Anti-whaler says he was shot in Japanese clash

By Michael Perry

SYDNEY (Reuters) - A hardline anti-whaling activist, Sea Shepherd captain Paul Watson, said he was shot during a clash with Japanese whalers in the Southern Ocean on Friday, but survived because he was wearing a kevlar vest.

But Japan's fisheries agency said coastguard officials aboard the whaling ship had only thrown "flash grenades", which are used for crowd control and are not regarded as weapons.

Watson told Australian radio from his ship that anti-whaling activists threw "stink bombs" on to the Japanese whaling factory ship the Nisshin Maru. The Japanese retaliated throwing "flash grenades" on to the deck of the Steve Irwin and during the clash, Watson said he was shot.

"I felt this impact on my chest. I found a bullet buried in the kevlar vest that I wear. It bruised my shoulder but it would have hit my heart if I didn't have the vest," Watson said.

Sea Shepherd posted photos on its news Web site showing Japanese throwing smoking canisters and Watson holding what he said was a bullet and a dented badge hit by the object.

"I didn't see anyone shoot at me and it was pretty hard for any of the crew to see anything because everyone was ducking from these flash grenades," said Watson.

Australia's foreign affairs department initially said it had been told by Japan that warning shots had been fired, but later clarified its statement saying Japanese whalers fired three "warning balls", also known as "flashbangs". Australia said Japan had said "no gunshots had been fired".

"He must have heard the bang of the flash grenade and got a shock," the fisheries ministry official said.