The Ady Gil after its collision with Japanese whaling ship Shonan Maru 2 (Reuters / Sea Shepherd file)
Pete
Bethune and the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society have settled a
long-running legal battle which involves a financial settlement in
exchange for assistance in an extradition case.
The dispute began after the Ady Gil vessel was
damaged in the 2010 Sea Shepherd campaign while trying to stop Japanese
whaling in Antarctica.
The trimaran collided with Japanese vessel Shonan Maru 2, causing it to sink.
An agreement signed by both parties in 2009 stated
if the Ady Gil was lost or destroyed, Sea Shepherd would make payments
to Mr Bethune, the skipper of the trimaran.
The two parties were disputing the payment and the amount owed.
Mr Bethune, founder of Earthcare Conservation, last year said he was suing the Sea Shepherd group for money owed from the sale of the Ady Gil to Sea Shepherd.
The agreement grants Mr
Bethune a financial settlement of US$500,000 plus interest and costs, on
the condition he helps Sea Shepherd ensure their founder Paul Watson is
not extradited to Japan where an Interpol red notice has been issued
against him.
Mr Bethune is pleased with the result of the case.
"Fighting
between individuals and organisations that are fundamentally working
towards the same goals is a waste of time, money and effort that could
be better spent protecting marine life and environments," he says.
"This
settlement means that I will be able to repay all those who have been
so generous in helping me keep my head above water, as well as all those
who have steadfastly supported me throughout this whole episode,
especially all the Earthcare volunteers. Without that support, I would
have been sunk, much like the Ady Gil."
Sea Shepherd believes the Interpol red notice is politically motivated and that the allegations against Mr Watson are false.
Mr
Bethune was convicted of five offences by a court and spent five months
in a maximum security prison in Japan following Sea Shepherd’s 2010
campaign. He says Japan’s allegations against Mr Watson are essentially
false or misleading, and he wants the red notice against Mr Watson
lifted.
Sea Shepherd administrative director
Susan Hartland says now the agreement has been settled, both
organisations can "close this chapter in our history and move forward to
support marine wildlife worldwide”.
Sea Shepherd has also been locked in a legal dispute with US businessman and conservationist Ady Gil, who sued Sea Shepherd for US$5 million earlier this year, claiming the trimaran was deliberately sunk.
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