Bethune quits Sea Shepherd over lies

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Bethune quits Sea Shepherd over lies

3News NZ

Pete Bethune has quit Sea Shepherd over what he calls 'lies'

Pete Bethune has quit Sea Shepherd over what he calls 'lies'

By Juliet Speedy

A bitter online feud has erupted between the anti-whaling organisation Sea Shepherd and the New Zealand skipper whose protest boat was rammed by a Japanese whaling ship.

Pete Bethune has blasted Sea Shepherd and its leader Paul Watson, describing them as ‘dishonest’ and ‘morally bankrupt’.

Pete Bethune resigned from the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society in an open letter on his Facebook page today; he says he can no longer represent a group that deliberately misleads and lies.

“It's gradually dawned on me how bad they are, every month there's another big lie floating around,” he wrote.

Bethune was captain of the anti-whaling vessel Ady Gil that was rammed by Japanese whaling ship the Shonan Maru 2 earlier this year.

Bethune boarded the ship to protest but was arrested, and spent four months in a Japanese jail.

He was eventually given a suspended sentence and was deported to New Zealand.

Bethune now says he was directed by Sea Shepherd admiral Paul Watson to deliberately sink the Ady Gil after it was hit by the Japanese ship.

“It was done for PR purposes and after the sinking I wasn't allowed to talk to anyone about it and I wasn't even allowed to visit Ady Gil,” he says.

“This is Ady Gil's boat and I've got to keep it a secret from him.”

Sea Shepherd expelled Bethune during his trial in Japan but later retracted their comments saying they had done so to help his case. Bethune says that too is lies.

“And it didn't assist my trial at all; the lawyer said it portrayed me as dishonest,” he says.

Bethune says senior Sea Shepherd personnel routinely lie and conspire over serious matters and his resignation letter points out many of these.

3 News couldn't contact Mr Watson, but he's sure to have his own take on what's gone from the war on whales, to a war of words.

3 News

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Comments

7/01/2013 8:00:48 p.m.

Dave wrote:

I love the sea shepherds. They are doing great things and should be encouraged. They are saving whales and that's all that matters. HELP the sea shepherds fundraise for them. My website is david early at kilu LONG LIVE THE SEA SHEPARDED

1/07/2012 11:09:18 a.m.

Alex wrote:

Here come the unavoidable fragmentation again... Paul leaves Greenpeace and creates his own conservation organization, then Pete leaves Paul and form his own too.
Division is the biggest enemy of conservation. All the despicable Japanese have to do is to wait long enough, and wait for these people to tear each other apart. The thinking ape is a curious, vicious, exploitative and devious creature after all...

15/05/2012 2:58:31 a.m.

Ben wrote:

To Nessie down below. If your group lies and is constantly found to be lying to the point they are seen as nothing but a bunch of ineffective media chasing loons, exactly what does that do to help stop the issue? Exactly what has he done? All his plans revolve around blocking transfers of already dead whales and prompts Japan to go get more. How is his plan to bankrupt the organization in any way a legitimate goal since the Japanese government funds the program? Where is Watson the rest of the year when Japan is whaling else where? How immoral can the group be for a moral cause before it's no longer moral? Watson's morals can be likened to the allies in WWII firebombing Dresden. Wipe out a city of civilians for very little practical gain. All Watson is doing is continuously shooting the animal rights cause in the foot, thank god he's in jail

13/05/2012 1:43:49 a.m.

Ken wrote:

Paul Watson is a terrorist and should be in jail. He's no different than Jim Jones. He suckers these dumb idiotic people into following him and doing his dirty work. These other countries don't abide by our laws. If they want to eat whales they are going to eat them. These fools run around the world crying save the whales but yet for the most part are probably the sames ones aborting human babies and talking about how right that is. What a bunch of blind fools. I'll tell you what's going to happen. Big butt Paul, "he may not eat meat but he's eating a lot of something", is going to keep on and one of these people are going to kill him. Either that or he'll cause one of his followers to get killed or they will eventually kill someone else. If an eskimo wants to eat a whale I say more power to him and guess what if that's all that's around and I had a chance I'll eat one also. I just wonder what's next for these idiots? I can't understand why they're not in jail. The Sea Shepard people are a cult. There's no telling what goes on when the camara stops rolling on that ship. They worship big pauly like he's their god. What a sad and sick bunch. Don't drink the cool-aid.

8/05/2012 4:28:18 a.m.

Jerry wrote:

Several former Sea Shepherd crew members, including former first-mate Peter Brown, have described their activities as "street theater". Like many organizations, they started out in good faith with a worthy cause, but eventually devolved into PR stunts and dueling propaganda, until their credibility was almost nonexistent.

I applaud their core mission, but I don't put much faith in anything they say or show on film.

28/04/2012 7:47:06 p.m.

Jls wrote:

I donot think for him to order this is insane. It makes sense and goes along with what i have seen in him. He sets out to stop them, which is wonderful, i support that. But, he goes way too far and intentionally puts the fishermen in danger, and has said they will not draw a line anywhere. He is, with the ret of the shepards, a pirate!

5/11/2011 8:01:49 a.m.

Nessie wrote:

I love Sea Shepherd, who gives if they lie? They are the only ones trying to save the whales, everyone else doesn't care. They are a huge impact on us, and they are great , stfu bethune, as Paul Watson says , protesting gets you nowhere, and its true.. Like greenpeace does? They do nothing but just protest, Sea Shepherd risk their lives for whales, they dont protest , they do tactics, and they dont care what happens between the police and them. I love them and you all should too. The Whales deserve to live here just as much as we do, ALL THE POACHING ANIMAL VESSELS SHOULD SINK.

8/10/2011 7:35:28 p.m.

shae wrote:

the sea shepherd is a pirate vessel and should be sunk

6/08/2011 6:12:06 p.m.

Randy wrote:

Mike ole buddy, you plainly have your head up your arse.Did you read your statement "The Japanese kill a very very minute percentage of those whale species every year." Based on what??? your estimate?? horseshit mate. I am 46 and I can remember when sperm whale were almost wiped from the planet for good. Don't talk if your not old enough to remember. And lets not forget, whales are sentient beings that have feelings and feel pain. Lets shoot you with a harpoon and see if you think its OK? Paul Watson has devoted his entire life to these beautiful animals you dumb IDIOT! LONG LIVE SEA SHEPHERD !

5/06/2011 1:18:07 a.m.

Alex wrote:

Some people are missing the point, these whales are endangered. If whaling ships continue to kill whales at this rate then they will become extinct. It is bad for the environment when any species goes extinct, that is just common sense and something people can learn in a high school class. Perhaps if there were a plethora of whales in the ocean then one could argue that whaling should be permittable, however if the species goes extinct it will negatively impact everyone on the planet.