Iceland Detains 21 Anti‑Whaling Activists from Paul Watson Foundation Vessel

Icelandic coast guard and special forces seized the protest vessel Bandero, operated by the Captain Paul Watson Foundation, and detained its 21 crew members after the ship ignored orders to leave Icelandic waters. The crew, which includes five Americans, four Brazilians and three French nationals, was held aboard the vessel without phones while authorities investigated alleged violations of international maritime law and safety regulations.

The seizure followed a request for assistance from the Icelandic whaling ship Hvalur 9, whose crew said they felt threatened by the Bandero. Iceland plans to deport the activists and ban them from returning, a move that comes as the country has recently resumed commercial whaling, one of the few nations still practicing the hunt alongside Norway and Japan. Paul Watson himself was not on board.

The incident highlights tensions between Iceland’s whaling industry and international anti‑whaling activism, and may have diplomatic repercussions given the multinational composition of the detained crew.