Barbi Twins Op Ed – What’s The Story On Paul Watson, Founder Of Sea Shepherd

EDITOR'S DESK AUGUST 22, 2012

 21 8

 

From The Barbi Twins

There has been plenty of media, misinformation, rumors and ridiculous speculations going around about Paul Watson, Sea Shepherd founder including the following statement made by the CBC.

“Interpol has issued an arrest notice for the Sea Shepherd Society’s Canadian founder, who skipped bail in Germany last month over fears of retribution for his ongoing clashes with Japanese whalers. Paul Watson was arrested at Frankfurt Airport in May on a Costa Rican warrant that claimed he had endangered the crew of a fishing vessel a decade ago.”

Captain Paul Watson was arrested at Frankfurt airport on May 13th and held in Germany for 70 days until his departure on or around July 22nd.

Once Paul Watson was found “missing” he admitted that “This is not about justice; it is about revenge, Costa Rica and Germany have simply been pawns in the Japanese quest to silence Sea Shepherd in an attempt to stop our annual opposition of their illegal whaling activities,” he said.

Let’s bust some myths. First of all, skipping bail in Germany is not a crime, it’s not the same as other countries. Germany is not actively searching for Paul Watson locally or internationally. However, Paul Watson would have been extradited to Costa Rica, and then extradited after the procedure to Japan. Simply put, these bogus charges from Japan and Costa Rica are politically motivated.

What’s the tie with Japan and Costa Rica? For one, the President of Costa Rica “visited” Japan at the end of 2011, after Japan granted an enormous amount of money for “environmental protection” in Costa Rica.

Susan Hartland, Administrative Director of Sea Shepherd, had this to say: “The warrant and ‘blue’ notice generated is just another feeble attempt by Japan to try and keep us from our mission to protect, conserve and defend our oceans,” she said. “We operate within the legal confines of the United Nations World Charter for Nature. We are an enforcement entity acting legally against their relentless and archaic illegal whaling operations in a designated sanctuary and, as such, we will continue our direct action to protect the oceans and the wildlife in and around it.”

The initial incident was when Sea Shepherd ran an illegal shark-finning operation run by the Costa Rican vessel in Guatemalan waters. Under Guatemalan authorities orders, Sea Shepherd instructed the crew to cease their illegal shark-finning activities and head back to a Guatemalan port to be prosecuted.

While escorting the shark finning ship back to port, the Guatemalan gunboat suddenly did a turn around and was dispatched to intercept the Sea Shepherd crew. To avoid the Guatemalan gunboat, Sea Shepherd headed for Costa Rica, however, more illegal shark-finning activities were found on roofs.

What is Captain Paul Watson reaction to all of this: “Give me my name on a blue list, the red list, the black list, or the death list, for it is preferable to the I-don’t-give-a-crap list.”

So what is Captain Paul Watson going to do? What he has always done. Continue to protect, conserve and defend our oceans and the wildlife in and around it.

Attention Illegal whaling and shark finning crews, you have Sea Shepherd’s loyal supporters around the world watching you!

For More information or how to help go to http://www.seashepherd.org/

This in an Op Ed blog written by the Barbi Twins and submitted to Pet Pardons for publication.  The views expressed are those of the Barbi Twins and not necessarily those of Pet Pardons.

Edited by Jeromie Williams