一名紐西蘭籍的反捕鯨人士因為在南冰洋登上日本捕鯨 船，被日本控告包括非法入侵、攜帶武器以及傷害等五項罪名。
白求恩(Pete Bethune)是美國海洋牧者保育協會(Sea Shepherd Conservation Society)成員，在2月15日登上了湘南丸2號，意圖對船長行使公民逮捕權。湘南丸2號曾在一月份撞沉了白求恩的船。
白求恩被控蓄意破壞、攜帶武器、打傷一名船員以及妨害船隻通行。稍早的時候，他被控由水上摩托車非法登上日本船隻。如果罪名成立，白求恩最重可能被 判入獄15年。
事件發生之時，正值海洋牧者協會試圖制止日本在南極海域捕鯨的第六年。
今年1月6日，當海洋牧者協會雙體船愛迪吉爾(Ady Gil)由白求恩船長掌舵時，噸位遠大於愛迪吉爾的湘南丸2號將其撞成兩截，造成愛迪吉爾沉沒，這事件使船上的六名國際志工性命受到嚴重威脅。
「我目擊了湘南丸2號有蓄意進入並衝撞愛迪吉爾，並認為我將與我的船員搭救受傷或被殺害的船員。」另一艘海洋牧者船包伯巴克(Bob Barker)船長斯威夫特(Chuck Swift)說，「日本起訴白求恩船長令人震驚，他們無視自身的罪行以及非法捕鯨行為，更令人感到可恥的是，世界各國允許日本這麼做而未提出質疑。」
湘南丸2號的船員說，「激進份子曾試圖使繩索絞入其螺旋槳，並且向他們投擲丁酸，造成一名船員化學灼傷。」
海洋牧者協會否認白求恩造成傷害，並表示投擲的物質只會發出如腐臭奶油的異味，不會造成傷害。
海洋牧者協會創辦人沃森(Paul Watson)說，澳洲當局應當調查此一事件，因為它發生在澳洲南極領土的水域內。
「只有紐西蘭海事當局有意質詢湘南丸2號的船長，」沃森說，「但因為日本不合作，紐西蘭當局無法進行。」
沃森描述了白求恩船長當天登上湘南丸2號的情況，他說：「他在夜間以15海哩的速度通過寒冷的南極海水並登上船隻。他從水上摩扥車跳下企圖登船，但 滑落海中，被救起後經過尖銳的反登船尖刺與漁網，第二次企圖登船。他在船上待了近兩個小時，日出以後他平靜地敲駕駛室的門，並向撞沉他船隻的船長表明身 分。」
「後來他被控妨害業務經營，儘管事實上這所謂的業務是違反國際保育法的，而且捕鯨的行為應該是為了科學研究，而不該是為了商業行為，」沃森說。
「他被控損毀船上財物，登船時在一個漁網上割一了個洞，而這艘船撞沉了我們價值300萬美金的船，」沃森說。
沃森指出，對白求恩的起訴，是根據劍管制法(Sword Control Law)的一條模糊法令，此法與明治天皇在1865年推行沒收武士刀的廢刀令相似。白求恩在船上用來切割網子的刀，船上被歸類為劍。
沃森說，海洋牧者協會將儘可能為白求恩提供最好的法律辯護，並在他入獄期間，照顧他的家人。
「我們目前正在凝聚我們的資源，籌措資金，並準備在明年12月回到南冰洋，」沃森說。「我已經有十多個志願者願意在下一季登上日本捕鯨船，願意被 囚，並願意犧牲自己的自由，為鯨魚甘冒生命危險。」
A New Zealand anti-whaling activist who boarded a Japanese whaling vessel in the Southern Ocean has been charged with five crimes, including trespassing, carrying a weapon and causing injury.
Pete Bethune, of the U.S.-based Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, boarded the Shonan Maru No. 2 February 15, intending to make a citizen's arrest of its captain who rammed and sank Bethune's vessel in January.
Bethune has been charged with vandalism, carrying a weapon, injuring a crewman and obstruction of passage of a vessel. He had earlier been charged with trespassing on the Japanese ship after boarding the vessel from a jetski. If found guilty, Bethune could be imprisoned for up to 15 years.
The incident occurred as Sea Shepherd activists attempted for the sixth year in a row to halt Japan's annual whale hunt in Antarctic waters.
On January 6, Captain Bethune was at the helm of the Sea Shepherd's ship, the futuristic catamaran Ady Gil, when the catamaran was run over, cut in two and sunk by the much larger Shonan Maru No. 2. The destruction of the Ady Gil endangered the lives of her six international volunteer crewmembers.
I watched the Shonan Maru No. 2 intentionally travel into and run over the Ady Gil, and thought my crew and I were going to be recovering injured and/or murdered crew," said Swift. "It is astounding that Japan is prosecuting Captain Bethune while ignoring the many crimes of its own illegal whaling fleet - and shameful that the world is allowing it to do so unchallenged."
The crew of the Shonan Maru No. 2 said the activists had tried to snare their propeller with a rope and had thrown butyric acid at the ship, giving a "chemical burn" to one sailor.
Sea Shepherd denies that Bethune caused injury and said the substance thrown was rancid butter that smells bad but cannot cause injury.
Watson says the Australian authorities should have investigated the incident because it took place in the waters of the Australian Antarctic Territory.
Only New Zealand Maritime Authorities have attempted to question the captain of the Shonan Maru No. 2, Watson said, but because Japan is not cooperating New Zealand authorities cannot proceed.
Watson describes Captain Bethune's boarding of the Shonan Maru 2, saying, "He boarded a ship moving through frigid Antarctic waters at fifteen knots in the dark of night. He jumped from a jet ski to the harpoon vessel, slipped and fell into the sea, was picked up and attempted the boarding a second time, past sharp anti-boarding spikes and netting. He remained on the ship for nearly two hours until sunrise when he calmly knocked on the door of the wheelhouse and presented himself to the captain who sank his ship."
"He has been charged with obstructing business despite the fact that the business he was obstructing is illegal under international conservation law and despite the fact that the whaling is supposed to be for research and not a business," says Watson.
"He is being charged with damage to property for cutting a hole in a net to board the ship that destroyed our vessel valued at US$3 million, Watson said.
Watson points out that Bethune is charged under an obscure law called the Sword Control Law, the same law that Emperor Meiji introduced in 1865 to confiscate the swords from the samurai. The knife that Bethune used to cut the net to board the ship is being categorized as a sword.
Watson says the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society will help provide Bethune with the best legal defense possible, and stand by his family while he is a prisoner.
"We are presently rallying our resources, raising funds, and preparing to return to the Southern Ocean next December," said Watson. "I already have a dozen volunteers willing to board Japanese whaling ships next season, willing to be taken prisoner, and willing to sacrifice their freedom and risk their lives for the whales."
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