Keep anti-sealing ship, group says

Canada can keep the 50-year-old vessel seized after a protest against the seal hunt, says the head of the group that owns the ship.

Paul Watson, with the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, said Tuesday he has no intention of spending any money to get the Farley Mowat back.

"If they put a bond on the vessel, I have no intention of paying it," he said. "They either give me the vessel back in working order or they keep it here. That's the choice really."

The Farley Mowat has been docked in Sydney harbour since it was seized last weekend. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans alleges its captain and first officer threatened a coast guard vessel by getting too close to seal hunters.

Captain Alex Cornelissen and first mate Peter Hammarstedt spent Sunday night in jail in Sydney while they waited for Watson to arrive from New York to post their bail of $5,000 each. They were released Monday after Watson paid the bail in toonies, calling it a "pirate ransom."

The Department of Fisheries and Oceans said the Farley Mowat will stay put until a court orders its release and a bond is posted. In addition, Transport Canada will conduct a safety inspection.

Watson said he won't pay any repair bills either for an aging ship about to be retired.

"I guess we can retire it here in Sydney. It can sit there as a symbol for some time," he said, adding the anti-sealing society has a new vessel, the Steve Irwin.

Cornelissen and Hammarstedt are expected to appear in court again on May 1. The charges they face could result in fines of up to $100,000 or up to one year in jail, or both.