Japanese whalers win $2.55 million
The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society has agreed to pay US$2.55 million to two Japanese organizations that kill whales.
The payment comes after Sea Shepherd and founder Paul Watson were found in civil contempt last December of a temporary injunction for its vessels to stay 500 yards away from Japanese whaling vessels in the Southern Ocean.
In exchange for the $2.55 million, Japan’s Institute for Cetacean Research and the Kyodo Senpaku will dismiss their action in the U.S. courts for more than $4.1 million in damages against Sea Shepherd, the three parties said Monday.
“Sea Shepherd admitted in court that the vessels Steve Irwin, Bob Barker, Sam Simon and Brigitte Bardot all breached the 500-yard perimeter established by the court,” the two Japanese organizations said.
The Japanese Institute of Cetacean Research carries out lethal whaling for “research” purposes and Kyodo Senpaku collects, processes and sells whale byproducts for the institute.
The agreement comes after the U.S. Supreme Court announced it would not hear an appeal of the contempt finding against Sea Shepherd. The justices let stand a lower-court ruling that said Sea Shepherd and Watson violated a court order to stop their dangerous protests.
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled last year the transfer of assets and control of Sea Shepherd to Australia and other countries did not change its 2012 order to the group to cease its dangerous activities. It said Sea Shepherd’s U.S. affiliate could be found liable for aiding and abetting the organization’s foreign offices to violate the court’s injunction.
The Japanese whalers were demanding $2 million in damages and lawyers’ fees. The settlement figure of $2.55 million must be paid on or before July 1, 2015.
“Sea Shepherd does not agree with the 9th Circuit’s holding that it was in contempt, but ... we are very pleased to be putting the contempt action behind us,” said Claire Loebs Davis, a Sea Shepherd lawyer.