STRICTLY PERSONAL

OPEN LETTER to Cari P. Salicath, Charge d’ Affaires, Royal Norwegian Embussy, Ottawa.

Dear Sir:

Enclosed, in response to your letter of Sept. 30, please find a Beta copy of the videotape shot on Paul Watson's ship, the A7.V. Whales * Forever, when it was rammed by the Norwegian vessel Andenes in - jnternational waters off the Lofoten - Islands this summer.

I know you insist the Andenes is a coast guard ship, but it had no

markings to indicate it was any- thing other than a warship.

That 57 mm cannon on the fore- - deck was the same grey us the rest of the ship.

Permit me to allow that the Andenes is a coast guard ship, not a navy ship. It was, nevertheless, armed with cannons and depth charges, both of which it used against the crew, including Canadians, of an unarmed vessel.

" You will note, from studying the videotape, which was shot from the roof of the wheelhouse of the Whales Forever that the protest “ship is turning hard to port, and not hard to starboard, as your govern- “ment claims.

- [believe Norway is also claim- ing that your warship had the right of way because it was coming from the starboard side. The regulations, as ] understand them, however, state that the overtaking vessel must

give the right of passige to the ves- sel being overtaken,

Alter overtaking froin the port stern side of the Whales Forever, the Andeaes can plainly be seen crossing the how at about 22 kaats, while Watson's ship is sull leaning to port

At that point, Watson stops his engines und directs his bow thruster to starboard in an effort to slow his ship and keep his props away from a towing rope than had been laid down cartier,

At that point, the Audenesx hits the Whales Forever, shearing off her bow, Please note, sir, that the bow wave of the warship is clearly visible.

in any event, since your job is to make whatever case your govern- ment tells you to make, Lexpect you will aempt to put a different interpretation on the events Lam. describing,

With that in mind, there are a couple of other details fd like to draw to your attention, such as the yellow fag from the main mast of the Whales Forever, which was an official request for customs clear- ance into Norwegian waters,

Enclosed, also, please find a copy of The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society's latest maga- zing, just sent to me, which docu- ments the incident thoroughly, including transcripts of radiophone culls as well as sequential still pho- tos.

These include photographs taken from on board the Andenes and even a black and white from a dock in Bobo, Norway, where the Andenes underwent repuirs.

The long scrape along the port bow side is quite messy, but if the ship had been rammed by Watson — as your government claims — there would have been a punched-in hole, not just a scar.

fam, of course, eagerly awaiting the arrival of the videotape taken from the Andenes. | am sure I will benefit from watching it.

As for the damages suit your government has launched against

: Watson, I would be rather aston-

ished if you ever actually showed it to anyone, especially in the context of a court case.

While we are exchanging infor- mation, sir, I would appreciate

Frustrated

_.with your hearing loss?

Do you have to increase the TV's volume just -to understand. the spoken word? Do you Sometimes: avoid social gatherings where understanding is difficult? Maybe you have trouble hearing on the phone. Or, you ask _

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being ailvised as tothe fate of a Norwegian who wis serving as first officer on the Whales Forever, Bjorn Morton Urstord,

Ursford deserted from the Norwegian Navy because be could no fonger participate in military ser vice because of bis opposition to whiding and his country’s cole in it. He joined the Whales Forever in the Netherlands.

After the ramining incident, when the Whales Forever had limped back to the Shetland Islands for her own repairs, Special Branch officers Mew in from Edinburgh, snd at the request of the British government, had Ursford arrested.

He was held for four weeks, then extradited to Norway to face charges of treason, no tess.

Of course, the Canadian govern- ment would dike to be in your posi- tion, with somebody from the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society behind bars, so Tam sure your embassy continues to enjoy the warm relationship it has always had with Canada, which is, after all, busy trying to prosecute Paul Watson himself, hoping to accom- plish the same thing you have achieved with Bjorn Urstord: lock- ing genuine political dissent away.

Lalso note that on June 1, a Norwegian court in the Lofoten Islands sentenced Watson and his fiance, Lisa Distefano, to 120 days each in prison, for the sinking, a year before, of the whaling vessel Nybraena, even though, according, to Watson, neither of them was ever formally notified to attend court.

Watson is calling it a kangaroo court, a term Tam sure you are familiar with. One of the court- appointed lawyers, he says, actually worked for the whaling industry.

I should also say that | under- stand perfectly if your embassy is just slightly confused as to what Canada’s stand is on any maritime issue, whaling included.

While prosecuting Watson for chasing a pirate trawler off the Grand Banks, for instance, Canada then turned around and started doing the same thing itself.

Looking forward to your reply. Bob Hunter.

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