Paul Watson

Paul Franklin Watson (born December 2, 1950) is a Canadian-American environmental, conservation and animal rights activist, who founded the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, an anti-poaching and direct action group focused on marine conservation activism. The tactics used by Sea Shepherd have attracted opposition, with the group accused of eco-terrorism by both the Japanese government and Greenpeace. Watson is a citizen of Canada and the United States.

Watson, a native of Toronto, has been an environmental activist since his teens. He joined a Sierra Club protest against nuclear testing in 1969, and was involved in the early years of Greenpeace. Because Watson argued for a strategy of direct action that conflicted with the Greenpeace interpretation of nonviolence, he was ousted from the board in 1977. Greenpeace has since stated that Watson was an influential early member, but not one of the founders of Greenpeace. That same year, he formed the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. The group was the subject of a reality show named ''Whale Wars''.

He promotes veganism, population reduction and a biocentric, rather than anthropocentric, worldview.

Watson's activities have led to legal action from authorities in countries including the United States, Canada, Norway, Costa Rica and Japan. He was detained in Germany on an extradition request by Costa Rica in May 2012. An Interpol red notice was issued on September 14, 2012, at the request of Japan and Costa Rica.

After staying at sea for 15 months following his escape from Germany, where he was released on bail, he returned to Los Angeles in late October 2013, going through customs and "was not arrested". He appeared before a US appeals court on November 6, 2013, stating that neither he nor the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society violated a 2012 order requiring them to leave whaling vessels alone. Although the United States is a signatory member of Interpol, Watson has not been detained for extradition to Japan or Costa Rica. He is living in Vermont, writing books. He was residing in Paris as of July 1, 2014, but has since returned to the United States.

In March 2019, Costa Rica dropped all charges against Watson and has removed the Interpol red notice.

He has created his own foundation, the Captain Paul Watson Foundation, as Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and the board of Sea Shepherd Global removed him. He has also left the executive office of the Australian branch.

In July 2024, Watson was detained in Nuuk by the Danish police, citing an Interpol red notice from Japan. He was expected to stay in pre-trial detention until 2nd October 2024; Watson and the Captain Paul Watson Foundation have filed an appeal with the Supreme Court to have the decision set aside. On October 2, the Nuuk court ordered Paul Watson to remain in custody until October 23, pending the decision on his extradition by the Danish courts. Provided by Wikipedia