Sea Shepherd stays afloat

An unscheduled meeting between Japan’s whalers and environmental activists on the high seas seems an unlikely backdrop to an outbreak of détente.


But Australia was quietly celebrating a minor victory for diplomacy on Tuesday after Japan agreed to release three anti-whaling activists who illegally boarded one of its whaling ships over the weekend.


The trio, all Australian citizens, have been detained on the Shonan Maru 2, which is providing security to the fleet, after clambering aboard early Sunday morning to protest Japan’s annual hunts in the Antarctic. The International Whaling Commission banned commercial whaling in 1986 but allows Japan to hunt a limited number of whales for “scientific research.” The fleet left port last month with plans to kill some 900 whales this season.


Doug Tompkins, co-founder of the global clothing brands Esprit and North Face, paid a six-figure fuel bill.
Mr Watson rejected a request to name other major donors, but said key finances came from people who pledged monthly donations.
In Australia the family of Steve Irwin maintains strong ties with Mr Watson.
Hollywood actors including Sean Connery, Pierce Brosnan, Sean Penn and Martin Sheen are on an advisory board.
Some base funding comes from the Dutch national lottery, which allocates €500,000 ($A635,000) annually. And this year, Sea Shepherd is receiving a $750,000 ''access fee'' from reality TV show makers.
In Australia it held several fundraisers including a gathering of 700 in Geelong in November organised by Cameron Ling, the captain of the reigning AFL premiership team. World champion surfer Stephanie Gilmore was also there. Mr Watson predicted this event would put the national tour within reach of a $250,000 target.
But Sea Shepherd is frustrated it cannot get deductible charity status in Australia, and the organisation has just been lumbered with a big GST bill.
The Tax Office argues that Sea Shepherd does not fit the ''animal welfare'' category, which requires a charity to rescue and rehabilitate wildlife.
And an additional slug came when Customs decided in December that Sea Shepherd's ships should be charged stores duty and GST for voyages to the Antarctic that touched on no other country.