Federal Fisheries Minister Loyola Hearn says charges will be laid in connection with an alleged incident involving the seal hunt protest vessel Farley Mowat

ST. JOHN’S, Canada; April 3, 2008.- Sealers contend that the vessel came too close to them on the ice north of Cape Breton last weekend, even after being warned away by the Coast Guard.

Mr. Hearn asserted in an interview with radio station VOCM that the conservation groups broke a law that requires them to maintain a specific distance from the hunt.

“They’ve been very cute. These people are smart. They’ve been around. They know the law. They know how they can flaunt it,” Hearn said.

“However, they push it and in some cases, recently, they’ve broken it. They cannot approach within half a mile of our sealers. They have done that.”

Protest leader Paul Watson, president of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, has denied allegations that the Farley Mowat got too close to the hunt and insists his ship was rammed twice by the coast guard icebreaker Des Groseilliers on the weekend.

The Farley Mowat is currently in St. Pierre-Miquelon and remains out of Canadian waters.

Mr. Watson said the 54-metre long ship was intentionally hit in the stern while stopped.

The coast guard, however, countered that the Arctic-class icebreaker Des Groseilliers was “grazed” twice by the Farley Mowat.

Mr. Hearn issued a statement earlier this week suggesting the Farley Mowat was trying to provoke a confrontation.

(The Canadian Press)

Enlaces Relacionados

• CANADA BOARDS SEAL HUNT PROTEST SHIP, ARRESTS TWO
• CANADA FIGHTS BELGIAN BAN ON SEAL TRADE AT WTO
• SEAL-HUNT PROTESTER SAYS HAPPY CANADA SEIZED SHIP
• CANADIANS URGED TO DON SEALSKIN AS ‘BIRTHDAY’ SUIT
• THICK ICE HINDERS CANADA’S CONTROVERSIAL SEAL HUNT