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NZ apply pressure to Japan over Ady Gil crash

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Mon, 10 May 2010 9:22a.m.

The New Zealand Government is putting pressure on Japan to participate in an investigation into the sinking of an anti-whaling vessel, Prime Minister John Key revealed this morning.

TVNZ reported yesterday that Japanese authorities were refusing to cooperate with a Maritime New Zealand investigation into the Southern Ocean collision in January between a Japanese whaling boat and the anti-whaling protest vessel Ady Gil. An Australian investigation could not reach conclusions after the Japanese refused to participate.

Protest organisation Sea Shepherd's high-tech powerboat was sliced in two and sank in a collision with Shonan Maru II in January.

"The position from New Zealand's perspective is that Maritime New Zealand undertakes that inquiry," Mr Key said on Breakfast on TV One this morning.

"I have heard, and I do know, that information has been slow but the Foreign Minister Murray McCully has been in touch with his counterparts in Japan and I think he's going to go and ask the Japanese ambassador to come in again this week.

"It is important that all of that information is given to Maritime New Zealand so they can make a fair assessment, as best they can, of what went on."

MNZ spokeswoman Sophie Hazelhurst yesterday would not comment on the New Zealand investigation.

"All we can say at this stage is that our investigation is ongoing."

Ms Hazelhurst said the inquiry still had some way to go, and that the findings would be made public once it was completed.

Mr Key said Ady Gil captain Peter Bethune continued to receive consular assistance while in jail in Japan. Cpt Bethune boarded the Japanese ship before dawn from a jet ski with the stated intention of making a citizen's arrest of Shonan Maru captain Hiroyuki Komiya for what he said was the attempted murder of his six crew.

Cpt Bethune also presented the Japanese whalers with a $US3 million ($NZ4.3 million) bill for his futuristic carbon-and-kevlar trimaran Ady Gil over the January 6 collision.

He faces a trial on charges of trespass, causing injury, vandalism, carrying a knife and obstructing commercial activities.

NZPA

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Comments

13 May 2010 05:51p.m.

Janetta wrote:

LOOK AT THE VIDEO! clearly it was the sea shepards fault and someone could've been hurt all because of somebodys stupid action that could've been prevented.Dan there are other countries where Japan can import to and by chucking away your japanese electronics won't make much difference except your probably contributing to damaging the environment!

10 May 2010 10:59p.m.

LB wrote:

Dan,
They could hurt us more than we could ever hurt them thats why the Government hasnt acted strong against the Japanese Government.

10 May 2010 03:32p.m.

johnmillan wrote:

Dan! I wonder if you drive a Japanese car,use a japanese made phone,watch a japanese made television,use a japanese component computer,Fly on boeing aircrafts that have japanese instruments on board,if you can answer yes too any of those Questions you should go outside and trash them.whilst at it where did you get our seas from,they were hundreds of nautical miles off our shores.

10 May 2010 03:27p.m.

Jim wrote:

Totally correct johnmillan. I especially like your French Nuclear Testing scenario.
Dan - Who will be isolated?!!!

10 May 2010 12:48p.m.

Dan wrote:

To cover up for their mistakes and the intentional sinking of Ady Gil, the Japanese refuse to come to the table. Ban Japanese products, stop exporting our goods to them and finally do not allow them into our seas. Lets see how long they can survive in isolation.

10 May 2010 10:18a.m.

johnmillan wrote:

Japan should stand firm on the behaviour shown by the kiwis who go out of their 12 mile zone and disrupt the foreign shipping rights.If you was to try cutting off another car at a intersection and get involved in an accident who is in the wrong.With a vessel at sea it can take some time too try and aviod a foolish act that has been shown by the sea Shepherd!s crew,they had the power to have pulled away from the Japanese vessel.This act is nothing more than too try and upset two nations who have been able to work together since war end.What about our own trawlers killing off Dolphins and other sea species by the hundreds,nothing said about that,Pair trawling that goes on in our waters,nothing said about that either.Just like deer hunting soon they will become instinct,are we worried about that?It is so obvious that the Sea Shepherd!s choice of going out there was to create a dissuptive act and came off second best.If at the Atol when the French were doing their testing,and the Rainbow Worrior had got blown to pieces, after all the warnings that had been given,Who!s fault would that have been?.
If Crew and the owner of the Sea Shepherd want to start another war,as this is a act of terrorism on the high seas.