The fight against whaling continues in prison, says Watson September 3, 2024

Paul Watson, an activist against whaling, was arrested in July in Nuuk, the capital of the Danish autonomous territory of Greenland (Miguel MEDINA)

By AFP - Agence France Presse

The fight against whaling continues in prison, says Watson

Camille BAS-WOHLERT

The detention of anti-whaling activist Paul Watson in a Greenland prison, pending his possible extradition to Japan, has not stopped him from continuing his fight to save the animals, he said in an interview with AFP.

“If they think it stops our opposition, I've simply changed ships. My ship is now Nuuk Prison,” said the 73-year-old American-Canadian activist, with a mischievous smile on his face as he met AFP in the visiting room of Nuuk Prison in Greenland.

Watson, who took part in the reality TV show “Whale Wars” and founded Sea Shepherd and the Captain Paul Watson Foundation (CPWF), is known for his radical tactics, including confrontations with whaling ships at sea.

He was arrested in July in Nuuk, the capital of the Danish autonomous territory of Greenland, based on a 2012 arrest warrant issued by Japan, which accuses him of causing damage to one of its whaling ships in 2010 in Antarctica.

Japan says he also injured a Japanese crew member with a stink bomb intended to disrupt the whalers' activities and has asked Denmark to extradite him to stand trial.

Watson is being held behind bars pending the government's decision, to ensure that he doesn't escape.

In 2012, he was arrested in Germany at the request of Costa Rica over another incident. He was released on bail and required to report to the police daily but left the country to avoid extradition.

This time, Watson and his legal team insist that Tokyo has a vendetta against him.

“They want to set an example that you shouldn't mess with their whaling,” said Watson, wearing a thick gray sweater.

The Nuuk court is due to decide on September 4 whether to extend his custody.

“The lawyers have told me that they are going to extend my detention.”

- 'Almost like on deck' -

From his cell in the modern gray prison building overlooking the sea, Watson can watch the whales and icebergs pass by his window.

“It's almost like I'm on the deck of my ship,” he said, calling it ‘the best prison I've ever been in’.

He said he doesn't care much about his detention, except for the fact that he misses his children, aged three and seven.

He spends his time watching police programs and reading a lot - he has just devoured an anthology on the popes - but mostly he has been writing, he said.

He gives his texts to Lamya Essemlali, head of Sea Shepherd France, who has visited him almost daily since his arrest.

More than 100,000 people around the world have signed a petition calling for his release.

His colleagues held in prison “are all great fans”, he said, despite their opposition to the traditional seal hunt in Greenland.

“I signed autographs when I arrived”.

He also receives many letters of support, “many of them from children, because they are extremely passionate about the world”.

“If we can reach the children, I think things can change.”

French President Emmanuel Macron's office has asked Denmark not to extradite the activist, as well as Brigitte Bardot, the French film legend turned animal rights activist.

Watson has been living in France for almost two years.

“Denmark is in a very difficult situation,” he said.

“They can't extradite me because, first of all, they are human rights defenders,” he added, describing the Japanese judicial system as ‘medieval’.

“I haven't done anything and, even if I had, the sentence would be (a fine of) 1,500 kroner (US$223) in Denmark - not even a prison sentence - while Japan wants to sentence me to 15 years.”

- Ships at the ready - You have a ship stationed in each of the countries.

Watson has a ship stationed in each hemisphere, ready to spring into action if one of the countries that still allow whaling - Iceland, Japan, and Norway - resumes hunting.

“In 1974, my goal was to eradicate whaling, and I hope to do that before I die.”

He insists that he and his activists “are not a protest organization”.

“We are an enforcement organization” that ensures the protection of the seas, he said, rejecting the eco-terrorist label that is sometimes used against him.

“I do aggressive interference without violence”.

“There's no contradiction between aggression and non-violence - that means I'll try to take the knife from the person who's trying to kill a whale, but I won't hurt them.

“I don't cross the line, I've never hurt anyone,” he said.

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