I guess it is some sort of badge of courage that world governments and populations take an interest in you, but one would hope they do so for similar reasons. This is not the case in Frankfurt, Germany at the moment.
While people around the world revere Captain Paul Watson for the stands he takes to save whales, as featured on the popular Animal Planet series Whale Wars, the German government has him under arrest for a 2005 complaint for the very actions millions cheer for each week. I hear the arresting officers were fans of the series, which was recently released there.
As I understand it, Paul Watson was arrested on an Interpol warrant for a complaint from Costa Rican fishermen for a collision at sea. Watson claims the fishermen were illegally poaching shark, and he intervened. The incident in question was caught on video by the crew filming Sharkwater, a feature length documentary film originally released in Canada in 2007. I have not seen the film, but understand the original arrest was featured and no one was injured nor was there any property damage.
Sea Shepherd has a past history of favorable actions in Costa Rica. In addition to Sharkwater, my film, Confessions of an Eco-terrorist documents Watson and his crew chasing illegal poachers out of the Cocos Island, a Costa Rican national park since 1978. This was something the local authorities had not been able to do by themselves for years.
Again, no one was injured.
Who cares, and why arrest him now? Have Watson's actions against Japanese whalers finally hit home? Is it finally getting to the Japanese? Australians? Americans? Governments will only put up with rebellion for so long and perhaps Watson has finally pushed them too far? Perhaps it's not a coincidence that the extradition request by Costa Rica was issued the same month (October 2011) as the Japanese lawsuit against Sea Shepherd was initiated.
Let's face it, governments, in general are guilty as hell of double-talk pretty much all of the time.
We Americans oppose whaling and we have laws against it. Why then does our government, as "green" as they appear, sign waivers to allow the Japanese to kill whales every year? The Australian people oppose whaling yet their government does nothing to stop the Japanese from reaping their slaughter within their economic zone. Why? Quite simply: money.
Let's hope the German government is wise enough to see through this harassment and release Captain Watson. I understand he was on his way to Cannes, the film festival, obviously on a covert mission to save the earth. He is no danger to anyone except those profiting from the death of our planet. It is better off for all of us that Captain Watson is released and allowed his freedom of travel.
The Danish Faeroe Islands are killing whales, the Japanese will continue to take whales in a sanctuary, and Germany holds Watson in jail for bumping a ship flagged to Costa Rica?
Do I understand this right?
I support law enforcement in some cases, but this is ridiculous. Let the man go free. Let him get back to his business of saving our oceans. Unless you are a whaler, you have to agree. We need whales in order to survive, and I come down with those who believe we don't need so many illegal fishermen, no matter where they come from. I will watch the proceedings in Germany, and others should too. We cannot let legal harassment such as this sidetrack our focus.
Let's quit screwing around and free Watson. Believe me, future generations will appreciate it.
Follow Peter Jay Brown on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Confessionsfilm
Manatees...yea...they'd make great burgers I bet!
from: http://news.co.cr/protection-sharks-costa-rica-colombia-honduras-continues/7598/
it is my understanding that Interpol would not issue a warrant because of lack of evidence/erroneous evidence.
it looks as though the CR Gov't is now making a point of condemning finning, see here:
http://news.co.cr/protection-sharks-costa-rica-colombia-honduras-continues/7598/
and
http://www.rree.go.cr/?sec=servicios%20al%20publico&cat=servicios%20de%20informacion&cont=593¬icia=1032
now that Watson is free on bail, I wonder if the CR Gov't will smell the coffee and drop the charges. Hope so.
"reported on the case of the fishing vessel Hung Chi Fu, registered in Belize. In 2011, the Hung Chi Fu was busy offloading a catch of blunt-nosed grey sharks (also called cow sharks), which are abundant in the Pacific coast off Costa Rica. The H. griesus catch of the was within the legal limit, but it was used to conceal a sizable catch of blue sharks with their fins hacked off. After a ship arrest and subsequent trial, the Taiwanese captain was ordered to pay about $124,000...
A more intricate shark finning scheme was uncovered by fishermen in the Pacific coast of Costa Rica also in 2011...Fishermen in Puntarenas noticed something suspicious on one of those boats, the Wang Jia Men 89. The... catch...consisted of dorsal fins attached by a wire to portions of shark remains."
Oops.
I will still be giggling for quite a while.
I am watching this show about a group of hippies chasing their tails on the high seas.
The overdramatization is superbly done.
Careful what you wish for.
Watson was arrested in GERMANY on a warrant issued by COSTA RICA for an incident that, apparently, happened in GAUTEMALAN waters that involved shark finning. What exactly does "Japanese whalers" have to do with this???
http://www.seashepherd.org/news-and-media/2012/05/17/german-prosecutors-late-motion-gives-german-ministers-more-time-to-free-captain-paul-watson-1378
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Do you think Costa Rican authorities should drop the charges against Paul Watson?
Yes. He was only trying to protect sharks because governments aren’t doing enough.
93% Votes: 3506
No. He jeopardized fishermen’s lives so he must face the consequences.
7% Votes: 245
****************************
But hey - I guess that make us all being 'with the terrorists'.... What a joke... I hope the money you make from exploiting OUR planet worth it...
Free Paul Watson now and save yourself the embarrassment that will follow when this story hits the mainstream media...
And if you want to cast multiple votes, you either have to use other devices or play around in your cookies department... Who really wanna make that extra effort for messing up a poll... Maybe you do.. Sounds like it'...
Actually it saddens me to see just how much energy some people are wiling to put into something that ultimately is of gain to ALL of us... Maybe you have economical gains from this area... It sure as hell seem like it'...
So? There are also people around the world who revile him. And being revered isn't a defense against any crime I know of.
"for a 2005 complaint"
Actually it is a 2002 complaint.
"Perhaps it's not a coincidence that the extradition request by Costa Rica was issued the same month (October 2011) as the Japanese lawsuit against Sea Shepherd was initiated."
Well it obviously isn't a coincidence since they weren't done in the same month.
"Why then does our government, as "green" as they appear, sign waivers to allow the Japanese to kill whales every year?"
Because they don't, the United States (and no other government) sign any kind of 'waiver' to allow Japanese whaling.
"The Danish Faeroe Islands are killing whales,"
Which is legal.
"the Japanese will continue to take whales in a sanctuary,"
Which is legal.
"for bumping a ship flagged to Costa Rica?"
Which is illegal.
"Do I understand this right?"
Apparently not.
"Unless you are a whaler, you have to agree."
So only whalers believe in following laws and applying them equally to all people?
Why not just come out and say you hate whalers no matter what and are using this unrelated incident to further your hate?
I mean he is under arrest for actions against shark finners not whalers. Yet you barely mention shark finning, almost your whole complaint deals with whaling.
-"Which is legal."
I take it someone doesn't know how to use a dictionary. You should try it sometime and see what you find under sanctuary.
You will find, first Article VIII whaling is exempt from the sanctuary (hint, Japan is whaling under Article VIII). Second Japan followed Article V section 3 in regards to the sanctuary (hint, that means it doesn't apply to them anyways).
No charge for the schooling.
please do tell us what country has legislated law on their books with the statute that it is a 'crime' to protect whales, marine mammals and other endangered marine life from illegal slaughter under international treaties and charters. if you're going to make criminal accusations against someone
you better hell be prepared to back it up with the legal due process that lead to a conviction and sentencing.
"please do tell us what country has legislated law on their books with the statute that it is a 'crime' to protect whales, marine mammals and other endangered marine life from illegal slaughter under international treaties and charters."
I never said any such laws exist.
But there are laws against ramming vessels and throwing glass bottles at vessels and boarding vessels at sea. And Sea Shepherd members have been convicted of all three of those crimes.
I say to those who think they are "right", to go out and fight a corrupt government and organization who "claims" to protect! But instead gives green light to illegal acts on protected waters.
How many of you who are so cavalier to speak so openly, would actually dedicate your life's to protect, save and fight for what is right? Or the power of "knowledge" is only shown on your keyboards?... Before you create this "fantasy claims", walk a mile on this man shoes and feel first hand the objectivity and scrutiny he is put in, each and every day!
How many life's you "critics" have actually save?
Mr. Watson is most assuredly, ecologically learned. The radical environmentalist, like Paul Watson, maintains, the more the individual is ecologically conscious, the more radical he becomes. He has known this for a long time.
His savior is, he knows he is right and is willing to sacrifice so much to save the Earth and mankind. The real problem is, the Earth needs more like him. Someone who gets the big picture and is willing to take a stand. He knows he is right and is willing to stand up for his beliefs. What better sacrifice than to save the Earth and mankind.
It is particularly pleasing that Watson was arrested during his annual pilgrammage to the Cannes Film Festival. The spectacle of Watson travelling to Cannes year after year to hang around the celebrities in the desperate hope of someone deciding to make a movie about him was cause for embarrassment. One also wonders how much of his donors' money was wasted on this vain personal pursuit. But I digress.
If Paul Watson is convicted and sentenced to a lengthy prison term, it will make the world a safer place. The kind of fanaticical violence carried out by this degenerate is no different from that espoused by the likes of Al Qaeda and should be treated accordingly.
In all of his years of activism, Paul Watson has never killed anybody, and never attempted to.
In fact, I can not find a single example of any environmental activist killing people for an environmental cause.
However, there are hundreds and hundreds of examples of activists who were brutally murdered by loggers, ranchers, poachers, industry thugs and criminals -- even corrupt police and military forces.
But you won't find the people condemning Watson also calling for justice for these murdered activists.
They're too busy claiming that "stink bombs" are deadly chemical weapons.
One hopes that the Costa Rican legal system will see through his lies and deception. One such lie is that he has never hurt anyone. Only very recently, a member of his organisation was charged and convicted with burning a Japanese mariner with an acid projectile.
Further, Watson's history of ramming vessels certainly does not lend itself to his claim of "non-violence". When he erroneously claimed that one of Sea Shepherd's vessel was rammed by the Shonan Maru 2, he claimed it was an act of "attempted murder". Logically speaking, this doesn't bode well for his own innocence given that ramming vessels is a favoured tactic of his own.
It seems that justice may finally have caught up with this old thug. If it has, it is not a moment too soon.
Tragically, eco-illiterates are devouring the living, life giving of Earth or her natural and wild ecosystems and their biological diversity, like whales, that are the literal strands in the web of all life including yours. All of our politicos and policy makers require, at least, a kindergarten education in the science of ecology.
Paul Watson is trying to save every and all reasons you are breathing, right now! How sad for you! With Earth, he is a hero, an Earth warrior attempting to save Earth.
No they are laws crafted by and with the input of internationally recognized scientists, experts in whales and ecology.
Word of advice there - if Sea Shepherd ever offers you a nice refreshing drink of Kool Aid - don't drink it.
Do you realize that not everyone who watches is on Watson's side?
************
Do you think Costa Rican authorities should drop the charges against Paul Watson?
Yes. He was only trying to protect sharks because governments aren’t doing enough.
93% Votes: 3506
No. He jeopardized fishermen’s lives so he must face the consequences.
7% Votes: 245
**********
So it looks like there is a bit favoring for Watson, even in Costa Rica...