PARIS: Veteran anti-whaling campaigner Paul Watson, detained in Greenland pending an extradition request from Japan, has spent decades battling harpoonists and sealers in spectacular high seas confrontations. For years a bete noire of Japan, one of the last three countries along with Iceland and Norway to practise commercial whale hunting, Watson was arrested on July 21 in Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory. The 73-year-old American-Canadian was arrested under an Interpol “red notice” issued by Japan.
On Thursday a Greenland court holds a hearing to decide whether to extend his detention pending the request. Brigitte Bardot, the French screen legend turned animal rights activist, rushed to his defence, telling the daily newspaper Le Parisien that the Japanese government had “launched a global manhunt” against Watson, who was “caught in the trap”. Emmanuel Macron, the president of France, where Watson has lived for the past year, also pressed Danish authorities not to extradite the campaigner, according to his office.
‘Pirate of compassion’ Watson devoted himself to saving marine life in 1977, forming what would become the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. He was dismissed from the group in 2022 after in-fighting, which he said left a bitter taste. Some branches of the association, including that of France, continue to support him.
Before then he had spent time with the Canadian coast guard and Norwegian and Swedish merchant marine ships. Over the years.