Reykjavik: A ship run by a group founded by anti-whaling activist Paul Watson said Friday it had been boarded by Iceland's coast guard overnight while it was monitoring a whale hunt.
"The Captain Paul Watson Foundation confirms that its vessel, the Bandero, has been seized at sea by the Icelandic Coast Guard following weeks of monitoring and pursuing Hvalur 9, one of the last two active commercial whaling vessels operating in Iceland," the foundation said in an email to AFP.
A two-year suspension on whaling was lifted this summer in Iceland -- one of only three countries, along with Norway and Japan, that still permit the practice for commercial purposes.
The hunt takes place between mid-June and mid-September.
The coast guard boarded the activist vessel following a request for assistance from the whaling vessel Hvalur 9, which claimed it felt threatened, according to Icelandic public broadcaster RUV.
The Bandero allegedly failed to comply with orders to leave Icelandic waters or shut down its engines, prompting its seizure and arrest of its captain, RUV reported.
The Icelandic Coast Guard did not immediately respond to AFP's request for comment.
Iceland is due to introduce a bill this autumn aimed at banning whaling.
Around 32 whales have been harpooned so far this season, significantly fewer than in previous seasons, according to the foundation.
