From coastguard to founder of the NGO Sea Shepherd, a “captain” with controversial methods

The founder of the NGO, nicknamed “the captain” by his teams, was arrested Sunday in Greenland. He risks extradition to Japan for opposing whaling vessels.

The Élysée assures us: France is intervening to prevent Paul Watson from being extradited to Japan. The 73-year-old American-Canadian environmental activist was arrested in Greenland on Sunday, July 21. The founder of the Sea Shepherd association is the subject of an international arrest warrant by Japan for his actions against whaling. In an op-ed published by the newspaper ReleaseFrench personalities such as Camille Etienne, Pierre Niney, Brigitte Bardot and Nagui give their support to the captain. Franceinfo draws a portrait of this activist.

Paul Watson made a name for himself through muscular methods. This is the trademark of the NGO, which he founded in 1977. The activist is quickly recognizable by his pirate look, with his beard, his long white hair and the flags he sometimes displays, with a skull on a black background. This is the emblem of his association, Sea Shepherd, the “shepherd of the sea” When it comes to fighting whale poaching, its crews do not hesitate to come into contact with, harass, or even sabotage the whalers.

Paul Watson joined the Canadian Coast Guard in 1968. He served on weather ships and on maritime rescue hovercraft. He then joined the Merchant Navy as a deckhand on a Norwegian ship that sailed mainly in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. The sailor becomes politicized and is particularly opposed to nuclear tests off the coast of Alaska.

The activist then participated in the creation of Greenpeace. An environmental protection NGO from which he would later be excluded. The environmental activist, now 73 years old, was then in favor of more direct methods of action, in disagreement with the methods proposed by the other executives of the Greenpeace association.

He then founded Sea Shepherd in 1977, with the aim of combating whale poaching. To this end, the NGO’s crews did not hesitate to directly collide with factory ships in order to disrupt their activities. “It is always in the context of illegal hunting, and always making sure not to hurt anyone”explains Lamya Essemlali, president of Sea Shepherd France.

These are the actions more “direct” which led to the arrest of Paul Watson in Greenland. The activist had been the subject of an Interpol red notice since 2012, following an arrest warrant issued by Japan. “He was stopping off in Greenland to refuel his ship, and he was heading to the North Pacific where Japan is killing hundreds of whales,” adds the president. The country is in Sea Shepherd’s sights, since whaling is a real industry there. The association claims to have saved more than 5,000 whales from Japanese harpoons.

Paul Watson is considered a hero by some, accused of “ecoterrorist” by others. The environmental activist was remanded in custody until at least August 15, before potentially being extradited to Japan.”The captain“, as he is nicknamed by his teams, can count on the support of many political and media figures, or singers like the group Tryo who composed a song in his tribute.