Anti-whaling ship crew's delight at ban on hunting

The crew sailed to New York to collect Captain Paul Watson before their journey to Iceland

The crew of an anti-whaling ship, captained by the co-founder of Greenpeace, have welcomed the practice being halted in Iceland's waters.

The former Scottish Fisheries vessel set off on a mission from Hull to prevent whales being killed by hunters in the North Atlantic Ocean.

On Tuesday the Icelandic government temporarily suspended hunting of fin whales over animal rights concerns.

Crew member Paul Barker, from Beverley, said he felt "happy" about the ban.

Most countries in the world agreed to a ban on commercial whaling in 1986 after some species of whales were driven almost to extinction.

But Iceland, Norway and Japan were among those who refused. The ship, named the John Paul Dejoria, had travelled to the North Atlantic Ocean to attempt to stop whaling operations.

Paul Barker, from Beverley, volunteered as a crew member on the mission

Mr Barker spoke to BBC Look North from the vessel, as it sailed 50 miles west of Reykjavik, Iceland, during a storm.

"I feel happy. Happy that the whalers are staying where they are, tied to the dockside in Iceland. Hopefully we can keep them there," he said.

The retired driving instructor, who volunteered for the mission, said he felt "slightly nervous" that the ban might be defied.

He said he was "happy to put my life on the line" to save the whales.

Mr Barker said the crew "will just sit here and wait in this big bouncy weather and watch the birds go by" in case anyone disobeyed the ban and they needed to intervene.

Iceland's government announced a temporary ban on hunting fin whales while the crew were in the North Atlantic Ocean

The boat's captain, Paul Watson, said he did not believe any whales would be killed this year because the ban runs until the end of the whaling season.

He said the vessel would return to Europe in the next few days and added: "It's always great to win a campaign without having to resort to confrontations and the possibility of people being arrested."

Mr Watson previously said the ship, owned by his non-profit organisation, would "block, harass and get in the way", doing "anything possible" to prevent illegal whaling operations.