Anti-whaling activists 'imperil crew'

This article was published in The Australian 8 January 2010

Anti-whaling activists on the Sea Shepherd are renowned for operating on the outer edge of the law, endangering the lives of their crew, and could be expected to ramp up activity following their dramatic clash with Japanese whalers in the Southern Ocean.

Australian National University international law professor Donald Rothwell said the protest group walked a fine line when it came to the safety of its crew, and if its members were responsible, they would have stopped dangerous tactics long before Wednesday's crash between the Shonan Maru No 2 and the Sea Shepherd's Ady Gil.

"Clearly, their actions do imperil their crew members," Professor Rothwell said. "They have a bit of a track record in that regard."

He said the Australian government should send the Customs vessel Oceanic Viking to the Southern Ocean to monitor the situation. "We face the prospect that Sea Shepherd will up their actions over the next few weeks . . . Australia should take some responsibility in terms of trying to calm the situation, plus the vessel could aid and assist if there is a maritime safety emergency," Professor Rothwell said.