Greenpeace activist to be tried for piracy in Japan?

[Mully]

I guess you'd need a bloody big tank bag to ride home with that takeaway!

Have you tried whale on a stick - that's hard to carry.

A bit weird trying to conduct a "citizens arrest" on the high seas. The end result should be entertaining.

Yeah - I'm still more amused by him presenting the bloke with a bill.

[Mikkel]

A New Zealander has been detained on a foreighn vessel. The Government has an obligation to offer assistance to it's nationals where applicable reguardles off the offence.

Assist yes. But if the other country plays it by the book the government can't really do a whole lot without causing a diplomatic incident. In some cases the assistance might consist of arranging the person in question to serve their prison sentence on home soil, negotiating around a death penalty or such. It doesn't mean that the NZ government is obliged to demand that an apprehended national be handed over to NZ authority.

A bit weird trying to conduct a "citizens arrest" on the high seas. The end result should be entertaining.

If I'd been the captain I would have been sorely tempted to have a play at pirates and then make him walk the plank.

[rainman]

For instance, I can't see how you can be happy to assert that the Japanese vessel rammed Ady Gil (i.e. deliberately and solely caused the accident). A collision occurred, we've all seen the videos - but what went before that short glimpse we don't know.

Fair cop, in a sense - however I'm pretty convinced from the various bits of video around that the Japs were in the wrong. Note this is not ideology but my best assessment of the evidence I've seen. Yes I could be wrong (as could all those holding the contrary position), but at least there is some evidence for this view, unlike the statements I was initially referring to.

[JimO]

Fair cop, in a sense - however I'm pretty convinced from the various bits of video around that the Japs were in the wrong. Note this is not ideology but my best assessment of the evidence I've seen. Yes I could be wrong (as could all those holding the contrary position), but at least there is some evidence for this view, unlike the statements I was initially referring to.

if SS wernt there it wouldnt have happened

[rainman]

if SS wernt there it wouldnt have happened

Um, yeah, ok - but it the Japanese whalers weren't there it wouldn't have happened either.

[FJRider]

The whole saga of the collision, reminds me of pre-start manoeuvres in the America's Cup races ... trying to keep inside the "rules" and penaltys/protests to those that dont .... and in International (Antarctic) waters ... not the best place to play that game ...

[davereid]

The NZ Government or any other for that matter do not have any authority in international waters....A New Zealander has been detained on a foreighn vessel. The Government has an obligation to offer assistance to it's nationals where applicable reguardles off the offence....Skyryder

Yes, the NZ government have to assist, just as they would have to if he were arrested in Mainland Japan.

But the Ady Gill being NZ flagged is not relevant, as it wasn't even there. It was some 12km (vertically) away.

I did a bit of googling. As far as I can tell, piracy charges are tricky to make stick, and generally no one bothers pressing them.

But if they do stick, its life sentence time.

Much better than it used to be - the gallows (and or) drawing and quartering (and or) the gibbet.

[Swoop]

I did a bit of googling. As far as I can tell, piracy charges are tricky to make stick, and generally no one bothers pressing them.

If you have been following the Somalian pirate issue, there is a lot of precedent for pirates being sent back to their own country. Far too difficult to deal with.
Being Japan... messing with "their" seafood supply will be seen as the issue.
They need to go back to culturally acceptable ways of gathering whales. Small boats and spears.

Have you tried whale on a stick - that's hard to carry.

Don't get me started on whale kebabs... they are flippin' heavy and you need a forklift to turn them over on the bbq.

[Tank]

I know a lot of you dont read - but you do know that he is not detained?? and that the japs initially didnt want to take him back.

He is refusing to leave the ship. Thus forcing their hand,

Why should the NZ g'ment get involved - the japs are quite happy to treat him well and let him go whenever he wants - the fact that he has decided he does not want to leave and is causing a fuss should not require the g'ment (and our tax dollars).

So fuck him.

[Mikkel]

Yes I could be wrong (as could all those holding the contrary position), but at least there is some evidence for this view, unlike the statements I was initially referring to.

I could be wrong too. But a few points to consider:

1) The Ady Gil being rammed by the Shonan Maru is a bit like a fly getting squashed by a hydraulic press. They should have been able to get out of the way easily (provided the ship was operational).

2) Massive media coverage was achieved (at least at these latitudes), and SS are massive attention whores - I don't think anyone is going to contest those facts. Whether their motivation is a noble cause or not is completely irrelevant.

3) The Ady Gil was insured - although the amount and whether it will be paid out is information I am not privy to. There are rumours about a wealthy benefactor being willing to chip in for a new Ady Gil as well...

So, my point is this: Even if it wasn't a deliberate act, the incident has not in any way damaged Sea Shepherd's cause - unless you happen to be somewhat critical of terrorists, in which case you probably didn't think highly of SS already. If the incident had been staged intentionally by SS they would be very cunning indeed - but, I agree, that's probably giving them too much credit.

But the Ady Gill being NZ flagged is not relevant, as it wasn't even there. It was some 12km (vertically) away.

The Mariana trench is slightly further north - and even at spring tide and with the worst case scenario for rising sea levels we'll be at least several hundred meters short of 12 km.

[onearmedbandit]

I know a lot of you dont read - but you do know that he is not detained?? and that the japs initially didnt want to take him back.

He is refusing to leave the ship. Thus forcing their hand,

Why should the NZ g'ment get involved - the japs are quite happy to treat him well and let him go whenever he wants - the fact that he has decided he does not want to leave and is causing a fuss should not require the g'ment (and our tax dollars).

So fuck him.

+1. Surely if the SS were following the Japanese ship he is on, the Japanese could just send them a message that they'll find their man bobbing about in the ocean after a 'most vely unfoltunate srip off boat'?

[Swoop]

+1. Surely if the SS were following the Japanese ship he is on, the Japanese could just send them a message that they'll find their man bobbing about in the ocean after a 'most vely unfoltunate srip off boat'?

More likely that he would be thrown overboard for being an "undersized catch".

[Marmoot]

He is refusing to leave the ship.

Because where else can you get a whale steak?

[mashman]

Because where else can you get a whale steak?

Norway?...

[marty]

UNITED NATIONS CONVENTION ON THE LAW OF THE SEA


Article110\
Right of visit
.......deleted
Best I can do.

Thanks for that. I would think that breaching a convention is not necessarily an act of piracy. Bethune can probably be held for the breach, but what is he to be charged with?