Depending on who you’re talking to, Captain Paul Watson is either a hero at the forefront of an urgent mission to save the planet or an eco-terrorist. Either way, his efforts to enforce “direct action” against poachers, whalers and polluters are nothing if not proactive, writes Gord Laws...

He goes by “Captain” Paul Watson, even though officially, he’s never actually held a licence to captain a maritime vessel. He’s also dubbed himself “Admiral” of the now-international nature-conservation organisation that he founded in 1977, the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society.

Some people have less flattering names for the outspoken 60-year-old Canadian, though. Ask the people at Greenpeace, and they might tell you he’s a dangerous, counterproductive megalomaniac, thwarting the cause of nature-conservation through irresponsible, dangerous actions. Have a word with the Japanese government, or anyone employed within the ranks of their still-legal whaling fleets, and they’ll more than likely tell you about a dangerous criminal wanted by their government for acts of terrorism.

Most people, however, know him as the outspoken leader of a small group of dedicated, often gung-ho ships that they see on the television show Whale Wars on Animal Planet. They take to the seas, intervene in whale and dolphin hunts and make life generally nightmarish for hunters and poachers wherever they can. These missions often happen at significant risk to their own freedom – and even their lives.

Not everyone agrees with all of Paul Watson’s views, but he’s certainly admired for his end goals and his determination to protect the planet from humans. He sees humankind as being at war with the earth. And there can be no mistaking which side he’s chosen!

Although Watson maintains that he was a founding member of Greenpeace International – an organisation that now holds significant political sway worldwide – they adamantly dispute the fact. Regardless though, Watson was involved from the group’s outset in 1971. Even Greenpeace – with whom he now has an icy, bitter relationship that he often discusses in the press – will admit that he was a highly influential member and sat on their board from the very early days. He also crewed aboard several of their voyages and skippered vessels under Greenpeace’s banner.

Their union, however, was short lived. Watson and Greenpeace differed on one core issue – the organisation’s interpretation of their policy of non-violence. Watson considers the group’s stance as being too submissive. He advocated (and still advocates) a policy of “direct action”.

The man openly advocates the process of “tree-spiking” – hammering metal or ceramic spikes into trees set to be logged by lumberjacks. Designed to devalue the trees without threatening their lives, tree-spiking not only significantly damages the commercial viability of potential timber but also creates a “man-trap” capable of harming – or even killing – loggers who unwittingly take to trees with chainsaws if the hazard is not spotted. Watson has also talked and written extensively on the subject of “monkey-wrenching”, a synonym for sabotage. And he practises what he preaches.

In 1980, he was prosecuted for assaulting a police officer and getting too close to the demarcated “front” during government-sanctioned seal hunts in Canada. What was he doing there? Well, it’s very clever, even if it is illegal; the captain, along with his accomplices, was frantically painting seal pups with a red dye that permanently marks their hide, rendering it worthless, subsequently sparing the pup from the clubs of the hunters who beat them to death using a technique designed to prevent excessive bleeding, regardless of the animal’s suffering.

In 1977, he was cast out of the board of Greenpeace in a landslide 11-to-one vote. Watson himself cast the only ballot in his own favour.

Making enemies and saving lives

Captain Watson speaks with sincerity and passion when he tells of the incident that changed his life forever and caused him to intensify his position that passive resistance is not enough to win the fight to save the ocean’s mammals and the environment in general.

It was 1975, and Greenpeace ships had been deployed in order to intervene in the activities of a Soviet whaling fleet. Greenpeace were attempting to block the whalers’ access to their targets, and Watson was in the thick of the action. Injured and dying whales littered the sea, as did scenes of gore and suffering we cannot describe in too much detail to spare sensitive readers. Suffice it to say, he crossed paths with a badly injured, frightened whale, and it looked directly at him. What he saw in the gentle giant’s eyes was the fear of a self-aware, intelligent and helpless animal. Something more than a mere beast. He had a wordless conversation with a creature that knew precisely what was happening to it, was afraid and was pleading for help. It was then that he decided that he would no longer let human procedures and legalities prevent him from taking action against those who would harm the sea and its creatures. Especially whales, for which he has a deep and committed love.

Two years later, he was out of Greenpeace and had founded the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society with supporters loyal to him. Today, they operate three vessels: the MY Steve Irwin, the Bridget Bardot and the Bob Barker. Most of their activities take place in international waters. There, Watson considers it his right to enforce maritime law, which prohibits whaling in areas not controlled by nations who still allow the slaughter of marine mammals. Simply put, this translates to Watson and his crew being ready, willing and able to do whatever they can to stop a whaling fleet. Even by sinking ships if necessary.

In 1997, Watson was convicted in absentia by the Norwegian government on charges of attempting to sink the Norwegian whaling fleet through a process known as “scuttling”. It involves sinking a ship by deliberately allowing water to flood the hull by tampering with the valves or deliberately ripping holes in the hull with brute force and even dynamite. Watson was sentenced to 120 days in prison. The Dutch government, who had him in custody at the time, refused to extradite him. He did, however, serve 80 days in Holland while the legal process regarding his potential extradition unfolded. Watson is now listed as persona non grata in Norway and their waters.

The Japanese, however, have taken a tougher stance on Watson and his affiliates. There, he’s listed as a terrorist and wanted for trial on charges that will almost certainly result in serious jail time if he’s ever caught. On Japan’s instruction, he’s also on Interpol’s wanted list but is classified as “level blue”, which only requires those who encounter him to report his whereabouts and not necessarily arrest him if their own government doesn’t require it.

His run-ins with the Japanese and their whaling fleets are frequent and heated. He maintains that they routinely hunt whales in international waters, where he believes it is his right to intervene.

Going mainstream

In 2007, Captain Watson persuaded the TV channel Animal Planet to embed themselves on the MY Steve Irwin and document his crew in their attempt to prevent Japanese whaling of Minke and Fin whales in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary in the waters off Antarctica.

Thus the popular documentary show Whale Wars was born. The first episode aired in November 2008, and in June of this year, season four was launched. The show documents Watson and his crew as they use their controversial methods – including launching butyric acid, ramming, boarding and attempting to disable vessels – to thwart Japanese whaling ships. The Japanese claim that their activities in these waters are for internationally accepted scientific research, whereas Watson maintains that this is a cheap front for wholesale commercial slaughter.

The first season culminated in high action as Watson and co launched butyric acid (a foul-smelling, sticky, acidic goo) at a Japanese ship, which in turn fired flash-bang devices. Watson was struck by an object he claims was a bullet, which lodged a small metal fragment in his vest. The Japanese vehemently deny that they opened fire, and the matter remains the subject of heated debate, specifically amongst ecology enthusiasts.

Watson is not without his pop-culture detractors, though. In an episode of South Park that parodied the Whale Wars season one finale, Sea Shepherd was portrayed as self-righteous, megalomaniacal and inefficient. And the Japanese as ruthless, bizarre samurais determined to murder all whales at any cost.

Watson sees the humour though. Questioned about the parody in an interview, he said, “My understanding is that the Japanese prime minister was not amused, and the whalers and dolphin killers are enraged at the way they were portrayed. That’s music to my ears. If the humourless whale-killers and the bank-rollers of the dolphin killers did not like the show, then that’s all I need to applaud it.”

Love him or hate him, Watson is unlikely to give up his fight anytime soon, unless he’s captured or worse by his enemies on the high seas. I, for one, hope he continues to fight on. Perhaps one man can change the world, after all...
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For more on Captain Watson and The Sea Shepherd conservation Society, visit www.seashepherd.org