Paul Watson is one of the most important figures in the field of environmental conservation. He is recognized as the world's protector of whales. His career as an activist began as one of the founders of Greenpeace, carrying out conservation campaigns in the Arctic in which he came close to losing his life to hypothermia. However, Greenpeace decided to take a major turn in its activism, focusing solely on peaceful protests. Watson did not agree with this passive form of activism because, in his eyes, it was not very effective, so he was expelled from the organization.
Paul saw an opportunity in this situation, and founded the renowned Sea Shepherd organization, a fleet of volunteers dedicated to preventing the illegal hunting of mammals and endangered species, both in the open ocean and within the exclusive economic zone of nations, if they allowed it. Paul Watson achieved great triumphs through the documentary series Whale Wars, where he was dedicated to preventing the fleets of large fishing nations, including Japan, from hunting species protected by the international community. The hunting of cetaceans implied a great threat to their survival as a species. As part of a documentary, much of the Sea Shepherd crew's actions were being filmed.
As a result of a mission against whaling in Antarctica, Japan issued a warrant for Watson's arrest in 2012 to stop his activity. However, as the action was filmed, he had managed to avoid arrest by legal means, proving that there was no attempted murder of Japanese crew members, of which he was accused. Paul maintained his freedom as long as he remained within the United States of America.
After incorporating new leaders to Sea Shepherd, it was decided to transform its policy of action in a peaceful and non-confrontational. So, due to disagreements with Watson, he left the organization and founded, for the third time, a new NGO dedicated to the conservation of whales called Captain Paul Watson Foundation (CPWF), which will maintain confrontational actions for the conservation of mammals against illegal hunting.
Interpol, after more than a decade, removed from its website the information regarding his search, so Watson's representatives understood that the arrest warrant was no longer in effect. Heading out on a new mission to protect cetaceans from poaching, Watson and his crew embarked logistically in Greenland, where his arrest by Interpol was made. The arrest came as a surprise, as it was believed that the Interpol Red Notice had been withdrawn. However, this was because Japan requested that the notice be kept confidential to facilitate Watson's arrest, as the CPWF crew was en route to intercept the Japanese whaler "Kangei Maru".
Paul Watson is currently incarcerated in Anstalten Prison, Greenland, awaiting a court decision on extradition to Japan. If this happens, the great defender of cetaceans could die in Japanese prisons for his conservationist actions.
Now, it is important to ask: What are Denmark's interests? It was recently confirmed that the arrest in Greenland (a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark), was largely due to pressure from the Faroe Islands (also a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark), as Sea Shepard and Paul Watson campaigned heavily against the "grindadrap". The grindadrap is a day on which the shores of the islands are dyed red due to the hunting of pilot dolphins, considered a tradition. In 2021, more than 1,000 pilot dolphins were hunted in one day. Watson conducted major awareness and activism campaigns against the practice, and the Faroe Islands were also interested in stopping it.
Watson's lawyer explains that the Japanese arrest warrant is illegal, violates international human rights treaties, and that if Denmark complies with the extradition request it would be violating its own Constitution and the European Convention on Human Rights. A decision on Greenland's extradition, which has already been postponed twice due to pressure from individuals and environmental groups around the globe, is expected by the end of the month.
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