Calls to Release Sea Shepherd Founder

A coalition of 68 members from the French and European parliaments has reached out to Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, advocating for the release of Paul Watson, the founder of the marine conservation organization Sea Shepherd. Watson was apprehended in Greenland on July 21, based on an international arrest warrant issued by Interpol in 2010, which cites alleged anti-whaling activities. Lamya Essemlali, president of Sea Shepherd France, condemned the arrest, asserting that the "shameful red notice" has been manipulated by Japan as a means to target Watson for his opposition to illegal whaling practices in the Antarctic. Watson was reportedly en route to the North Pacific to confront a Japanese whaling vessel, the Kangei Maru, at the time of his arrest. Despite Japan's suspension of whaling in the Antarctic since 2016, Sea Shepherd remains concerned about the potential resumption of whaling activities in the Southern Ocean and North Pacific by 2025. In their open letter, European Parliament members, including Manon Aubry, Lena Schilling, and Thomas Pellerin-Carlin, expressed their dismay over Watson's detention, framing it as part of a broader trend of increasing repression against environmental activists globally. Watson is currently held until August 15, with uncertainty surrounding Denmark's decision on his possible extradition to Japan. The situation continues to unfold as international attention focuses on the implications for marine conservation efforts.