Sea Shepherd group founder Paul Watson arrested in Germany

(AP) FRANKFURT, Germany - The founder of an environmental activist group known for its confrontations with whalers and fishermen has been arrested in Germany for extradition to Costa Rica, where he is wanted for allegedly endangering a fishing boat in 2002, German prosecutors said Monday.

Paul Watson of Sea Shepherd Conservation Society was arrested Sunday at Frankfurt Airport on an international arrest warrant issued by Costa Rica, a spokesman for the local prosecutors' office said.

"He is alleged to have used a ship to intimidate another vessel and put its crew at risk in 2002," said the spokesman, Guenter Wittig.

Watson is currently in temporary custody and a judge will decide later whether to formally place him in detention pending extradition, Wittig said.

Sea Shepherd said Watson was filming a documentary at the time of the alleged incident. It took place in Guatemalan waters, when the U.S.-based group said it encountered an illegal shark finning operation run by a Costa Rican ship, the Varadero.

Sea Shepherd said in a statement Sunday that it told the Varadero's crew to stop and head to port to be prosecuted. The crew accused Sea Shepherd of trying to kill them.