Sea Shepherd Crew Arrested for Releasing Dolphins

TAIJI, Japan, November 18, 2003 (ENS) - Two members of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society were arrested today by police in Taiji, Japan for interfering with the annual dolphin roundup, the international organization said.

Sea Shepherd crewmembers Allison Lance-Watson of the United States, the wife of Sea Shepherd founder and president Captain Paul Watson, and Alex Cornelissen of the Netherlands were arrested in the small fishing village in the southern part of mainland Japan, near the city of Osaka.

Lance-Watson and Cornelissen dove into the cold waters of the bay where 15 adult, adolescent and baby dolphins had been herded and penned by Japanese fishermen, the organization said in a statement.

Swimming for over an hour, the two crewmembers untied and lowered sections of the net, creating an escape route for the dolphins.

Both crewmembers were immediately arrested as they swam to shore and taken to the nearby Shingu police station for questioning. Two other Sea Shepherd crewmembers remain in the area.

The Wakayama Prefecture Police are investigating allegations that the Taiji fishermen have recently killed endangered Melon Headed whales, which the Sea Shepherd says is in violation of international conservation laws, treaties and conventions. Footage of this incident is en-route to Sea Shepherd headquarters in California.

Taiji was the center of international attention in on October 6 as Sea Shepherd crewmembers filmed and photographed the slaughter of over 60 striped dolphins in the inner coves of the village.

Taiji fishermen pull dead dolphins from the water. October 6, 2003. (Photo courtesy Sea Shepherd)

The images of fishermen spearing and hooking dolphins sparked protest demonstrations on November 4 in 22 cities. Japanese embassies and consulates were handed petitions and letters of opposition to the traditional dolphin hunt. Another international protest is planned for December 10.

The Taiji fishermen know that while Sea Shepherd crew remain in the area, they cannot kill dolphins without risking media exposure, a form of embarrassment in Japanese culture. While it is not illegal under Japanese law to document dolphin slaughter, the fishermen have taken steps to obscure the view or make it illegal to stand on the rocks above the killing coves.

The Sea Shepherd crew is on a daily 24 hour watch of the harbor to prevent another departure of the Japanese dolphin fleet.

Only two Japanese prefectures, Wakayama and Shizuoka, permit coastal dolphin kills. Communities like Taiji promote themselves as whaling towns and have invested in whale museums, and other whale related attractions to draw tourists.

The International Whaling Commission, which bans commercial whaling worldwide, does not regulate dolphin catches.