Sea Shepherd Crew Continue to Be Held Hostage by Japan

Sea Shepherd volunteers Benjamin Potts 28, of Australia and Giles Lane 35, from Great Britain continue to be held hostage onboard the Japanese whaling vessel Yushin Maru No. 2.

The harpoon vessel has fled from the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society ship Steve Irwin and is now beyond radar range. The location of the crew being held hostage is presently unknown.

Captain Paul Watson has had a few conversations with the Australian Federal police but has not heard anything from the Australian government.

The Japanese have denied that the two crew members were tied up to the mast of the ship despite video and photos proving that they were indeed tied up. The Japanese claim that the two had attacked the ship. They did not. Sea Shepherd crewmembers did toss stink bombs onto the deck of the Yushin Maru No. 2 and did try to stop the whaler with fouling lines in order to free the hostages. The two men being held did not participate in any confrontations with the whaling ship.

The Sea Shepherd crew have been chasing the whalers for six days and during that time not a single whale has been killed. The entire whaling fleet is scattered and running from the Steve Irwin.

"Every day we stop the whaling is a victory for the whales and us," said Captain Paul Watson.