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Iceland has ordered the expulsion of 21 anti-whaling activists held in Reykjavik since last week after their ship was seized while pursuing a whaling vessel, police told the AFP news agency on Wednesday.
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The Bandero, a ship belonging to a foundation led by animal rights activist Paul Watson, was boarded by Icelandic authorities off the island nation’s coast after it obstructed the operations of one of Iceland’s last remaining whaling ships, the Hvalur 9.
“All crew members of the Bandero have now been served notice of a decision on expulsion and a re-entry ban,” police spokesman Gunnar Runar Sveinbjornsson told AFP in an email.
One of those aboard the Bandero told AFP the activists had initially intended to ram the whaling ship but were too slow and instead launched an inflatable boat to deploy a net that would damage the whaling ship’s propellers. That also failed.
Icelandic police have accused the activists of “suspected violations of international law of the sea and endangering maritime security” and requested their expulsion and a ban on their return to Iceland.
Those aboard the Bandero included Americans, Brazilians, French and Spanish, according to a list provided by the Captain Paul Watson Foundation.
Paul Watson was not on board.
The crew had been confined to the vessel in the Reykjavik port but police said Wednesday they could now leave the ship.
The foundation said their vessel had been in international waters when boarded.
It said the crew’s detention was excessive and denounced the seizure of their phones.
Iceland is one of the only countries that still allows commercial whaling. Norway and Japan are the others.
The Icelandic government plans to introduce a bill this autumn aimed at banning the practice.
Additional sources • AFP