Iceland Arrests 21 Anti-Whaling Activists, Including One Belgian

Icelandic authorities have arrested 21 activists from the Paul Watson Foundation who were protesting against commercial whaling. The activists' ship, the Bandero, has been seized and is currently docked in Reykjavik harbor. Police reportedly intend to deport the activists and ban them from re-entering Iceland.

The incident occurred when the crew of the Icelandic whaling vessel Hvalur 9 requested coast guard assistance, reporting feeling threatened by the Bandero. According to the coast guard, the Bandero ignored directives to leave Icelandic waters and cease its engine. Icelandic coast guard and special police units boarded the ship, arresting the 21 individuals, including one Belgian national. Their phones were confiscated, and they are being held aboard the vessel.

“

after we successfully managed to break up a mission (whaling, ed.) and forced the Hvalur 9 back to the processing factory without it being able to kill whales.

Paul Watson, the foundation's president, stated that the operation took place after activists successfully disrupted a whaling mission, forcing the Hvalur 9 back to its processing factory without catching any whales. The foundation dubbed its activities in Iceland 'Operation 86,' referencing a past incident where Watson's former organization, Sea Shepherd, sank two Icelandic whaling ships in Reykjavik harbor in 1986. This time, the objective was to impede the Hvalur 2, Iceland's last whaling vessel.

Iceland resumed commercial whaling on June 23. Watson is known for his confrontational tactics against whalers, which the Paul Watson Foundation describes as "aggressive non-violence." The organization's website features images of sunken whaling ships, accompanied by a call for donations. Previously, the Bandero was involved in a collision with a krill fishing vessel in Antarctica, which the Norwegian owner alleged was a deliberate attack endangering the crew.

“

We are the only ones who do this.