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The 73-year-old captain and founder of ocean conservation organisation Sea Shepherd was arrested in Greenland recently.
Captain Watson was on board the ship M/Y John Paul DeJoria docked in Nuuk when Danish authorities boarded the ship and took him into custody.
The Danish police claim that the arrest was made due to an international ‘Red Notice’ issued by Japan. However, this warrant was created almost a decade ago due to Captain Watson’s anti-whaling activities in the Antarctic.
The arrest has renewed suspicions of the Japanese’ intentions to resume their whaling activities in the Antarctic. These activities were banned by the International Court of Justice in 2014, but recent activities within the sector have raised alarm bells.
Earlier this year, Japan announced the launch of their newest whaling ship, the Kangei Maru – replacing the aging and infamous Nishin Maru, which Captain Watson himself launched campaigns against in the past.
At the enormous cost of $47 million, weighing in at 9,300 tons, and with a 100-person crew, the Kangei Maru is the largest whaling ship of its kind to be built in the last 70 years. Despite their insistence that it will remain in Japanese waters, this has ignited serious concerns that the Japanese are planning to return to the Southern oceans.
The high-profile arrest of Captain Watson has also raised questions around the reasons for Danish interference. Some conservation groups have called the arrest a politically-driven move which the nation should not get involved in.
During Watson’s tenure, Sea Shephard also condemned Denmark and their whale-killing traditions of ‘grindadráp’ on the Faroe Islands north of the UK. While this was not recent, some believe it may help to explain their agenda.
Paul Watson’s career in activism has not been without its controversy. He was a founding member of Greenpeace before his so-called ‘aggressive tactics’ forced him to leave the organisation.
La légende Pierce Brosnan soutient Paul Watson !
L’acteur mythique de James Bond a partagé ce lundi le message #freepaulwatson sur son compte Instagram, suivi par plus de 2 millions de personnes 🔥 pic.twitter.com/SCWcLekc2A
— Vakita (@vakitamedia) August 12, 2024
He then went on to found the international ocean conservation society ‘Sea Shepherd’ which he recently parted ways with in 2022. Since then, Watson has founded his own firm, the Captain Paul Watson Foundation, who he is working with currently.
If Watson is extradited to Japan he could face up to 15 years in jail, however there has been huge pressure put on the Danish police to release him. A petition to the Danish Prime Minister on behalf of Watson has received over 50,000 signatures in just two weeks.
While the decision remains to be made, many other conservation organisations are calling to release the captain who has dedicated his entire life to the protection of the world’s oceans.
