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Bethune Was 100% correct. He needed closure on the sinking and the publisciy gained from his jail time will give more funds to the organisation. Honestly their charges are rediculous and i hope they oversee his case well.

I believe Pete Bethune was wrong in what he did.
He should have waited it out. As hard as that sounds.

But, I mean he just added fuel to the fire. To be honest.
The Ady Gil incident was enough to stir up publicity, and he even said it himself in the episode "We got more people watching, and more publicity with my boat sinking" Or something along those lines.

But still, I mean yeah losing the Ady was horrible and I really do feel for him. But, putting more fuel on the fire and risking being sent to a Japanese prison.. Not worth it in my opinion.
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Heres an article I found online just a few moments ago.

In it -it mentions that Pete said he was going to stop being an anti whalist, and that he's been suspended from Sea Shepherd for violating thier no weapons rule. That sucks.
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Anti-whaling activist Pete Bethune gets suspended prison term

Wednesday 07th July, 02:20 PM JST

TOKYO —

The Tokyo District Court on Wednesday sentenced an antiwhaling activist from New Zealand to two years in prison, suspended for five years, for obstructing the activities of a Japanese whaling fleet in the Antarctic Ocean.

The defense counsel for Peter Bethune, 45, had sought a suspended prison sentence, noting that he has pleaded guilty to four out of five criminal counts against him and that he has expressed deep regret for his acts.

Prosecutors had sought a two-year prison term.

Bethune was given a suspended term as he had said he would not participate in antiwhaling activities in the Antarctic Ocean in the future and had paid for the damage to the net, according to the ruling.

But Presiding Judge Takashi Tawada rejected Bethune’s plea of not guilty to an assault charge relating to the injury of the crew member, dismissing Bethune’s claim that he had not wanted to injure anyone.

‘‘The defendant was aware that the glass bottle launched at the ship could pose a danger to the members of the research whaling ship,’’ the judge said.

The judge added, ‘‘The incident was part of the Sea Shepherd’s continuing violent and obstructive behavior in defiance of a resolution and statements of the International Whaling Commission, which do not allow for such obstructive action.’‘

The ruling was final as Bethune had given up his right to appeal, while the prosecutors also said they would not appeal.

In conspiracy with other Sea Shepherd Conservation Society members, Bethune projected a glass bottle of butyric acid onto the Shonan Maru No. 2, the fleet security escort ship on Feb 11, obstructing business, and injuring a 25-year-old crew member of the escort ship, according to the ruling.

Bethune was indicted in April on five criminal counts—trespassing, forcible obstruction of business, assault, property destruction and violation of the firearms and swords control law.

The U.S.-based Sea Shepherd has been protesting Japan’s research whaling for years, often engaging in scuffles with Japanese whalers. The group claims the whaling mission, an allowed exception to an international ban, is a cover for commercial hunting.

Bethune’s trial began in late May. During earlier trial sessions, he said he just wanted to confront the ship’s captain and hand him a $3 million bill for the destruction of the Ady Gil, the protest ship that sank during a collision in January.

In his tearful closing statement June 10, Bethune apologized for the trouble but said he never intended to hurt anyone. He also told the court that he will likely no longer continue his anti-whaling protests.

Sea Shepherd recently said it expelled Bethune because he violated its policies against carrying weapons. The group said he had a bow and arrows with him while he was aboard the Ady Gil, although he never used them.

Separately, Japan has said the leader of Sea Shepherd is now on an Interpol wanted list for allegedly ordering Bethune as part of the group’s disruption of Japanese whaling in the Antarctic Ocean.

Canadian citizen Paul Watson, 59, was placed on the Interpol list in late June at the request of Japan, which accuses his group of risking whalers’ lives during their expedition.

Watson said after the ruling that he thought Japan would be happy to see Bethune leave the country.

‘‘Pete will be returning home as a national hero,’’ Watson said from the United States, adding that the case had garnered much publicity and funding for the conservation group.

Watson also said the group’s decision to disassociate itself from Bethune was part of a legal strategy to ensure a lenient ruling.

‘‘We had to make it very clear that he wouldn’t be participating in any future campaigns (in the Antarctic Ocean),’’ Watson said.

After the verdict, Bethune—who will be deported back to New Zealand soon—said: “I am very relieved and thankful at the decision from the Japanese court and immensely grateful to my legal team here in Japan. I am truly sorry for all the trouble and worry this has caused my family and am desperate to get back home to see them. I also want to thank all the supporters worldwide who have been sending messages and signing petitions, and the media, who have been keeping this story in the public eye.

“All I did was to board the boat that I feel deliberately attacked and sunk my vessel. I wanted justice for the loss of my boat and the attempted murder of my crew. I still want justice, and I strongly urge the Australian and New Zealand Maritime Authorities to continue putting pressure on the Japanese whalers to cooperate with their investigations into the collision.”

Bethune’s wife, Sharyn, said from New Zealand: “We are delighted with the verdict and can’t wait to see him. It’s been terribly hard for his two girls, Danielle and Alycia, but we are all very proud that Pete has continually stood up for what he believes in. I think the girls might lock him up in the garage for the foreseeable future to stop him getting himself into trouble again, but knowing Pete, I dare say he’d get himself out and have a new project within weeks.”