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.
3 News
source: newshub archive
