make it clear that he does not wish to return to a Sea Shepherd ship without the Captain of the Shonan Maru 2.
Sea Shepherd anticipates that the Japanese will hold Captain Bethune as prisoner onboard the Shonan Maru 2.
“This was an impossible mission,” said Captain Paul Watson. “Captain Bethune boarded a Japanese whaling fleet security ship at high speed in total darkness, breached the spikes and anti-boarding nets and is presently onboard and the Japanese crew are still not aware that he is there. He is there to demand justice for the sinking of his ship.”
Letter to Shonan Maru