Paul Watson (1950 -) is a militant Canadian ecologist, founder of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. It is particularly active in the fight against fishing whale-boat.

Youth

Paul Watson was born on December 2nd 1950, with Toronto, the Canada. He is the son of Anthony Joseph Watson and Annamarie Larsen. He grew in the town of St Andrews-by-tea-Sea, with the New Brunswick. Young person already, it tracked the trappers to destroy their traps. He worked like guides with the Expo 67, before going to Vancouver.

In 1968, it engages in the Canadian Coastguards, where it was used in Hovercraft S as help at sea. He works then on a Norwegian trading vessel, the Bris .

With Greenpeace

In October 1969, it takes part in a protest of the Sierra Club against the nuclear tests. Then, it will belong to association called today Greenpeace. It will sign the document founder of it, but its exact role in the creation of association is vague. It will sail on ships of Greenpeace, like the Astral in 1972.

In 1973, it proposed its services as doctor with the members of the American Indian Movement, during the crisis of Wounded Knee, in the South Dakota.

During the years 1970, it continued to help Greenpeace, as a member and a sailor. In 1975, it took part in a campaign against the Soviet whalers. On this point, the official biography of Paul Watson written: " During confrontation with the Russian whaler, a cachalot, harpooned and dying, emerges above the small boat of Paul. He noticed a blinking in the eye of the failing cachalot. He thought that the whale had included/understood, included/understood what they tried to do. He looked at splendid the léviathan raising his body close it boat, to pass under the waves and then to die. These a few seconds to be looked in the eye of this dying whale changed its life for always. It was dedicated to becoming a perpetual defender of the whales and other creatures marines"

In 1977, Paul Watson resigned of Greenpeace, in dissension with them (even if some say that it was expelled). The same year it created its own group, the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society.

Sea Shepherd

The first ship of association, the Sea Shepherd (" Shepherd of Mer") in 1978 was bought, with the assistance of the Fund for Animals. The SSCS was quickly made known like one of associations ecologists the most discussed, known for its provocative actions in addition to the usual protests. These tactics on the open sea include sometimes the éperonnage ships illegal whalers, or the scuttling of two ships in a Icelandic port. In all, it would have sent by the bottom some 9 whale-boats. Paul Watson remained the chief of association, called " Capitaine" by its members.

Other ecological activities

Watson was corresponding association Defenders off Wildlife between 1976 and 1980, and representing Fund for Animals between 1978 and 1981. He was also the cofounder of associations Friends off the Wolf and Earthforce Environmental Society.

In the years 1980, he affirmed his support for association Earth First! and became friendly with its leaders.

He in addition worked with the Green Party of Colombia-British in years 1980 and 90, collecting 15.000 votes at the time of the municipal elections of 1986 as a Colombia-British, in spite of his arrest in Iceland during his program. He presented himself to the post of mayor of Vancouver in 1996, and finishes 4th. Its relations with the green Parti Canada were as for it definitely rougher. It was indicated candidate of this party in Vancouver in 1988, but in the semi-countryside, it lined up finally side of the Nouveau Democratic party.

In 2000, the Time Magazine designated Paul Watson like one of the Heroes Ecologists of the 20th century.

In April 2003, it was elected at the management committee of the Sierra Club for a 3 years mandate. In 2006 it resigned one month before the end of the elections and did not represent itself, to protest against the support of association for a test entitled " Why I chasse".

In addition, it was also some time professor of ecology at the University of Pasadena, and it gives many conferences of sensitizing throughout the world.

Its implication in favor of the marine world pushed it to become strict Végétalien, all the meals been useful on the boats of Sea Shepherd Foundation are obligatorily végétaliens.

Controversies

Certain militants ecologists regard Paul Watson as a " écoterroriste" and some of his/her former companions of fight of Greenpeace took their distances with him. In an interview given to the Los Angeles Times, Jim Bohlen (founder of Greenpeace), will go even until saying that Watson is insane.

In 1993, it was stopped with the Canada following actions against vessels fishing Spanish and cuban to broad of Newfoundland. In 1997, Norwegian justice condemned Watson, by contumacy, to have run the Norwegian ship of fishing to the shark Nybrænna in 1992. However, the Netherlands refused to extradite it in Norway, even if it had just spent 60 days in the Dutch prisons.

The Costa Rica wanted to accuse it for attempted murder after it captured a ship costaricain which braconnait the shark, but it was cleared thanks to a video taken at the time of the business.

Until today, all the legal attempts at proceedings against Paul Watson and his association failed. It defends its actions like belonging to the international law, while trying to make respect prohibitions of illegal fishing.

He was criticized by defense associations of the indigenous rights when he protested against the authorization given to the tribe Makah to fish whales, in the State of Washington. (source: translation partial of the article on Wikipédia English)

refer

Random links:

Nancy Reagan | Maximilian von Prittwitz | Collar of Bonnecombe | Blogmarks | Ironhide