Sea Shepherd's Paul Watson breaks bail to leave Germany

A German court says the founder of the environmental activist group Sea Shepherd has broken the terms of his bail and apparently left the country.

Paul Watson was arrested in Germany earlier this year on a Costa Rican warrant.

Costa Rica claims the 61-year-old Canadian endangered a fishing boat and its crew in 2002. Sea Shepherd says Watson was filming a documentary in 2002 when his team encountered an illegal shark-finning operation in Guatemalan waters.

Watson was detained at Frankfurt airport May 13 and released days later on250,000 ($310,000) bail under the condition that he report regularly to authorities.

But the Frankfurt state court said Wednesday he hasn't done so since Sunday. It said his attorney says Watson told him by phone that he has left Germany.