An anti-whaling activist from New Zealand is in custody on a Japanese vessel and will be taken to Japan to face charges after secretly boarding the ship as part of a protest, officials said last week.

    Peter Bethune, a member of the U.S.-based Sea Shepherd activist group, jumped aboard the Shonan Maru 2 from a Jet Ski last week with the stated goal of making a citizen's arrest of the ship's captain and presenting him with a $3 million bill for the destruction of a protest ship last month.

    The Japanese government has decided to bring Mr. Bethune to Japan for questioning, Fisheries Agency official Osamu Ishikawa said. He will be charged with trespassing and assault and tried under Japanese law, said Mr. Ishikawa. Officials were deciding whether to keep him on the vessel or to drop him off in a port call and fly him back.

    <<<背景介绍

       海洋守护者协会一直在阻止日本的捕鲸活动。这次公然的登船行为是阻止日本捕鲸运动的一次扩大化。赞助捕鲸的日本鲸鱼研究协会称，贝休恩用小刀割开了船只的防护网以便登上船只，并告诉捕鲸者，上船之后他把小刀扔进了大海。根据日本法律规定，没有正当理由进入日本船只，最高将被处以3年有期徒刑或者10万日元（1100美元）的罚金。