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Or perhaps I should say "allegations." Still, they're some doozies of an accusation!!
For those of you who are fans of "Whale Wars"... you might be interested to see this.
It's long been known that the renegade Sea Shepherd volunteer Pete Bethune had some social and legal beef with that particular conservation society, after being held in a Japanese detention center and effectively abandoned by the organization. Yet, for understandable/obvious reasons, it's been kept mum to the public. Not anymore. And it's a whopper.
Two days ago, he, and his friend/sponsor Ady Gil (for whom his destroyed boat was christened) posted, under apparent frustration + attack of conscience, an admission to scuttling (read that: "sabotaging") the Ady Gil after it had collided with the Shonan Maru #2, so that it would sink. He claims to have done this under the order of "Admiral" Paul Watson, and under the first-hand supervision of Captain Chuck Swift. Cameras were not allowed to film the event for the popular Animal Planet network show.
In addition to what he claims to be his biggest regret, he also launches several allegations against Sea Shepherd; ranging from feigned ignorance to what he believes should've been obvious events, to outright lying/staging of other events for media attention.... particularly the 1st-season incident of Paul Watson allegedly getting shot by a unknown sniper.
Here's the "confession" in its entirety, typos and all. Bethune has removed it from his own Facebook page, after hundreds of he-said-she-said commentary by other Sea Shepherd members (both for and against him) chimed in. It is however, still visible on Ady Gil's page, where Bethune continues to discuss it with fans/media/etc.
...what say you all?
For those of you who are fans of "Whale Wars"... you might be interested to see this.
It's long been known that the renegade Sea Shepherd volunteer Pete Bethune had some social and legal beef with that particular conservation society, after being held in a Japanese detention center and effectively abandoned by the organization. Yet, for understandable/obvious reasons, it's been kept mum to the public. Not anymore. And it's a whopper.
Two days ago, he, and his friend/sponsor Ady Gil (for whom his destroyed boat was christened) posted, under apparent frustration + attack of conscience, an admission to scuttling (read that: "sabotaging") the Ady Gil after it had collided with the Shonan Maru #2, so that it would sink. He claims to have done this under the order of "Admiral" Paul Watson, and under the first-hand supervision of Captain Chuck Swift. Cameras were not allowed to film the event for the popular Animal Planet network show.
In addition to what he claims to be his biggest regret, he also launches several allegations against Sea Shepherd; ranging from feigned ignorance to what he believes should've been obvious events, to outright lying/staging of other events for media attention.... particularly the 1st-season incident of Paul Watson allegedly getting shot by a unknown sniper.
Here's the "confession" in its entirety, typos and all. Bethune has removed it from his own Facebook page, after hundreds of he-said-she-said commentary by other Sea Shepherd members (both for and against him) chimed in. It is however, still visible on Ady Gil's page, where Bethune continues to discuss it with fans/media/etc.
Pete Bethune Without prejudice
I am writing this in an effort to curb the increasing dishonesty by
SSCS towards myself and the volunteers and supporters of Sea Shepherd.
I am going public regarding the following issues:
...Number One: Deliberate Scuttling ...of Ady Gil
After the ramming of the Ady Gil, Chuck said to me that Paul, the
Admiral of the Sea Shepherd fleet, wanted me to scuttle the Ady Gil.
He said there was no point in towing the boat all the way to the
French base, and that it would be best if the boat was just sunk and
we could get on with chasing the whalers. Later that day, Chuck and I
went to the Ady Gil, and I performed the necessary tasks with Chuck
observing. Ady Gil then gradually took on water, and later that night
she was left to sink, while the Bob Barker moved on to pursue the
fleet.
I felt horrid before, during and after the scuttling and I have felt
terrible about it ever since. It broke me heart to sink a vessel that
had been such a big part of my life, and I also felt we had betrayed
SSCS sponsors, SSCS supporters, Ady Gil, and the public by lying about
it. It was a totally dishonest thing to do and as a conservation
group, the order is a total breach of ethics.
I sincerely regret my role in this. I apologise unreservedly to Ady
Gil, and Sea Shepherd Volunteers and supporters, all of whom I have
let down. It was the wrong thing to do, and while I was under orders
to do so, I should have refused to carry out the instructions. I am
resigning from Sea Shepherd forthwith.
Concern Number 2: The Bow and Arrow
When I met with Paul Watson in July 2009, he gave me permission to
take a Bow and Arrow to Antarctica, with the idea of pasting a poison
on the arrow tips (or fake poison), and firing them into dead whales
while they were being transferred from harpoon vessel to processing
ship. When I met Paul on the Steve Irwin in Antarctica, I confirmed
all tactics, and he again said I had permission to use the bow and
arrow if we came across a suitable situation.
After the Ady Gil was scuttled, crew of the Shonan Maru found four
arrows in the water. SSCS issued a press release denying all knowledge
of the arrows, suggesting instead that the whalers had planted them as
false evidence. There was no need to say anything at all. The story
was the Ady Gil had sunk…not that some arrows had been found. No one
really cared about four arrows when the whalers had explosive harpoons
and 12 gauge shotguns.
In issuing the press release, SSCS was lying to media. It was a
mistake to ever deny the arrows, and the communications debacle since
then has been a total disgrace.
While I was imprisoned in Japan, senior Sea Shepherd people saw that
the bow and arrow was to appear in the first episode of whale wars,
and Lizard Productions refused to delete the scenes. SSCS wrongly felt
they were in for a backlash about perceived violent tactics. They
decided to expel me from SSCS. I have had this meeting verified by two
sources. Chuck Swift falsely claimed in a press release that I took a
banned weapon to Antarctica. Paul Watson then backs up Chuck by
agreeing that he had no knowledge of the bow and arrow, and that yes I
was expelled from SSCS.
Issue #3. The false Expulsion from SSCS
Several people left Sea Shepherd in protest at my treatment, and many
others threatened to never support SSCS again. SSCS then goes into
damage control. It announces they had not really expelled me, but in
fact had done it to assist in my sentencing. Note my lawyers believed
the tactic did not really help my cause, as it portrayed me as
dishonest – it implied for example I had taken a bow and arrow without
the permission of Paul Watson. The lawyers repeatedly told me they had
nothing to do with the expulsion, and they certainly would never have
recommended it.
My legal team in fact only found out about the expulsion after it was
announced to media. My legal team did include the expulsion in court
evidence, reasoning it was now in the public domain, and the Judges
would already be aware of it. But in no way did my legal team ever
request, recommend or suggest that my expulsion would in any way
assist with sentencing.
On getting out of prison, Paul Watson said to me I was not expelled,
and I was welcome back on all future campaigns. Several other senior
SSCS people however confirmed that the expulsion was because of the
bow and arrow, but the increasing backlash against my treatment had
made SSCS come up with a suitable guise – in this case, it was all
part of the master strategy to help with sentencing.
Issue #4. The Secret Agreement with Japanese Judges
In August while I was in LA I said to both Paul that I wished to go on
the next Antarctica campaign. Paul said there were some reservations
about my going to Japan, and he suggested that a deal had been done
with the Japanese judiciary. After several conversations and
subsequent emails, he confirmed we really owed the Japanese nothing, I
could go on the next campaign, I could do my Pacific Yellowfin
project, and SSCS would help to promote and sell my book. A few weeks
later the number of books SSCS would purchase was agreed at 800. This
order was placed on my authors account with the publishers.
Then in September, I was again told that SSCS had made a supposed
secret agreement with Japanese Judges. This entailed my not
participating in another Antarctica campaign, in exchange for a
suspended sentence. This of course is in contrast with Paul and
Laurens’ assurances on my release that I was still a bona fide member
of SSCS and welcome on the next Antarctica campaign. It also
contradicts the email sent from Paul following my release.
I have spoken to lawyers in Japan, a Japanese prosecutor, and several
Japanese Journalists, and all have said it would be impossible for
SSCS to reach any secret deal with the Judges. There is in fact no
evidence to support this. No one knows who made the deal, which judges
it was with, and what the specific terms were. It would represent
interference in the judicial system.
If the head of the biggest Yakuza faction, incidentally some 3 cells
down from mine in the Tokyo Detention Centre, and with many millions
of dollars in assets at his disposal - well if he cannot make a deal
with the Judiciary, what hope does an organisation like SSCS,
routinely derided and despised in Japan as a terrorist organisation,
have of cutting an illegal deal? The answer of course is none. There
was no secret deal with the Judiciary.
My legal team all along said a suspended sentence was inevitable, as
long as I cooperated with the Prosecutor and acted humble and contrite
in court…which I did. If I refused to say anything however, they said
the trial would take years and cost millions. I was advised if I took
the “nobody talks, everybody walks” approach, I would be detained for
a much longer period. So under advice from the legal counsel, I did
agree to things to expedite the trial. This included pleading guilty
to four charges, and acknowledging that Paul Watson was the Admiral of
the fleet and gave instructions to me.
Pete Bethune Issue #5. The faked shooting of Paul Watson
A number of crew on the Bob Barker and Steve Irwin were discussing the
alleged shooting of Paul Watson. In the first series of Whale Wars,
Paul Watson was supposedly shot ...by crew of the Nisshin M...aru.
SSCS Crew present on that voyage argued strongly to me that the entire
episode was faked. I was not on the campaign, so in fact I don't know
if it is in fact true or not. However given what I've witnessed in the
last year, and my knowledge of the Japanese crew, I would bet $500,000
at odds of 10:1, that the event was staged.
The shooting represents just another lie that does little for the
credibility of SSCS. The organisation does not need to lie or be
deceptive to sell its message. The public will support the cause of
stopping whaling, however they will not support SSCS if they become
aware of the many lies the organisation increasingly propagates
through media.
What I am requesting:
What really concerns me most is the apparent moral bankruptcy of
senior SSCS personnel. They routinely conspire and lie over serious
matters, with little regard for people like myself who they malign and
bulldoze along the way. They misrepresent themselves to the public who
are generous enough to support them, and to media who they rely on to
promote their cause.
The short time I have been associated with SSCS, and the sheer number
of lies I’ve witnessed, makes me realise there is a large and
increasing number of skeletons hidden in the SSCS closet. It is time
for this closet to be closed (or opened fully) and for the
organisation to move on.
I am asking that from now on, SSCS determine to act in an honest way
with its volunteers, supporters and media. SSCS does not need to lie.
Saving whales, dolphins, tuna and sharks are noble causes, and the
public will embrace these as worthwhile. The story does not need to be
manipulated and changed in order to get public support.
Secondly, volunteers like myself should be treated honestly and with
respect. If an agreement is made with a volunteer, then it should be
honoured. This process of agreeing to things, only to renege a month
or two later is simply unacceptable for a volunteer organisation.
Since returning home I have been contacted by numerous volunteers all
unhappy at how SSCS has treated them. The sheer number of complaints
suggests that SSCS routinely treats Volunteers with contempt.
As of today, I am resigning from Sea Shepherd. Having been party to
the deliberate sinking of the Ady Gil, I do not deserve the support of
other volunteers and supporters who deserve its members to act with
honesty and integrity. I am also tired of the management team that I
now perceive as morally bankrupt.
My biggest disappointment is I truly love the many Sea Shepherd
volunteers and supporters who have made such a massive impact,
especially in shining the spotlight on Japanese whaling. I hope that
from here, the organisation can regroup and move forward with resolve
and purpose, and with a new modus operandi that has it dealing
honestly with volunteers, supporters and media. There is no one else
currently in Antarctica stopping whaling, and so Sea Shepherd has a
vital role to play. They also have an obligation however to be true to
the people that provide labour, funding and resource for the
organisation to survive.
I am writing this in an effort to curb the increasing dishonesty by
SSCS towards myself and the volunteers and supporters of Sea Shepherd.
I am going public regarding the following issues:
...Number One: Deliberate Scuttling ...of Ady Gil
After the ramming of the Ady Gil, Chuck said to me that Paul, the
Admiral of the Sea Shepherd fleet, wanted me to scuttle the Ady Gil.
He said there was no point in towing the boat all the way to the
French base, and that it would be best if the boat was just sunk and
we could get on with chasing the whalers. Later that day, Chuck and I
went to the Ady Gil, and I performed the necessary tasks with Chuck
observing. Ady Gil then gradually took on water, and later that night
she was left to sink, while the Bob Barker moved on to pursue the
fleet.
I felt horrid before, during and after the scuttling and I have felt
terrible about it ever since. It broke me heart to sink a vessel that
had been such a big part of my life, and I also felt we had betrayed
SSCS sponsors, SSCS supporters, Ady Gil, and the public by lying about
it. It was a totally dishonest thing to do and as a conservation
group, the order is a total breach of ethics.
I sincerely regret my role in this. I apologise unreservedly to Ady
Gil, and Sea Shepherd Volunteers and supporters, all of whom I have
let down. It was the wrong thing to do, and while I was under orders
to do so, I should have refused to carry out the instructions. I am
resigning from Sea Shepherd forthwith.
Concern Number 2: The Bow and Arrow
When I met with Paul Watson in July 2009, he gave me permission to
take a Bow and Arrow to Antarctica, with the idea of pasting a poison
on the arrow tips (or fake poison), and firing them into dead whales
while they were being transferred from harpoon vessel to processing
ship. When I met Paul on the Steve Irwin in Antarctica, I confirmed
all tactics, and he again said I had permission to use the bow and
arrow if we came across a suitable situation.
After the Ady Gil was scuttled, crew of the Shonan Maru found four
arrows in the water. SSCS issued a press release denying all knowledge
of the arrows, suggesting instead that the whalers had planted them as
false evidence. There was no need to say anything at all. The story
was the Ady Gil had sunk…not that some arrows had been found. No one
really cared about four arrows when the whalers had explosive harpoons
and 12 gauge shotguns.
In issuing the press release, SSCS was lying to media. It was a
mistake to ever deny the arrows, and the communications debacle since
then has been a total disgrace.
While I was imprisoned in Japan, senior Sea Shepherd people saw that
the bow and arrow was to appear in the first episode of whale wars,
and Lizard Productions refused to delete the scenes. SSCS wrongly felt
they were in for a backlash about perceived violent tactics. They
decided to expel me from SSCS. I have had this meeting verified by two
sources. Chuck Swift falsely claimed in a press release that I took a
banned weapon to Antarctica. Paul Watson then backs up Chuck by
agreeing that he had no knowledge of the bow and arrow, and that yes I
was expelled from SSCS.
Issue #3. The false Expulsion from SSCS
Several people left Sea Shepherd in protest at my treatment, and many
others threatened to never support SSCS again. SSCS then goes into
damage control. It announces they had not really expelled me, but in
fact had done it to assist in my sentencing. Note my lawyers believed
the tactic did not really help my cause, as it portrayed me as
dishonest – it implied for example I had taken a bow and arrow without
the permission of Paul Watson. The lawyers repeatedly told me they had
nothing to do with the expulsion, and they certainly would never have
recommended it.
My legal team in fact only found out about the expulsion after it was
announced to media. My legal team did include the expulsion in court
evidence, reasoning it was now in the public domain, and the Judges
would already be aware of it. But in no way did my legal team ever
request, recommend or suggest that my expulsion would in any way
assist with sentencing.
On getting out of prison, Paul Watson said to me I was not expelled,
and I was welcome back on all future campaigns. Several other senior
SSCS people however confirmed that the expulsion was because of the
bow and arrow, but the increasing backlash against my treatment had
made SSCS come up with a suitable guise – in this case, it was all
part of the master strategy to help with sentencing.
Issue #4. The Secret Agreement with Japanese Judges
In August while I was in LA I said to both Paul that I wished to go on
the next Antarctica campaign. Paul said there were some reservations
about my going to Japan, and he suggested that a deal had been done
with the Japanese judiciary. After several conversations and
subsequent emails, he confirmed we really owed the Japanese nothing, I
could go on the next campaign, I could do my Pacific Yellowfin
project, and SSCS would help to promote and sell my book. A few weeks
later the number of books SSCS would purchase was agreed at 800. This
order was placed on my authors account with the publishers.
Then in September, I was again told that SSCS had made a supposed
secret agreement with Japanese Judges. This entailed my not
participating in another Antarctica campaign, in exchange for a
suspended sentence. This of course is in contrast with Paul and
Laurens’ assurances on my release that I was still a bona fide member
of SSCS and welcome on the next Antarctica campaign. It also
contradicts the email sent from Paul following my release.
I have spoken to lawyers in Japan, a Japanese prosecutor, and several
Japanese Journalists, and all have said it would be impossible for
SSCS to reach any secret deal with the Judges. There is in fact no
evidence to support this. No one knows who made the deal, which judges
it was with, and what the specific terms were. It would represent
interference in the judicial system.
If the head of the biggest Yakuza faction, incidentally some 3 cells
down from mine in the Tokyo Detention Centre, and with many millions
of dollars in assets at his disposal - well if he cannot make a deal
with the Judiciary, what hope does an organisation like SSCS,
routinely derided and despised in Japan as a terrorist organisation,
have of cutting an illegal deal? The answer of course is none. There
was no secret deal with the Judiciary.
My legal team all along said a suspended sentence was inevitable, as
long as I cooperated with the Prosecutor and acted humble and contrite
in court…which I did. If I refused to say anything however, they said
the trial would take years and cost millions. I was advised if I took
the “nobody talks, everybody walks” approach, I would be detained for
a much longer period. So under advice from the legal counsel, I did
agree to things to expedite the trial. This included pleading guilty
to four charges, and acknowledging that Paul Watson was the Admiral of
the fleet and gave instructions to me.
Pete Bethune Issue #5. The faked shooting of Paul Watson
A number of crew on the Bob Barker and Steve Irwin were discussing the
alleged shooting of Paul Watson. In the first series of Whale Wars,
Paul Watson was supposedly shot ...by crew of the Nisshin M...aru.
SSCS Crew present on that voyage argued strongly to me that the entire
episode was faked. I was not on the campaign, so in fact I don't know
if it is in fact true or not. However given what I've witnessed in the
last year, and my knowledge of the Japanese crew, I would bet $500,000
at odds of 10:1, that the event was staged.
The shooting represents just another lie that does little for the
credibility of SSCS. The organisation does not need to lie or be
deceptive to sell its message. The public will support the cause of
stopping whaling, however they will not support SSCS if they become
aware of the many lies the organisation increasingly propagates
through media.
What I am requesting:
What really concerns me most is the apparent moral bankruptcy of
senior SSCS personnel. They routinely conspire and lie over serious
matters, with little regard for people like myself who they malign and
bulldoze along the way. They misrepresent themselves to the public who
are generous enough to support them, and to media who they rely on to
promote their cause.
The short time I have been associated with SSCS, and the sheer number
of lies I’ve witnessed, makes me realise there is a large and
increasing number of skeletons hidden in the SSCS closet. It is time
for this closet to be closed (or opened fully) and for the
organisation to move on.
I am asking that from now on, SSCS determine to act in an honest way
with its volunteers, supporters and media. SSCS does not need to lie.
Saving whales, dolphins, tuna and sharks are noble causes, and the
public will embrace these as worthwhile. The story does not need to be
manipulated and changed in order to get public support.
Secondly, volunteers like myself should be treated honestly and with
respect. If an agreement is made with a volunteer, then it should be
honoured. This process of agreeing to things, only to renege a month
or two later is simply unacceptable for a volunteer organisation.
Since returning home I have been contacted by numerous volunteers all
unhappy at how SSCS has treated them. The sheer number of complaints
suggests that SSCS routinely treats Volunteers with contempt.
As of today, I am resigning from Sea Shepherd. Having been party to
the deliberate sinking of the Ady Gil, I do not deserve the support of
other volunteers and supporters who deserve its members to act with
honesty and integrity. I am also tired of the management team that I
now perceive as morally bankrupt.
My biggest disappointment is I truly love the many Sea Shepherd
volunteers and supporters who have made such a massive impact,
especially in shining the spotlight on Japanese whaling. I hope that
from here, the organisation can regroup and move forward with resolve
and purpose, and with a new modus operandi that has it dealing
honestly with volunteers, supporters and media. There is no one else
currently in Antarctica stopping whaling, and so Sea Shepherd has a
vital role to play. They also have an obligation however to be true to
the people that provide labour, funding and resource for the
organisation to survive.
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