Peter James Bethune
Encyclopedia
Peter James "Pete" Bethune (born 4 April 1965) is a New Zealand
promoter of bio-fuels and conservationist
. He is the holder of the world record for the fastest trip around the world in a powerboat and was involved with the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. He was captain of the Ady Gil (previously the Earthrace) until it sank after a collision with a Japanese whaling vessel. He was convicted in Japan for a direct action
that involved boarding that whaling vessel to arrest the captain and received a suspended sentence.
as one of five children. He studied science at the University of Waikato
and engineering at the University of Auckland
. He has two daughters with his wife, Sharyn, his high school sweetheart, from whom he is separated
.
He began his career as an oil exploration engineer and worked in the North Sea
and Libya
. In 1997, he co-founded CamSensor Technologies. The company manufactured automated camera systems for controlling robots used in complex tasks such as cutting up and grading meat carcasses. He later moved to Sydney
to establish the business there.
He is motivated by the potential for alternative fuel
s. In 2003, Bethune wrote a 20,000-word paper while pursuing his Master of Business Administration
degree from Macquarie University
about the use of renewable energy
for road transport. In regard to his enjoyment of fishing and hunting, along with his previous occupations, Bethune told a reporter for The New Zealand Herald
: "I've come from a very unusual background to be a conservationist
."
and built in order to break the world record for a circumnavigation
by a powerboat in hopes that it would call attention to the viability of bio-diesel as an alternative fuel. He mortgaged his New Zealand home and financed the building in the hopes of recouping the expenses from sponsorships. He declined a $4 million sponsorship from a company that would have required them to use regular diesel.
His first attempt began in Barbados on 10 March 2007. He encountered significant delays due to issues with the propellers and other mechanical problems. On the night of 19 March, while around 22 kilometres (14 mi) offshore from Guatemala
, Earthrace collided with a local fishing boat. No Earthrace crew were hurt, but one of the three crew members from the fishing boat was killed. The crew was absolved of any responsibility after a 10-day investigation during which they were held in custody. The delays prevented them from completing the circumnavigation in record time, but because Earthrace took an official start time when leaving San Diego, the team decided to "restart" with this new start/finish line. They departed San Diego on 7 April 2007 and needed to return by 21 June to break the record. The attempt was abandoned on 31 May after a crack was discovered in the hull shortly after leaving Malaga
, Spain
.
He departed from Valencia, Spain, in another attempt on 1 March 2008. As a publicity stunt
, Bethune and two others had undergone liposuction
in order to convert a small amount of their own body fat into fuel. The idea arose from a previous plan to tour New Zealand in a car with an attached mobile bio-diesel plant. He finished at the Spanish port of Sagunto
on 27 June. The journey was completed in 60 days, 23 hours and 49 minutes, beating the former record by over two weeks. Bethune then embarked on a world tour with the vessel to promote awareness of alternative fuels.
if a buyer could not be found. Hollywood production-house owner Ady Gil purchased the boat and Earthrace was renamed after him on 17 October 2009. Gil left the ship to Bethune and a crew of five who refitted for Antarctic waters to participate in anti-whaling
activities as part of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. Bethune said before the operation: "I'm a conservationist. One of the things I've learned on Earthrace is stand up for stuff you believe in. Year after year the Japanese go down there and nothing seems to change... If they want to go amping things up a bit, then bring it on." His wife later told the press that he first became alarmed by the state of the oceans when skippering the vessel during the record attempts.
On 6 January 2010 the Ady Gil was involved in a collision with the Japanese whaling vessel in the Southern Ocean, and the Ady Gil subsequently sank. An investigation into the collision by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority
(AMSA) was inconclusive and unable to assign blame for the collision. AMSA was unable to verify claims made by Sea Shepherd, while the Japanese government declined to participate with the investigation saying any information it had might be needed for an inquiry by its own authorities.
issued a statement calling it a publicity stunt. He used a jet ski
to approach the ship then climbed onto its deck after cutting through an anti-boarding net that was draped around the hull
. He was detained by the ship's crew and taken to Tokyo
, where he was arrested by the Japanese Coast Guard on 12 March on charges of trespassing.
On 2 April 2010, Bethune was indicted
in Japan on five charges: trespassing, assault, illegal possession of a knife, destruction of property and obstruction of business. The assault charge is based on the allegation that he threw a bottle of butyric acid
onto the Shōnan Maru 2 days before the boarding, causing chemical burns to a whaler's face. The Sea Shepherd group claims the burns were self-inflicted when the crewman was shooting pepper spray at the protesters. Bethune could have faced up to 15 years in prison if found guilty of injury, or up to three years if found guilty of trespass. Bethune's lawyer claimed the charges were unfounded and stated that his client would strongly deny them. He was held without bond
in the maximum security Tokyo Detention Centre while he stood trial.
Bethune's trial began on 27 May. Bethune was charged with intruding on the ship, forcibly obstructing business, violating the Firearms and Swords Control Law and damaging property.
Several major newsmedia reported that Bethune pleaded guilty to four charges while others reported that he admitted four charges or that he conceded four of the charges but has contested an assault charge. Newsreview.com claims that Bethune did not "plead" guilty as there is no such thing as a plea in Japanese criminal proceedings and he and his Japanese lawyers claim that Sea Shepherd's actions are protected by the United Nations
World Charter for Nature
, which allows private organisations to interfere in government-like ways in the interest of the environment. Though he admitted to launching a projectile of butyric acid
, he contested the assault charge against him on the grounds that he lacked intent to injure the ship's crew. In his tearful final statement delivered on 10 June, Bethune said: "I did not have the intention of hurting crew members. I took action because I wanted to stop Japan's illegal whaling." Prosecutors demanded a sentence of two years in prison.
The Labour Party's
Chris Carter
accused the New Zealand Government of "washing their hands of the fate" of Bethune. Bethune received visitations from consular staff. Prime Minister John Key
said "...it's worth noting that I can't get involved in a prosecution in another country any more than I can get involved in a prosecution in New Zealand. What I can do is make sure the person is being treated fairly."
On 4 June, in what was later said by Paul Watson
to be a legal strategy on the part of Sea Shepherd, Sea Shepherd announced that it was no longer going to be formally associated with Bethune since a set of bow and arrows was on the Ady Gil during the anti-whaling operation. The group stressed that the weapon was not intended to be used against any person, and Bethune previously had stated to Animal Planet
cameras during Whale Wars
filming that he intended to use the bow and arrows to spoil whale meat
for commercial use. Sea Shepherd said it would continue to support Bethune during the trial in Japan. On 7 July, Pete Bethune was given a two-year suspended sentence. In addition, he was banned from Japan for five years. Bethune was deported to New Zealand on 9 July. Sea Shepard's Paul Watson later stated in an interview that while the Sea Shepard made the court agreement to disassociate from Pete Bethune for the sake of his release, they would annul the decision to not be associated so that Pete Bethune would be allowed to return to their cause after one campaign if he so chooses.
Bethune held a press conference upon returning to New Zealand. He told reporters: "My trial in Japan represents a miscarriage in justice. Not because I stood before that court, but because the captain of the Shōnan Maru 2 did not." He also called the New Zealand Government a "lap dog" for what he considered a lack of support.
Pete Bethune has since founded his own conservation organisation, Earthrace Conservation.
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
promoter of bio-fuels and conservationist
Conservationist
Conservationists are proponents or advocates of conservation. They advocate for the protection of all the species in an ecosystem with a strong focus on the natural environment...
. He is the holder of the world record for the fastest trip around the world in a powerboat and was involved with the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. He was captain of the Ady Gil (previously the Earthrace) until it sank after a collision with a Japanese whaling vessel. He was convicted in Japan for a direct action
Direct action
Direct action is activity undertaken by individuals, groups, or governments to achieve political, economic, or social goals outside of normal social/political channels. This can include nonviolent and violent activities which target persons, groups, or property deemed offensive to the direct action...
that involved boarding that whaling vessel to arrest the captain and received a suspended sentence.
Personal life and early career
Bethune grew up in Hamilton East, New ZealandHamilton, New Zealand
Hamilton is the centre of New Zealand's fourth largest urban area, and Hamilton City is the country's fourth largest territorial authority. Hamilton is in the Waikato Region of the North Island, approximately south of Auckland...
as one of five children. He studied science at the University of Waikato
University of Waikato
The University of Waikato is located in Hamilton and Tauranga, New Zealand, and was established in 1964. It has strengths across a broad range of subject areas, particularly its degrees in Computer Science and in Management...
and engineering at the University of Auckland
University of Auckland
The University of Auckland is a university located in Auckland, New Zealand. It is the largest university in the country and the highest ranked in the 2011 QS World University Rankings, having been ranked worldwide...
. He has two daughters with his wife, Sharyn, his high school sweetheart, from whom he is separated
Legal separation
Legal separation is a legal process by which a married couple may formalize a de facto separation while remaining legally married. A legal separation is granted in the form of a court order, which can be in the form of a legally binding consent decree...
.
He began his career as an oil exploration engineer and worked in the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
and Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
. In 1997, he co-founded CamSensor Technologies. The company manufactured automated camera systems for controlling robots used in complex tasks such as cutting up and grading meat carcasses. He later moved to Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
to establish the business there.
He is motivated by the potential for alternative fuel
Alternative fuel
Alternative fuels, known as non-conventional or advanced fuels, are any materials or substances that can be used as fuels, other than conventional fuels...
s. In 2003, Bethune wrote a 20,000-word paper while pursuing his Master of Business Administration
Master of Business Administration
The Master of Business Administration is a :master's degree in business administration, which attracts people from a wide range of academic disciplines. The MBA designation originated in the United States, emerging from the late 19th century as the country industrialized and companies sought out...
degree from Macquarie University
Macquarie University
Macquarie University is an Australian public teaching and research university located in Sydney, with its main campus situated in Macquarie Park. Founded in 1964 by the New South Wales Government, it was the third university to be established in the metropolitan area of Sydney...
about the use of renewable energy
Renewable energy
Renewable energy is energy which comes from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geothermal heat, which are renewable . About 16% of global final energy consumption comes from renewables, with 10% coming from traditional biomass, which is mainly used for heating, and 3.4% from...
for road transport. In regard to his enjoyment of fishing and hunting, along with his previous occupations, Bethune told a reporter for The New Zealand Herald
The New Zealand Herald
- External links :* * *...
: "I've come from a very unusual background to be a conservationist
Conservationist
Conservationists are proponents or advocates of conservation. They advocate for the protection of all the species in an ecosystem with a strong focus on the natural environment...
."
Captain of Earthrace
Based on his research at Macquarie, Bethune set out to prove that hydrocarbon fuels could be replaced by sustainable bio-fuels. He had Earthrace designed by LOMOcean DesignLOMOcean Design
LOMOcean Design is a naval architecture and yacht design company based in Auckland, New Zealand.-History:LOMOcean Design, previously known as Craig Loomes Design Group ltd., was incorporated in 1993, but has some designs that date back as far as 1986...
and built in order to break the world record for a circumnavigation
Circumnavigation
Circumnavigation – literally, "navigation of a circumference" – refers to travelling all the way around an island, a continent, or the entire planet Earth.- Global circumnavigation :...
by a powerboat in hopes that it would call attention to the viability of bio-diesel as an alternative fuel. He mortgaged his New Zealand home and financed the building in the hopes of recouping the expenses from sponsorships. He declined a $4 million sponsorship from a company that would have required them to use regular diesel.
His first attempt began in Barbados on 10 March 2007. He encountered significant delays due to issues with the propellers and other mechanical problems. On the night of 19 March, while around 22 kilometres (14 mi) offshore from Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
, Earthrace collided with a local fishing boat. No Earthrace crew were hurt, but one of the three crew members from the fishing boat was killed. The crew was absolved of any responsibility after a 10-day investigation during which they were held in custody. The delays prevented them from completing the circumnavigation in record time, but because Earthrace took an official start time when leaving San Diego, the team decided to "restart" with this new start/finish line. They departed San Diego on 7 April 2007 and needed to return by 21 June to break the record. The attempt was abandoned on 31 May after a crack was discovered in the hull shortly after leaving Malaga
Málaga
Málaga is a city and a municipality in the Autonomous Community of Andalusia, Spain. With a population of 568,507 in 2010, it is the second most populous city of Andalusia and the sixth largest in Spain. This is the southernmost large city in Europe...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
.
He departed from Valencia, Spain, in another attempt on 1 March 2008. As a publicity stunt
Publicity stunt
A publicity stunt is a planned event designed to attract the public's attention to the event's organizers or their cause. Publicity stunts can be professionally organized or set up by amateurs...
, Bethune and two others had undergone liposuction
Liposuction
Liposuction, also known as lipoplasty , liposculpture suction lipectomy or simply lipo is a cosmetic surgery operation that removes fat from many different sites on the human body...
in order to convert a small amount of their own body fat into fuel. The idea arose from a previous plan to tour New Zealand in a car with an attached mobile bio-diesel plant. He finished at the Spanish port of Sagunto
Sagunto
Sagunto or Sagunt is an ancient city in Eastern Spain, in the modern fertile comarca of Camp de Morvedre in the province of Valencia. It is located in a hilly site, c. 30 km north of Valencia, close to the Costa del Azahar on the Mediterranean Sea...
on 27 June. The journey was completed in 60 days, 23 hours and 49 minutes, beating the former record by over two weeks. Bethune then embarked on a world tour with the vessel to promote awareness of alternative fuels.
Captain of Ady Gil
After touring ports around the globe, the Earthrace was put on sale for $2.6 million and Bethune considered using it to interfere with Japanese whaling in the Southern OceanSouthern Ocean
The Southern Ocean comprises the southernmost waters of the World Ocean, generally taken to be south of 60°S latitude and encircling Antarctica. It is usually regarded as the fourth-largest of the five principal oceanic divisions...
if a buyer could not be found. Hollywood production-house owner Ady Gil purchased the boat and Earthrace was renamed after him on 17 October 2009. Gil left the ship to Bethune and a crew of five who refitted for Antarctic waters to participate in anti-whaling
Anti-whaling
Anti-whaling refers to actions taken by those who seek to end whaling in various forms, whether locally or globally in the pursuit of marine conservation. Such activism is often a response to specific conflicts with pro-whaling countries and organizations that practice commercial whaling and/or...
activities as part of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. Bethune said before the operation: "I'm a conservationist. One of the things I've learned on Earthrace is stand up for stuff you believe in. Year after year the Japanese go down there and nothing seems to change... If they want to go amping things up a bit, then bring it on." His wife later told the press that he first became alarmed by the state of the oceans when skippering the vessel during the record attempts.
On 6 January 2010 the Ady Gil was involved in a collision with the Japanese whaling vessel in the Southern Ocean, and the Ady Gil subsequently sank. An investigation into the collision by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority
Australian Maritime Safety Authority
Australian Maritime Safety Authority is responsible, on behalf of the Commonwealth Government of Australia, for the regulation and safety oversight of Australia's shipping fleet and management of Australia's international maritime obligations...
(AMSA) was inconclusive and unable to assign blame for the collision. AMSA was unable to verify claims made by Sea Shepherd, while the Japanese government declined to participate with the investigation saying any information it had might be needed for an inquiry by its own authorities.
Arrest, trial, and conviction
On 15 February 2010, Bethune boarded the Shōnan Maru 2 with the expressed purpose of conducting a citizen's arrest on her captain, Hiroyuki Komiya, alleging attempted murder and to present a claim for $3 million for the loss of his vessel. Bethune hoped to be taken to Japan to face charges in an effort to increase public awareness of Sea Shepherd's cause. Japan's Institute of Cetacean ResearchInstitute of Cetacean Research
The is a Japanese government-sponsored institution. It took over from the Whale Research Institute , which grew out of the Nakabe Scientific Research Centre ....
issued a statement calling it a publicity stunt. He used a jet ski
Jet ski
Jet Ski is the brand name of a personal watercraft manufactured by Kawasaki Heavy Industries. The name is sometimes mistakenly used by those unfamiliar with the personal watercraft industry to refer to any type of personal watercraft; however, the name is a valid trademark registered with the...
to approach the ship then climbed onto its deck after cutting through an anti-boarding net that was draped around the hull
Hull (watercraft)
A hull is the watertight body of a ship or boat. Above the hull is the superstructure and/or deckhouse, where present. The line where the hull meets the water surface is called the waterline.The structure of the hull varies depending on the vessel type...
. He was detained by the ship's crew and taken to Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, where he was arrested by the Japanese Coast Guard on 12 March on charges of trespassing.
On 2 April 2010, Bethune was indicted
Indictment
An indictment , in the common-law legal system, is a formal accusation that a person has committed a crime. In jurisdictions that maintain the concept of felonies, the serious criminal offence is a felony; jurisdictions that lack the concept of felonies often use that of an indictable offence—an...
in Japan on five charges: trespassing, assault, illegal possession of a knife, destruction of property and obstruction of business. The assault charge is based on the allegation that he threw a bottle of butyric acid
Butyric acid
Butyric acid , also known under the systematic name butanoic acid, is a carboxylic acid with the structural formula CH3CH2CH2-COOH. Salts and esters of butyric acid are known as butyrates or butanoates...
onto the Shōnan Maru 2 days before the boarding, causing chemical burns to a whaler's face. The Sea Shepherd group claims the burns were self-inflicted when the crewman was shooting pepper spray at the protesters. Bethune could have faced up to 15 years in prison if found guilty of injury, or up to three years if found guilty of trespass. Bethune's lawyer claimed the charges were unfounded and stated that his client would strongly deny them. He was held without bond
Bail
Traditionally, bail is some form of property deposited or pledged to a court to persuade it to release a suspect from jail, on the understanding that the suspect will return for trial or forfeit the bail...
in the maximum security Tokyo Detention Centre while he stood trial.
Bethune's trial began on 27 May. Bethune was charged with intruding on the ship, forcibly obstructing business, violating the Firearms and Swords Control Law and damaging property.
Several major newsmedia reported that Bethune pleaded guilty to four charges while others reported that he admitted four charges or that he conceded four of the charges but has contested an assault charge. Newsreview.com claims that Bethune did not "plead" guilty as there is no such thing as a plea in Japanese criminal proceedings and he and his Japanese lawyers claim that Sea Shepherd's actions are protected by the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
World Charter for Nature
World Charter for Nature
World Charter for Nature was adopted by United Nations member nation-states on October 28, 1982. It proclaims five "principles of conservation by which all human conduct affecting nature is to be guided and judged." The vote was 111 for, one against , 18 abstentions.- See also :* Declaration of...
, which allows private organisations to interfere in government-like ways in the interest of the environment. Though he admitted to launching a projectile of butyric acid
Butyric acid
Butyric acid , also known under the systematic name butanoic acid, is a carboxylic acid with the structural formula CH3CH2CH2-COOH. Salts and esters of butyric acid are known as butyrates or butanoates...
, he contested the assault charge against him on the grounds that he lacked intent to injure the ship's crew. In his tearful final statement delivered on 10 June, Bethune said: "I did not have the intention of hurting crew members. I took action because I wanted to stop Japan's illegal whaling." Prosecutors demanded a sentence of two years in prison.
The Labour Party's
New Zealand Labour Party
The New Zealand Labour Party is a New Zealand political party. It describes itself as centre-left and socially progressive and has been one of the two primary parties of New Zealand politics since 1935....
Chris Carter
Chris Carter (politician)
Christopher Joseph Carter was an independent Member of Parliament in New Zealand, and a former member of the New Zealand Labour Party until his expulsion. Carter was a senior Cabinet Minister in the Fifth Labour Government of New Zealand, serving lastly as Minister of Education, Minister...
accused the New Zealand Government of "washing their hands of the fate" of Bethune. Bethune received visitations from consular staff. Prime Minister John Key
John Key
John Phillip Key is the 38th Prime Minister of New Zealand, in office since 2008. He has led the New Zealand National Party since 2006....
said "...it's worth noting that I can't get involved in a prosecution in another country any more than I can get involved in a prosecution in New Zealand. What I can do is make sure the person is being treated fairly."
On 4 June, in what was later said by Paul Watson
Paul Watson
Paul Watson is a Canadian animal rights and environmental activist, who founded and is president of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, a direct action group devoted to marine conservation....
to be a legal strategy on the part of Sea Shepherd, Sea Shepherd announced that it was no longer going to be formally associated with Bethune since a set of bow and arrows was on the Ady Gil during the anti-whaling operation. The group stressed that the weapon was not intended to be used against any person, and Bethune previously had stated to Animal Planet
Animal Planet
Animal Planet is an American cable tv specialty channel that launched on October 1, 1996. It is distributed by Discovery Communications. A high-definition simulcast of the channel launched on September 1, 2007.-History:...
cameras during Whale Wars
Whale Wars
Whale Wars is a weekly American documentary-style reality television series that premiered on November 7, 2008 on the Animal Planet cable channel. The program follows Paul Watson, founder of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, as he and his crew aboard their various vessels harass Japanese...
filming that he intended to use the bow and arrows to spoil whale meat
Whale meat
Whale meat is the flesh of whales used for consumption by humans or other animals. It is prepared in various ways, and is historically part of the diet and cuisine of various communities that live near an ocean, including those of Japan, Norway, Iceland, and the Arctic...
for commercial use. Sea Shepherd said it would continue to support Bethune during the trial in Japan. On 7 July, Pete Bethune was given a two-year suspended sentence. In addition, he was banned from Japan for five years. Bethune was deported to New Zealand on 9 July. Sea Shepard's Paul Watson later stated in an interview that while the Sea Shepard made the court agreement to disassociate from Pete Bethune for the sake of his release, they would annul the decision to not be associated so that Pete Bethune would be allowed to return to their cause after one campaign if he so chooses.
Bethune held a press conference upon returning to New Zealand. He told reporters: "My trial in Japan represents a miscarriage in justice. Not because I stood before that court, but because the captain of the Shōnan Maru 2 did not." He also called the New Zealand Government a "lap dog" for what he considered a lack of support.
Disassociation from Sea Shepherd
Bethune disassociated himself from Sea Shepherd by posting an open letter on his Facebook page on 4 October 2010, condemning the organisation and its leader Paul Watson as "dishonest" and "morally bankrupt". According to his letter, he was directed by Paul Watson to sink the Ady Gil deliberately for PR purposes after the collision with the Japanese whaling ship. He insists that the senior members of Sea Shepherd regularly lie and conspire over the serious matters, detailing many cases in his letter.Pete Bethune has since founded his own conservation organisation, Earthrace Conservation.