Despite Whale Wars being between seasons, there is plenty of drama surrounding the Sea Shepherd Captain Paul Watson. Japan has entered the fray to win the prize of prosecuting him.
Unfortunately for fans of Animal Planet's Whale Wars there are no cameras filming Paul Watson's latest attempt to avoid extradition from Germany to Costa Rica where he faces ten-year old criminal charges.
Seashepherd.org confirmed news that Paul Watson skipped out on his bail. His attorney alerted the organization about his flight. The background on Costa Rica's beef is summarized here.
"I received confirmation today from Germany’s General Public Prosecutor that Japan filed an extradition request against Paul Watson on July 19th,” said Oliver Wallasch, lead German Counsel for Captain Paul Watson.
“Germany was proceeding with Captain Watson’s extradition to Costa Rica and, once there, there is no doubt he would have been delivered into Japanese custody,” said Susan Hartland, Administrative Director for Sea Shepherd. “Upon being extradited to Japan, he would not have received a fair trial and would never have seen the outside of a prison again,” she added.
No one has confirmed whether Costa Rica will defer to the Japanese desire to put an end to Paul Watson's adventures for good, but you can't beat this for a great guessing game.
Paul Watson had to forfeit the reported $300,000 bail posted for him and leave his passport behind. How many countries will help him slip through their borders without one? A day of protest was set up for July 20 to raise awareness about his plight, but jumping bail was not on the agenda until a few days later.
It all started according to Sea Shepherd when Watson learned of the last minute maneuver by Japan. The request went to Germany to allow the Japanese to negotiate with Costa Rica for rights to Watson. His flight came quickly thereafter.
For NBA fans, it smacks of trading activity between two teams when a third team gets involved to facilitate moving a top notch player to one of the others. In this negotiation no one else is going back to the one country that loses the chance to skewer Watson.
However, there is plenty of bluster coming from Sea Shepherd about replacing Capt. Watson and continuing the real whale wars in the Southern Pacific Ocean.
Administrative Director Susan Hartland has said as much in a statement on the organization's website. It won't stop the ships from attempting to thwart efforts to kill whales, despite Japan's protests that they are conducting scientific research.
Critics of Capt. Watson say that he has yet to face justice for attacks on the high seas and that he demonstrates cowardice for doing so. He should be willing to be jailed for his cause they argue.
With Sea Shepherd's assurance that the fight will go on with or without Paul Watson, his flight from Germany looks like it is more about his individual fight against what he considers an illegal prosecution, rather than about making Japan cease prohibited whaling activities.
Image: Wikimedia Commons/David w ng
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Comments
#1 Paul Watson is literally a
Paul Watson is literally a hero working tirelessly for all of mankind and ocean wildlife. He avidly follows the law and is one of the fairest, most compassionate people I know of, who shows amazing restraint and fairness under impossible opposition and situations. The govt of Japan is very dishonest and brings shame to it's people, especially the victims of Fukushima which will continue to suffer since the govt took money that was supposed to help them recover, and gave it to the whalers to continue their illegal activities. For every head of Sea Shepherd that they try to cut off, a thousand will rise in it's place. Sea Shepherd is here to stay and will forever protect our oceans.
#2 Boycott Germany
Boycott Germany off the Planet for what they'v done to this environmental hero!!!
#3 Sea Shepherd knows that
Sea Shepherd knows that Interpol DISMISSED the Costa Rican warrant. But Germany arrested Captain Watson on May 13th despite the politically motivated warrant and decided that they would entertain the Costa Rican request on a bilateral basis — on behalf of both Costa Rica and Japan.
Sea Shepard operates under the United Nations World Charter for Nature to uphold international conservation laws and directly intervene against illegal activities on the high seas. Japan is under the false impression that if they jail Captain Watson, they will halt our campaigns to protect ocean wildlife.
Captain Watson had been detained in Germany for 70 days despite thousands of letters of support sent to the German Ministry of Justice from the public, celebrities, politicians and other luminaries arguing for his release of these politically motivated warrant. He was arrested in Frankfurt on May 13th on a 10-year-old warrant from Costa Rica while en route to Cannes, France. He was being detained in Germany for extradition to Costa Rica for an alleged “violation of ships’ traffic,” which occurred during the 2002 filming of the award-winning documentary, “Sharkwater.” The specific incident took place on the high seas in Guatemalan waters, when Sea Shepherd encountered an illegal shark-finning operation run by Costa Rican vessel, the Varadero. On order of Guatemalan authorities, Sea Shepherd instructed the crew of the Varadero to cease their shark-finning activities and head back to port to be prosecuted. While escorting the Varadero back to port, the tables were turned and a Guatemalan gunboat was dispatched to intercept the Sea Shepherd crew. To avoid the Guatemalan gunboat, Sea Shepherd then set sail for Costa Rica, where the crew uncovered even more illegal shark-finning activities in the form of dried shark fins by the thousands on the roofs of industrial buildings.
The Germans should have kept their nose out of it. They care no more for animal rights than they did for human rights in the 1940s! Leonard should do some research before posting.
#4 Human rights in the 1940s....
Human rights in the 1940s.... It is the providence of a fool to resort to nazi remarks when truly intelligent views elude them.
#5 Why the lies?
INTERPOL did not DISMISS the warrant because they have no authority to do any such thing. What they did was decide that the warrant didn't meet their guidelines so the decided not to list the warrant in their system. The warrant is still perfectly valid.
The Sea Shepherds don't operate under the UN World Charter for Nature since it doesn't give anybody any authority to do anything. The UNWCfN is a resolution passed by the General Assembly and since it wasn't passed by the Security Council it DOESN'T have any legal effect.
The Germans were asked to extradite him based on Costa Rica's warrant as countries all over the world do every day. If Germany should keep their nose out of it I guess you believe that all a criminal has to do is leave the country and then they are safe from being caught.
#6 I thought the comment was
I thought the comment was well worded myself even if it involved nazi's. But for some reason it didnt sit well with you. Why?
#7 I thought the comment was
I thought the comment was well worded myself even if it involved nazi's. But for some reason it didnt sit well with you. Why?
#8 I thought the comment was
I thought the comment was well worded myself even if it involved nazi's. But for some reason it didnt sit well with you. Why?
#9 Paul Watson...political prisoner
Relax everyone...this Nazi talk is offensive...the issue here is the German extradition to Costa Rica (or Japan ultimately) being a politically motivated push to contain Pauls environment conservation work or a genuine attempt to uphold International law and hold a trial against a real lawbreaker. I would think that Pauls 'crime' of soaking and bumping an illegal sharkfin poaching vessel may be absolutely trivial when compared to the Japanese captain who lined up and sank the Ady Gil in 2010 AND failed to respond to a May Day from the victim crew...lets get real here, the Germans are being played by the Japanese and Paul Watson is never going to get true legal justice by allowing himself to be delivered to a 'kangaroo court'....Run fast my friend, the fight against the murderous whalers MUST go on.
#10 And as I recall, the Ady Gil
And as I recall, the Ady Gil was literally dead in the water (on land, we'd call it parked). When the Japanese basically rammed this vehicle. They could have killed everyone on board. They got away with this crime. Where was the justice then? Paul would be a fool to let himself be held by Germany bound ultimately for Japan. I hope the Japanese choke on their whale meat.
#11 Then your recall is off. The
Then your recall is off.
The Ady Gil helmsman and the Ady Gil's electronic recorders show that they weren't literally dead in the water and that it accelerated forward just before the collision. The New Zealand investigation found these FACTS and found the Ady Gil was equally responsible for the collision.
But don't let reality get in the way of your beliefs.
#12 The New Zealand government is
The New Zealand government is as pathetic as the Germans...they grovel around the shirt tails of Japan for economic reasons...of course they wanted the whole Ady Gil thing to go away...the SM 2 captain steered into the AG with full intent, even if you want to believe Watson should face a kangaroo court in Costa Rica, you wont get anywhere denying the intent of that captain sinking the Ady Gil...I spent 3 weeks sailing with Pete Bethune directly after that incident and I know the facts...use some other argument to support your hatred for Paul Watson and the campaigns he leads against the illegal whalers in Antarctica.
#13 Oh, so you are bias.
I don't care if you are Peter Bethunes cojoined twin.
The New Zealand Maritime investigators had the testimony of the crew of the Ady Gil. They also had the electronic recordings of the Ady Gil position and speed and the radar tracks from the relevant time. So unless Peter's own crew lied and some magic was used to alter the electric records, it is pretty hard to take your hearsay evidence from someone who also had ample reason to try and downplay any fault that might be laid at his feet.
And just what illegal whalers in Antarctica are you ranting about. I only know of the Japanese whalers being there.
#14 oh, so YOU TOO are bias
the only bias I see is your own manufactured one pretending as if you were given a copy of the ships logs and report findings.
oh and this should help you how to EQUATE:
illegal whalers=JAPANESE WHALERS. how's that for a crash course in linear algebra.
#15 Then you need to remover your blinders
I am repeating the results of a neutral investigation by New Zealand. Investigatorsthat 'were given a copy of the ships logs', they were also given the electronic and radar records of the Ady Gil and they took signed statements from members of the Ady Gil's and Bob Barker's crews. And I didn't need to be given a copy of the report findings because they were published online for anybody with an interest to read.
"illegal whalers=JAPANESE WHALERS. how's that for a crash course in linear algebra."
It is a very, very poor crash course in linear algebra. But it goes right to the bias issue again. Maybe you could give us all a crash course in the law and explain just what laws the Japanese whalers are breaking.
#16 oh, so YOU TOO are bias
the only bias I see is your own manufactured one pretending as if you were given a copy of the ships logs and report findings.
oh and this should help you how to EQUATE:
illegal whalers=JAPANESE WHALERS. how's that for a crash course in linear algebra.
#17 I smell a troll
OK, wiseguy, you were there and YOU know the 'facts'...the great thing about people like you is that you spend all summer on the couch with a laptop working furiously while we actually stop the whalers killing in Antarctica...ship to ship... you minority types are pretty much irrelevant because SSCS will be on the fleet this summer and there is nothing you can do about it.
#18 Sorry that facts are so hurtful to you.
To bad you don't have the ability to read and understand English.
I have plainly indicate I wasn't there. But the people who were there gave statements and they don't agree with YOU who also wasn't there.
It is sad that people who claim to be morally and ethically superior have so much trouble dealing with the truth and fall back on personal attacks. Sad but not at all unusual.
#19 Facts...
You might want to read back over my comments Sherlock...I have sailed in Antarctica for the last three years, Pete Bethune was my quartermaster when he was preparing to board the SM2 and 'arrest' its captain...you get to know someone pretty well doing 2 watches a day with them...its YOU who is thin on the facts. As I said, people like you NEVER make a difference on the couch...that's not abusive, just statin' the truth brother....anyways, enough said, Im getting sick of you.
#20 Real facts, not the delusions of a cult member...
You might want to reread your own comments Sherlock. You WEREN'T on the Ady Gil, where you? So all you have to go on is hearsay. While the investigators had electronics records and the hearsay. And it is not like Peter Bethune didn't have a reason to try and downplay any mistakes on his part. Oh and then there are Peter's words after Paul Watson threw him under the bus. And people like you who are so sure they are right despite the facts just run away when they are proven wrong. it is really kind of sad. They believe they are so smart, yet they are deluding themselves. Of course you have lots of practice being deluded.
#21 I dont run away Troll...I
I dont run away Troll...I will be back on the water, fucking up the whaling fleet with 100 other good people while you sit at home sucking whatever you types suck on...you are the classic armchair expert stupid enough to tell me I wasnt there...you are a serious fraud Leonard...and quite irrelevant in the scheme of things.winterrowd, emnyouri
#22 I didn't tell you you weren't
I didn't tell you you weren't there idiot. Learn to read English.
I repeated what you youself claim, which was that you weren't on the Ady Gil. You didn't crew with Peter until after the collision. So you have no better information than I do, except you refuse to believe statements by the Ady Gil's own crewmen and the electronic records turned over by the SSCS. Mighty thick pair of blinders there mister.
You also have no idea what I do and what causes I spend my time dealing with. Because I don't have such a big ego that I feel it necessary to trumpet my actions in an attempt to pump myself up. I know myself what I do to help the planet and that is all that matters.
So go back to sea with your fellow cult members. Strengthen Japanese resolve to keep whaling. Pump more carbon into our atmosphere for little if any real effect. At least you will inflate your ego a few more psi.
#23 Let us know who you are Leonard
Perhaps its time for you to let us all know who you are and what you do Leonard...my profile is public of FB, Im an Australian citizen, a Melbourne violinmaker, a SSCS bridge officer and have a long history working for the protection of Australian native forests and 5 years working with SSCS in the Antarctic whale sanctuary...now its YOUR turn...tells us Leonard.
#24 You missed something in your
You missed something in your bio. You have an inability to understand English.
#25 Try getting your facts
Try getting your facts straight Vincent.
The neutral investigation of the Ady Gil collision found that based on the facts the Ady Gil itself was equally responsible for the collision and the Japanese Captain didn't 'line-up' anybody.
The Japanese also didn't fail to respond. The SSCS's own pictures show the Shonan Maru standing by ready to help.
#26 Whale Blubber
Japan would go broke if they put Paul Watson in their prison, Theres not enough whale blubber to feed that fatboy
#27 Insight...Im sure!
Glad to see that there are people like you Dale that have an incredible insight into issues of International justice in these cases...now get back to producing that PhD thesis you are working on...
#28 Hey Everyone
Remember that time Paul got "shot" by the Japanese Whalers. He has always lied about stuff to get on the news. I don't support Whaling, but Watson has proven to be a complete Jagaloon. He cares more about himself/publicity than he does about the Whales. He never risks his own skin, he gets other people to do it for him.
The other thing I have a problem with is when they have people board the Japanese boats. Then they try to get the Australian government to stop the boat. The Japanese should tie them up and throw them overboard. They maybe they would learn their lesson.