Watson's arrest is in connection to an alleged violation of ships traffic in Costa Rica in 2002. The incident is alleged to have taken place at sea off Guatemala when a Sea Shepherd vessel encountered an illegal shark finning operation, the activist group said on its website.
Sea Shepherd claims Paul Watson was acting on orders of the Guatemalan authorities when his crew instructed the crew of Costa Rican ship 'Varadero' to cease shark finning activities.
“While escorting the Varadero back to port, the tables were turned and a Guatemalan gunboat was dispatched to intercept the Sea Shepherd crew,” a Sea Shepherd statement says.
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“The crew of the Varadero accused the Sea Shepherds of trying to kill them, while the video evidence proves this to be a fallacy. To avoid the Guatemalan gunboat, Sea Shepherd then set sail for Costa Rica,” the statement said.
The incident occurred during the filming of a Sea Shepherd documentary called 'Sharkwater'.
Sea Shepherd says Watson, in custody in Germany, is being assisted by European Parliament Vice President Daniel Cohn Bendit.
