Captain Paul Watson, co-founder of Greenpeace and founder of Sea Shepherd, was arrested in Nuuk, Greenland on Sunday, July 21st, 2024. Watson, known for his fierce opposition to whaling, was detained upon arrival at the port while on board his flagship, the M/Y John Paul DeJoria. The arrest was carried out by Danish police, who acted on an international arrest warrant issued by Japan.
The warrant is believed to be related to Watson’s past anti-whaling activities in the Antarctic region. Japan’s Antarctic research whaling program, JARPA, was declared illegal by the International Court of Justice in 2014. However, Japan continued whaling operations for several years before ultimately ceasing them in 2016.
The Captain Paul Watson Foundation (CPWF), which Watson founded, believes Japan is planning to resume high seas whaling in the near future and that the reactivation of the Red Notice against Watson is politically motivated.
The arrest has sparked outrage among environmental groups and supporters of Watson, who view it as an attempt to silence his activism. They have called on the Danish government to release Watson, arguing that the warrant is politically motivated and unjust.
The crew of the M/Y John Paul DeJoria and the CPWF have been unable to contact Watson since his arrest and are concerned for his well-being. They are calling for his immediate release and an end to the harassment of environmental activists who are fighting to protect marine life.
The Captain Paul Watson Foundation is a US-based non-profit dedicated to marine conservation. The organization uses direct-action tactics to expose and confront illegal activities at sea.
