Marine conservation watchdog Sea Shepherd has been told it no longer needs to pay for filming at a north-east harbour.
Members of the international action group were slapped with a £2,800 invoice from port bosses at Gardenstown on Wednesday.
The crew, which is in the area to fight a planned seal cull, was told to pay up within 48 hours or face being ejected.
The invoice was roundly condemned by supporters of the action group from around the world, who saw it as a ploy to force the activists out of the harbour.
Yesterday, Sea Shepherd announced that the invoice had now been revoked and thanked local harbour trustees for their U-turn decision.
“We greatly appreciate the trouble the board’s secretary Dr Ian Moir and treasurer Alex Watt went to by personally delivering this news in a letter to us,” said Sea Shepherd captain Jessie Treverton.
“The people of Gardenstown have been extremely friendly to our team and we think it’s an utterly beautiful place.”
The group arrived at the harbour on Friday to campaign against the licensed shooting of seals by the Scottish Wild Salmon Company, also known as Usan.
The firm later announced that it would halt the cull and investigate non-lethal methods.
But Sea Shepherd members are refusing to leave the area until they are sure the seals are safe. Ms Treverton added: “We would like to take this opportunity to apologise to the town’s people for any disruption caused as a result of us being present and stress that we are only here to ensure that no more seals are shot.
“We can assure the harbour trustees and townspeople that as soon as The Scottish Wild Salmon Company hands back their licence to shoot seals, Sea Shepherd UK will leave Gardenstown to return to normal.”