Tokyo says whaling activist hurt crew

New Zealand anti-whaling activist Peter Bethune has been called a political prisoner by the Sea Shepherd organisation, after four extra charges were laid against him in Japan.

Mr Bethune, who is in custody in Tokyo after illegally boarding a Japanese whaling boat, faced a trespass charge after his arrest on March 12.

But the Japan Coast Guard has now added charges of assault, illegal possession of a knife, destruction of property and obstruction of business.

The Coast Guard alleged he injured some of the crew by throwing bottles of highly acidic chemicals at the Japanese ship, Japanese NHK broadcaster said.

Sea Shepherd said the projectiles were rancid butter stink bombs.

Assault and business obstruction charges carry a prison term of up to 15 years or a fine up to 500,000 yen ($7260). Trespassing can bring a prison term of up to three years or a fine of up to 100,000 yen.

Mr Bethune jumped aboard the Shonan Maru No 2 from a jet ski in February during Japan's annual whale hunt. His ship, the Ady Gil, had earlier been run over and cut in two by the Shonan Maru No 2, and he had boarded the larger vessel to confront the captain and give him a bill for the damage.

Mr Bethune's United States-based lawyer, Dan Harris, said the basis for some of the charges was unclear.

It was frustrating that Japan had overlooked what appeared to be the intentional sinking of the Ady Gil.

"Under international law, the Japanese maritime authorities are supposed to investigate major accidents at sea involving Japanese vessels, and near as we can tell they have completely ignored that law and done nothing in terms of investigating."

Meanwhile, Australia has expressed alarm at New Zealand support for a plan to allow limited commercial whaling, saying Canberra could not accept the proposal before the International Whaling Commission.

Foreign Minister Murray McCully said on Thursday that New Zealanders needed to put emotion aside and accept that different countries and cultures had different takes on whaling.

He said a compromise between pro- and anti-whaling nations was the only realistic goal to push for.

The "acceptable" part of any compromise was yet to be agreed to, but it would have to involve a big reduction in the annual whale cull, and that was the mandate the Government had given New Zealand's negotiating team.

Australian Environment Minister Peter Garrett said Canberra, which has threatened to take Tokyo to the International Court of Justice unless it stops its annual whale hunts in Antarctica by November, would not accept any deal.

"I am alarmed and very concerned that New Zealand would support a proposal that is flawed and represents a huge compromise to pro-whaling nations," he said.

"Australia cannot support the 'compromise package' now being discussed in the IWC."

- NZPA