Whaling protester in custody on Japanese boat

Peter Bethune scaled the Shonan Maru 2 early Monday with the goal of making a citizen's arrest of the ship's captain and handing over a $3 million bill for the destruction of a protest ship last month.

Japan's Institute of Cetacean Research, which sponsors the whale hunt, said the boat's captain had advised Bethune "that in line with the Japanese Mariners Act he was taking necessary measures and restrained Mr. Bethune."

The statement said Bethune used a knife to cut the vessel's protection net to enable his boarding.

"At that time, Mr. Bethune cut his left thumb and has since received medical treatment from the Japanese crew," the institute said in a statement. It said Bethune told them he had thrown the knife into the sea after boarding the ship.

The statement did not say what would be done with Bethune. The Japanese say his boarding was illegal.

The brazen move was another escalation by the U.S.-based Sea Shepherd activist group meant to hamper the whaling activities of the Japanese; Kazinform cites China Daily. See www.chinadaily.com.cn for full version.