Prominent anti-whaling activist detained in Greenland at Japan’s request
Al Jazeera
Environmentalist Paul Watson has been detained until August 15, authorities and his foundation said.
Veteran environmental activist and anti-whaling campaigner Paul Watson has been apprehended by Greenland police following an international arrest warrant issued by Japan.
Watson, a 73-year-old Canadian-American citizen, is the former head of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society whose direct-action tactics, including high-seas confrontations with whaling vessels, have drawn support from A-list celebrities and been featured in the reality television series called Whale Wars.
Japan, which says eating whale meat is part of its culture, resumed commercial whaling in 2019 and has since modernised its fleet and expanded its catch list, drawing condemnation from conservationists who fear for the fate of the large ocean mammals.
“The Japanese authorities have issued an international arrest warrant for Paul Watson, which is the reason why the Greenland Police were ready to arrest him on arrival in Nuuk,” Greenland’s law enforcement agency said in a statement on Monday.
After his arrest, Watson appeared before a district court to look into a request to detain him pending a decision on his possible extradition to Japan, the statement added.
