Sea Shepherd Launch Operation Blue Rage, New Campaign Site

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by Michael dEstries May 3, 2010
Categories: Animals, Causes
Tags: .

sea shepherd, operation blue rage, bluefin tuna

The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society have officially kicked off their new campaign, Operation Blue Rage, to protect endangered bluefin tuna in the Mediterranean. On Saturday, the M/V Steve Irwin left port in New York City with a goal of stopping “a variety of criminal activities leading to the extinction of bluefin tuna.”

“I am angry that the bluefin tuna crisis has gotten so out of hand,” wrote Paul Watson in a release. “The fishing industry is literally investing in the extinction of this species so that they can control the price by hoarding the entire supply of bluefin tuna in cold storage.  This kind of greed cannot be allowed to continue.”

As the bluefin tuna fishing season lasts from mid-May until August, the Sea Shepherd will once again have a long campaign ahead of them. What remains to be seen, however, is how the suspected illegal fishing vessels will react to the organization’s presence. While Japanese whalers are familiar with having the SS on their tails, commercial bluefin fisherman may not be so “passive” in their attempts to ward off interference. It’s very possible that this campaign will carry a higher degree of danger than previous. As far as we know, there are no Animal Planet videographers on hand to record the action — though a eventual spin-off of Whale Wars covering the Med wouldn’t surprise us.

In addition to the new initiative, the organization has also taken the way they report on what’s happening in a more organized and welcome setup. Updates, videos, photos, etc. are now all cleanly presented through an official “Blue Rage” website. Here’s to hoping this continues going forward with “Operation No Compromise” — the newly announced 2010/2011 name for next year’s anti-whaling campaign.


Categories: Animals, Causes
Tags: .

About Michael dEstries

Michael has been blogging since 2005 on issues such as sustainability, renewable energy, philanthropy, and healthy living. He regularly contributes to a slew of publications, as well as consulting with companies looking to make an impact using the web and social media. He lives in Ithaca, NY with his family on an apple farm.

View all posts by Michael dEstries →
  • David

    What kind of reception they can expect from Malta.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_G_9hsxxuA

    This isn’t the Japanese and they aren’t hundreds of miles from the authorities. They could easily lose the Steve Irwin just like they lost the Farley Mowat.

  • gizwinkus

    I suspect the whole operation is a fraud and an excuse for the loyal activists to take a nice Medditerrainian vacation on the donor’s dime before the whole SSCS organization is shut down through negotiation and litigation by Japan and the “fearless” leaqder Watson goes to jail where he belongs. With their apparent inability to tell a legal activity from an illegal one they may very well end up with no ship (for legal or illegal reasons) and serious injuries and/or loss of life if they attack legal fishermen or have the stones to actually confront real poachers. Poachers don’t play by the rules like the Japanese Whalers do.

    • cho cho ma

      U and David seem to forget that they still have the Bob Barker, which is currently going under repairs.

      • Robert Beller

        The Bob Barker still doesn’t have a flag so they can “repair” it all they’d like that scow is just going to sit and rot. I thought Paul Watson had another flag lined up because he planned to lose the flag from Togo? Nope, just another in a long line of lies by Watson. After the Japanese convict the SSCS members Peter Bethune(remember him)getting a flag is going to get a whole lot harder.

    • Ecocht Wills

      Yes, lock up people with the guts to put action behind their profound conscience, and it suits people like you who profit from raping the earth and its majestic non-human inhabitants just fine. Way to underwhelm us giz!

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1076105348 Hart

    Paul Watson is a goddamned hero on par with Frederick Douglas.

    • David

      If you were going to pick a Civil War/slavery figure to compare him to, Abe Lincoln would work slightly better.

      Because they both had strong beliefs and sent other people off to die for those beliefs, while they stayed in relative comfort. But Abe is a hero while Paul is a criminal. You see Abe had his interpretation the law, in the form of the Constitution, which was upheld in courts and by the legislature; while Paul has his interpretations of law that have been proven in court to be wrong.

      • cho cho ma

        Sea Shepherd used that ship for many years. Oh ya and gizwinkus I am one of those who has donated to Sea Shepherd and I will continue to. Nothing you say can change that. Also I would like to question why do you hate Paul Watson so much. You honestly think what ever you type in this little comments section will change anything Paul is doing. Sea Shepherd is only getting stronger, and they will continue to get stronger. Paul is a hero to me and many other people, like it or not. (Paul I would appreciate it if you would write more in your commentary and Editorial section, you seem to write less there lately.) Doing whats right is not allways whats popular.

    • Bazza

      A hero is a man of honour. A hero is a man of integrity. A hero is honest. A hero is unassuming. A hero is respected. A hero is a man of courage. A hero has morals. A hero doesn’t brag. A hero is humble. A hero is a quiet achiever. A hero is not a two faced liar. A hero commands respect. Watson is not a hero and never will be. He is however a coward a bully a liar a deceitful tyrant a disgrace a braggart a delusional hypocrite, a scam artist a con man a criminal a thug a control freak and a thief. There are more adjectives but you/ he gets the general idea.

  • romika3

    If the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society were what they are suppose to be they would be heading south to the Gulf of Mexico where there is a real marine diaster is in progress.

  • David

    They should have never left Australia. They could have stayed right there and help protect the endangered Dugong and Southern Bluefin Tuna, which is in about the same shape as its cousin the Atlantic Bluefin.

    • The Infidel

      No, they should come to my home to take care of my threatened goldfish first! Because I’m too busy waging an internet forum crusade to get my own hands wet right now.

  • http://www.seashepherd.org Captain Paul Watson

    In response to some of the criticisms so far received

    (1) Sea Shepherd is working to send a team to the Gulf to rescue and clean oil contaminated birds, turtles and marine wildlife. We did so with the Jessica spill in 2001 and we had a team in Alaska to help clean birds with the Exxon Valdez spill. Sea Shepherd has an experienced oil spill response team based in Brazil.

    (2) Why should Sea Shepherd stay in Australia? The organization is international in scope and going to the Med to protect tuna is a in fact a project of Sea Shepherd France, Spain, the Netherlands, Germany and the U.K. (The mission is in fact in their own backyard – not in Australian waters)

    (3) I personally command all Sea Shepherd field campaigns so the criticism that I stay onshore and send off crew to dangerous missions is bogus.

    (4) We actually never lost the Farley Mowat. We retired it. The ship was becoming expensive to continue to operate so we sent it on a mission knowing that the Canadian government would over react and seize it. The disposal of the ship thus became their problem. As it is, the ship was sold by Canada to an environmental organization to do work on the Pacific plastic gyre and thus the Farley Mowat will be repaired an re-deployed to continue doing conservation work.

    (5) I don’t recall any court proving my interpretation of the law to be wrong. We won our court case when Canada charged me with chasing the Spanish and Cuban drag trawl fleets from the Grand Banks of Newfoundland. I have never been convicted of a felony crime. I have in fact – a completely clean criminal record and a letter from the F.B.I. to prove it.

    There is a great deal of name calling and ridiculous accusations being tossed about. That is unfortunately the nature of the internet. I have been accused of being a trained KGB assassin, a CIA agent, of being a smuggler, a murderer, a terrorist, a cult leader blah, blah blah. It’s all just part and parcel of the fact that anyone can say anything about anyone on the internet and there are always ignorant people willing to believe everything they read, hear or see.

    However people i.e. those who seem to be obsessed with hating me – nothing you can say, can undo the fact that we prevented 528 whales from dying in the Southern Ocean this year or that we stopped Planktos from dumping iron filings in the Sea off the Galapagos or that we seized over 200,000 shark fins in the Galapagos or that we won major court cases in Brazil against poachers or that we have seized hundreds of miles of illegal long lines.

    We get our satisfaction from accomplishing our missions and BTW also from being amused at the hysterical ramblings of the haters and nature destroyers whom we obviously must be annoying.

    Operation Blue Rage is a go and I will be leading it beginning mid-May from Southern France.

    • gizwinkus

      So you’re saying, SSCS can’t deal with their own environmental problems IE: “disposing” of a ship properly. So you dumped it on the Canadian people intentionally Knowing it would be sold to another conservation outfit I suppose. I see.. Very generous of you Paul. You couldn’t be bothered to sell it like the Canadians did. Yeah I can see how that was a great use of your donors money. Throw one ship away and buy another. It would be ludicrous, if it were true.

      • TitaniumTotem

        So the angry tirades about the government stealing the Mowat and the warnings to anyone who dared to buy it were just…what exactly?

      • Robert Beller

        They also dumped the Sea Shepherd II on Canada because they didn’t want to pay their berthing fees. It went on to become a environmental hazard that the Canada’s Ship-source Oil Pollution Fund had to eventually clean up. The SOPF is necessary because of environmentally irresponsible criminal scumbags who don’t pay to properly dispose of their scows. Don’t say you sold it Paul because The ownership of the vessel could not be determined you were very careful to sell it to someone who didn’t exist.

        Sea Shepherd II
        In April 2004, the MV Sea Shepherd II, located in Robbers Pass, Tzartus Island [also in Barkley Sound], was in a derelict state and in danger of sinking. By May 11, 2004, 188 tonnes of a mixture of waste oil and diesel was pumped off the Sea Shepherd II, but some 16 gallons per hour of seawater was leaking back into the vessel. On May 26, 2004, the vessel was taken in tow, arriving at the Esquimalt graving dock the next day for break up. By June 17, 2004, seven large waste bins of oiled debris had been removed from the vessel. By July 30, 2004, the break up of the vessel had been completed.
        Cost to SOPF: $331,892.31 plus interest

        http://www.sqwalk.com/docs/BCsHarbourHulks_WatershedSentinelSeptOct09.pdf

        2.6 Sea Shepherd II (2004)
        In April 2004, the Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) received a number of reports that the MV Sea Shepherd II, located in Robbers Pass, Tzartus Island, British Columbia, was in a derelict state and in danger of sinking. The CCG, TCMS, and Provincial authorities attended on-scene to investigate. It was concluded that the vessel’s condition made it a threat to the marine environment.
        The ownership of the vessel could not be determined, so no assistance was forthcoming from that quarter. A Response Order under CSA section 678 was issued on April 26, 2004, by the Commissioner of the Canadian Coast Guard.

        http://www.ssopfund.gc.ca/documents/2009_SSOPF_AR_e.pdf

    • Bob

      Wow, talk about living in a fantasy, lol!

      Let’s take a look at one of your points:
      “I don’t recall any court proving my interpretation of the law to be wrong. We won our court case when Canada charged me with chasing the Spanish and Cuban drag trawl fleets from the Grand Banks of Newfoundland. I have never been convicted of a felony crime. I have in fact – a completely clean criminal record and a letter from the F.B.I. to prove it.”

      A copy of the Judges remarks from the Cuban fishing trawler is available in a discussion thread here (the PDF can be downloaded): http://www.endecoterrorism.com/index.php?option=com_agora&task=topic&id=2&Itemid=55

      Some interesting things found in this document:

      - you, Paul Watson were convicted under section 430(3) of the Canadian Criminal Code, a mischief charge punishable by up to 10 years in prison. This is the equivalent of a felony in the US (The Canadian legal system does not use the term ‘felony’).

      - Judges remark – “This is not, as was suggested by counsel for Mr. Watson, a minor or “nuisance” offence.”

      - Judges remark – “Inasmuch as Mr. Watson’s defence to this charge was that he acted under colour of right in that he himself believed that he was authorized to do what he did by the UN Declaration (1982) known as the World Charter for Nature, his conviction also carries with it the conclusion that the jury were satisfied that the Crown had proven beyond a reasonable doubt that he did not have such an honest belief.”

      - the boat that you, Paul Watson, attacked, the Rio Las Casas, was an innocent victim. It was not in violation of any law when you attacked it.

      - Judges remark – “The appeal to a higher motive carries with it a high standard of responsibility with respect to the manner of achieving one’s goal. One cannot hide behind a good motive as justification for any intrusive, indiscriminate or deliberate act.”

      Isn’t it a shame when reality comes crashing in on your fantasy?

      • marcus

        I don’t know why bob and david have it out for Paul… I bet they are being paid by Japanese or some interested party.
        I couldn’t imagine having that much disdain for life… shame on you.

        Paul – you are a huge inspiration for me. You create the possibility of change and you don’t let people get in your way.

        People like bob and david will always be out there trying to project their own lack of purpose by trying to diffuse a just cause.

        With that said – free speech and an open arena for sharing our opinions is beneficial… ijust think these guys have some invested interest or something – because I can’t imagine someone not supporting what you do.

        Marcus.
        USA

      • David

        Yeah marcus. The only reason someone would dislike a lying, egotistical, criminal is if they got paid for it.

      • Robert Beller

        @Marcus

        Did you see the episode of South Park Titled “Whale Whores”? Were the creators paid by the Japanese to ridicule Watson or could it be that they saw a fat, incompetent, narcoleptic, vegan pussy lying his ass off and they knew everyone would laugh their ass at Paulie and crew’s antics? The SSCS gave Matt and Trey an environmental award and Watson was so proud to be on South Park until he read a Huffington post interview with the creators where they called him a F**king liar douche repeatedly. Then he broke his mood and started whining about four time Emmy award winners Matt & Trey not having a sense of humor. Watson cry’s so much I think you guys need to change his diaper (he’s definitely full of it).

        If you are so in favor of free speech why don’t you ask Paulie why his organization doesn’t have an official internet forum for discussing why the SSCS is wrong? Paul has closed and disassociated from his official “unofficial” Sea Shepherd.AU forum and that wasn’t even an open forum it was totally controlled by Watson’s most trusted parrots.

    • gizwinkus

      P.S. Does this mean you intend to punish Malta by “donating” the Steve Irwin to them?

      • cho cho ma

        Last I checked the Steve Irwin was still in pretty good condition, unlike the slow old Farley. And they would just replace the Steve Irwin if they lost it. They allways have replaced the ships they have lost.

      • Robert Beller

        The Steve Irwin is old slow tub no better than the Farley Mowat why do you think the SSCS wanted the Ady Gil (besides for a photo opportunity)? It doesn’t matter how many crappy old scows Cap’n Criminal buys he has to register them. The Dutch didn’t jump to the rescue with a flag for the Bob Barker neither did France or Monaco. The Dutch are in the process of deflagging the Steve Irwin.

        Paulie likes to boast that he can buy a flag anywhere but that just isn’t true that’s why the Bob Barker is rotting in port. Most nations have legal requirements for flagging vessels that Watson isn’t willing to meet. Why do you think he doesn’t have a US or AU ship registration? After Peter Bethune’s criminal antics NZ won’t be flagging anymore SSCS vessels either. I’m sure North Korea or Iran might give him a flag but he’s running out of options. Paulie managed to quietly run his scheme for decades but it only took a couple of years of “fame” on a third tier cable channel to expose his criminal activities to the world.

      • Rob Andrew

        Robert, did you see Watson’s excuse for not being able to reflag in Togo? After they denied him, he claimed he was exposing their officials for corruption. Uhh, right. Sounds more like he took his bat and ball and went home crying.

      • Robert Beller

        Oh yeah I saw the Togo fiasco unfold from the beginning. Paulie kept bragging that it was all part of his master plan to show just how corrupt the international vessel registry system was. He boasted that “I can buy a flag anywhere” and then he listed a hand full of countries he claimed had already offered their flag. Then Buffoon got himself arrested and the Japanese didn’t release Peter like Cap’n Criminal predicted so Watson fell back on a lame Racist WWII diatribe against the Japanese that was echoed by his parrots. Finally someone pointed out to “media master” Watson that racial vilification is a crime in Australia even if it is done over the internet from another country.

        Now Watson and company are in full PR makeover mode trying to cover their tracks and the Bob Barker rots because even the Dutch are having second thoughts about supporting criminals. There was a time not to long ago when the SSCS would sail their vessels without a flag and brag about it but those days are gone, baby, gone….

        Racial Vilification info:

        http://epublications.bond.edu.au/cgi/vi … t=hss_pubs

        http://www.hreoc.gov.au/racial_discrimi … ation.html

    • Damocles

      ‘We won our court case when Canada charged me with chasing the Spanish and Cuban drag trawl fleets from the Grand Banks of Newfoundland.’

      1) Actually you were charged with an attack on the Rio Las Casas, which was using mid-water trawls (not drag trawls) and was legally fishing for redfish (not cod) under the terms of a treaty between Canada and Cuba.

      2) Far from ‘winning’, you were actually convicted of aiding and abetting the throwing of butyric acid at the Rio Las Casas, being senteced to two months in jail and two years probation. Your appeal against conviction failed, as did your subsequent appeal against the sentence.

      3) It has been a common claim of yours that this case set a ‘mandate’ for the UN World Charter for Nature, even going so far as to claim that the judge instructed the jury to decide whether or not the ‘Charter’ (actually a non-binding UN General Assembly Resolution)was law because Canada had ‘signed it’. In fact, an examination of the court documents reveals that the jury was merely told to consider it in the context of your ‘colour of right’ defence – ie not to decide if it was law (the judge instructed the jury that it was not), but merely to decide whether or not you were dumb enough to have a ‘sincere, but mistaken, belief’ that it was law. Had the jury been convinced, this would have led to an acquittal on the grounds that you had no criminal intent when you broke the law – it would not have made the WCN any kind of law. As it was, the jury was not convinced and sent you to jail as a common criminal.

      4) If you wish to refresh your memory on any of the events of your Newfoundland ‘campaign’ and you subsequent journey through the legal system, the Newfoundland court will e-mail you the original court decision on request (R. v Paul F Watson, 10 October 1995). The two appeal decisions can be found online at the CANLII website.

      Fins up!

      • Rob Andrew

        Where is Watson on the east coast anyway? Not enough money in it for him this year?

    • AnaKinG

      Hi Paul, yeah that sounds great. We would all like to see the proof (official letter from FBI) from FBI stating that you have been acquited of all possible charges and that you and your organization is no longer considered eco-terrorist. Please make this document public. It will shut a lot of people up.

      Thanks!

  • TitaniumTotem

    Well, we’ve heard it directly, Operation Angry Smurf is a go.

  • TitaniumTotem

    (2) Why should Sea Shepherd stay in Australia? The organization is international in scope and going to the Med to protect tuna is a in fact a project of Sea Shepherd France, Spain, the Netherlands, Germany and the U.K. (The mission is in fact in their own backyard – not in Australian waters)

    Paul, I can appreciate the international scope of your operation, but can you help me out with this question bouncing around in my head?

    Sailing the Steve Irwin half way around the world is using how many tons of fuel at how much per gallon?

    Then of course you’re going to sail it half way back around the world for the next Japanese whaling season. Considering the endangered nature of tuna in waters an economical couple of days cruise distance from Australia, wouldn’t it be far more cost effective and environmentally responsible to stop poachers there instead.

  • cho cho ma

    U guys are just mad because Paul Watson just own you guys. You guys talk tough, but unlike Paul Watson you have never done anything of importance and you never will.

    • TitaniumTotem

      He also owns a money tree or at least you’d better hope he does if you’re a donor. Do you have any idea how much it’s costing to take the Steve Irwin half way around the world and back?

      • cho cho ma

        Yup, but every dime I donate is another drop in the bucket. What else am I going to do with that money anyway, buy a brand new big screen TV. You can call it a waist, you can say it does nothing, but you will never save the live of an animal doing that.

      • TitaniumTotem

        I’m sure you’re very generous and that’s good because we’re talking serious money and the impact on the environment. That’s okay, I believe Greenpeace will have a boat down there off Australia tackling the issue of tune poaching.

    • Robert Beller

      Yeah, Paul owns us that’s why his ghostly girlfriend Mia bragged about closing down the Animal Planet Whale Wars Forum then the “official” unofficial Sea Shepherd Forum had to close because it was giving Japanese prosecutors too much evidence before Bethune’s trial. Do you ever wonder why Watson doesn’t have an official forum directly connected to his organization? It because the nuts that he attracts make stupid plans for attacking Japanese embassies. Of course Paul freaked out when his minions made that plan, it would have made it very clear that throwing bottles of butyric acid at Japanese property is illegal as hell.

      • Kii yaa tuk

        That is a lot of it in a “nutshell” (no pun intended)

        Watson knows he attracts the nutcases and he does everything he can to stir them up and agitate situations. He then dumps them as soon as they become a liability to him.

        His own supporters are his own worst enemies when it is all said and done.

    • Kii yaa tuk

      The most important contribution Watson has made in his lifetime is showing the difference between legimate organizations and people and ego-maniacs like him.

      Have you ever read his dimestore novels about himself?

      • Rob Andrew

        Hehehe, I’m not buying that book. I’ll pirate it instead. If an act of piracy is fine by Watson, why should he get all the “fun”.

      • David

        That’s the way to watch Whale Wars too.

        You get to watch the Keystone Kop style antics without helping their ratings.

  • cho cho ma

    Titanium Tctem you are sad. You type away here supporting those who kill animals that are at risk and endangered. What has Greenpeace done other than hold up little banners and wear monkey suits with their money. They have achieved very little for animals in comparison to Sea Shepherd. I remember years back when they were boasting on their website about saving like 60 whales in the Southern Ocean. Compare that to Sea Shepherd. No organization is as effective, nor passionate about what they do for our worlds oceans.

    • TitaniumTotem

      “No organization is as effective, nor passionate about what they do for our worlds oceans.”

      Or as frivolous with donor money apparently.

  • cho cho ma

    Ya then they can hold their little banners that say “Please stop killing the Tuna” BUT THE POACHERS WILL NOT CARE BECAUSE THEY ARE MAKING LOADS OF CASH OFF THE TUNA!!!!!! And I actually doubt Greenpeace would send a ship.

  • cho cho ma

    Sea shepherd recieved a four star rating (the highest possible) from the charity navigator for the way they handle their funds. Do some research first.

    • Robert Beller

      That is based on old information from 2007 the SSCS has refused to update their financial information on Charitynavigator.com so for all you know they may have zero stars by now. Paul didn’t like having to admit he was earning $91,500 up from $80,000 the previous year. Paul really liked saying he expected all of his members including himself to be volunteers in the old days but MONEY, MONEY CHANGES EVERYTHING! And yes it is entirely the responsibility of the charity to file up to date info with charitynavigator.

      “If the charity you are considering has outdated financial information, we encourage you to contact them and tell them you expect them to be timelier. Their timeliness in reporting their data will allow you to make a smarter giving decision”.

      http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=content.view&cpid=441

      The SSCS ignores questions on the matter just ask Paul the next time you see him.

      • Kii yaa tuk

        When they were at Neah Bay his then wife Lisa Distefano would post on the internet requesting “cash” donations.

        Many of the support organizations that he claimed at one time to be in charge of (when he wanted to inflate his status) were soliciting donations for their campaigns and were not even registered as charities.

  • TitaniumTotem

    (4) We actually never lost the Farley Mowat. We retired it. The ship was becoming expensive to continue to operate so we sent it on a mission knowing that the Canadian government would over react and seize it. The disposal of the ship thus became their problem. As it is, the ship was sold by Canada to an environmental organization to do work on the Pacific plastic gyre and thus the Farley Mowat will be repaired an re-deployed to continue doing conservation work.

    Hmmmmmm, I’ve another question (sorry, I’m the curious type). Was this http://www.seashepherd.org/news-and-media/news-090304-1.html angry denunciation of the Canadian government for “stealing” the Farley Mowat just part of the retirement plan?

  • cho cho ma

    Funny how I shut you up about the use of their donors money.

    • TitaniumTotem

      “Their” donors money? Most donors, particularly generous donors, look at it is “their” money as well. They also tend to want to see “their” money spent wisely.

      You wouldn’t be kidding us now about being a generous donor would you?

      If I don’t respond to any more of your posts it’s simply because I’m so underwhelmed by your logic, nothing personal.

      • shugh8

        TT…do you donate? I for one have no problems with the ways my donations have been spent. I will keep donating.

        I love those people that in one breath blast Paul as being some evil billionaire and then state that SSCS has no supporters and they never raise any money.

        You can’t have it both ways. With all the supporters, big and small, they all see something in SSCS that you don’t.

      • TitaniumTotem

        I donate in ways you don’t want to know…and donate gladly.

      • Robert Beller

        @ shugh8

        Nice strawman argument Nobody has ever said Paulie was a billionaire we’ve just said the truth, he is a lying, manipulative, narcoleptic fool that lives in a delusional fantasy land facilitated by his willfully ignorant followers donations. Anyone with the least bit of intelligence and a Internet connection can go to the official IWC website to see Paulie is a liar. They can also see that the SSCS Charitynavigator.com information is three years old. If they are really bold they can find Paulie’s Canadian conviction document that he likes to ignore.

  • TitaniumTotem

    Oh, just one more for now.

    (3) I personally command all Sea Shepherd field campaigns so the criticism that I stay onshore and send off crew to dangerous missions is bogus.

    I know the whole retirement of the Mowat was planned (and planned very well if I may say) but wasn’t that also an anti-sealing campaign? As I recall, two of the people on the Mowat were tried and convicted for that operation.

    So do you mean you personally command all Sea Shepherd field campaigns except for that one, yes?

    I do look forward to see you on board the Steve Irwin directing operations against the tuna poachers though!

  • TitaniumTotem

    Oh, one last one then I’m done till you can catch up, promise.

    “I personally command all Sea Shepherd field campaigns so the criticism that I stay onshore and send off crew to dangerous missions is bogus.”

    That is very commendable, well done, but…when you say, “I will be leading it beginning mid-May from Southern France”, surely you mean you’ll be leading it from the bridge of the Steve Irwin, right?

    Granted, the south of France is a NICE and all.

    If things get tense for the crew of the Steve Irwin I’m sure you want to be there to handle the situation, right?

    • TitaniumTotem

      Paul, you really should at least clear this one up.

      Imagine how this could undermine the confidence of someone on the Steve Irwin if they thought you weren’t going to actually share in the potential dangers of the Med operations. I mean remember, the last time you commanded an operation from shore the ship was seized and some of the crew arrested and later convicted.

      You leave this question open and some of the folks on board might start thinking the Steve Irwin could be on it’s way to being “retired”.

      Give them some confidence and tell them you’ll be there with them in person.

  • http://www.seashepherd.org Captain Paul Watson

    Well, I am delighted that I’ve been able to stimulate some discussion here although a couple of the bloggers are the usual suspects i.e. they troll the various forums because they are seemingly obsessed with hatred for Sea Shepherd and I – same names all over the place, harping on about wasting donors money by actually doing something with that money other than hanging banners and spewing out direct mail campaigns. The fact is that Sea Shepherd does not spend donated funds chasing more donations. Some groups spend between %50 AND %80 of their funds on fund raising. We spend all of our funds on campaigns and there is no other international conservation group that does this.

    But obviously there are some whiners out there with particular axes to grind. Perhaps they got bitten by a dolphin when they were little or perhaps they just don’t like whales. I don’t know and I don’t really care. All I do know is that because we went to the Southern Ocean this year, 528 whales were saved. That is what is important to me and that is why we do what we do and the opinions of whining trolls count for nothing in comparison to our achievements. So troll on boys, troll on and keep yourself amused because that is pretty much the summation of your contribution to the these events. We could not care less what you think about what we do.

    • TitaniumTotem

      Paul, should I take that as reluctance to answer my questions or simply your intention to ignore hard questions?

    • TitaniumTotem

      Paul, you have to admit that there are some problems with your original post that raise some legitimate questions. You claim you want to answer your critics and stimulate conversation, well let’s take that to a conclusion.

      I’m game if you are. We could clear up a whole lot of misconceptions.

      • Ecocht Wills

        Totem, you sad little earth/ocean hating ranting troll you. The only ‘misconception’ around here is the sperm meeting the egg that formed you.

      • TitaniumTotem

        Well that sure answers a lot of unanswered questions there Wills and I’m sure the shy Paul Watson appreciates your assistance.

    • gizwinkus

      You have the same problem as many crooked politicians Paul. All that stuff you said and did in the past, you made SURE it was recorded by the media (not to mention the courts). Now when you get called on it you try to change the subject and claim you don’t care what we think, yet you keep responding as if you do care, Oh thats right, it’s for your amusement. Well please keep it up I’ll gladly amuse you if you’ll keep responding because in doing so you expose yourself as a baldfaced liar to more and more people. Now that’s funny!

      • Ecocht Wills

        Gee giz, instead of sitting there pounding on the keyboard with your endless, tiresome tirades, why don’t you shut up, start your own environmental group, and show us how it’s done, show us how to intervene, stopping the seal-clubbing, whale-harpooning, earth-raping powers that be? Oops, the answer is you are on THEIR SIDE!

      • Robert Beller

        We can show you how NOT to “intervene, stopping the seal-clubbing, whale-harpooning, earth-raping powers that be” Just donate to the Paul Watson self aggrandizement fund or you can just tie your money up in a sack and toss it directly in the ocean (it’s just as effective). Either way this clown has been “at it” for 30+ years and seals are still clubbed and whales are still harpooned and Peter Bethune is awaiting a possible long prison sentence.

    • Kii yaa tuk

      Paul long time no see. It looks as though things haven’t changed much since you and I first encountered each other. It appears to me it is a never ending cycle you find yourself in, and yet more people around you get arrested and left high and dry just like you did your crew in Washington.

      You used to say you would welcome going to court and stand trial to prove whaling was wrong and that the reason you were not arrested is because people were afraid to arrest you because they knew you could prove their whaling illegal.

      Now it appears you are the coward we always knew you to be. It is a good thing you made your Whale Wars sitcom because now more people then just those of us at CERTAIN know your lies upon lies upon lies you live with.

    • Hufingraz

      Yes, Paul you are exactly right. It is the same trolls that invade every site. At first they invaded the Whale Wars facebook page, then the SS forum, now Ecorazzi. I had just watched your interview on CTV’s website the other day, and all 5 of the people commenting negatively, were the same 5 people that comment negatively here and the other forums. They use the same names and they just like to stick to stupid topics, like you being a convicted felon. I have tried explaining to them what a criminal record means in Canada, and the limitations it puts on a person in regard to travelling. Even if you were a convicted felon(even though, we know you are not), WHO REALLY GIVES A FUCK? It would be one thing if you were convicted of murder, but MISCHIEF? They are honestly arguing over MISCHIEF!! It just shows how bad these trolls want to try and find a reason to tear Sea Shepherd & you down. You can tell that these people are obvious losers that sit home in their parent’s basement, masturbating to internet porn and only dreaming that they could be half the man you are. They do not like to talk about the good you have done for our planet and they just like to argue and bitch. I just get tired arguing with them because their intelligence is so low, I actually feel dumber after trying to talk to one of them.

      • lilredhsb

        I find it amusing that the pro-animal rights individuals have to resort to name calling. I would counter accusations with facts if I were interested in saving the name or a above board organization. Me thinks you protest too much.

      • Robert Beller

        Cry Baby,
        Lie Baby,
        Cry Baby,
        Cry Baby,
        Lie Baby…Lie Baby….
        Lie Baby…Lie….

        Paul Watson:I’m not a Felon because I don’t break laws where they are classed a felony”

    • Robert Beller

      If you are so “delighted that I’ve been able to stimulate some discussion” Why doesn’t the SSCS have an official forum? Why do you hide behind other people forums and then force them to shut them down? Why did your ghost girlfriend Mia brag about getting the Animal Planet Whales Wars Forum closed down?

      • http://www.ecorazzi.com Michael d'Estries

        Robert, why are you being so confrontational? Launching into choruses of “cry baby, lie baby” and accusing someone of having a “ghost girlfriend” is as helpful as it is mature.

      • Robert Beller

        Why is Paul Watson so confrontational with the Japanese while Iceland and Norway kill more whales? Not a lot of people know Mia, she was Paul’s love right before Watson had the Animal Planet Whale Wars forum closed. He was spouting public love poems to old (M)issing (I)n (A)ction like a Vogon until “her” job was done.

        http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vogon

        My actions are much more mature than a bunch of fools lying to themselves that Japan is breaking a “law” that they can’t cite.

  • http://www.seashepherd.org Captain Paul Watson

    I have no idea who you are kii yaa tuk. Never met you. Just another troll with an agenda of hate. I did not have any of my crew arrested in Washington so it is obvious that you do not know what you are talking about. Although there is a news story about an arrest warrant issued by Japan for me, the fact is that the Japanese Coast Guard has no authority to issue a warrant to Interpol. My job is to interfere with poachers in the Southern Ocean and that means defending them in the Southern Ocean not in Japan. As for being a coward. Nice try, I notice that the people who call me that always seem to hide behind fake names and avatars. People may call me many things but calling me a coward is simply a reflection of the lack of moral fibre of the accuser. Australia is taking Japan to court for poaching. That is the courtroom that I intend to be a part of. oh and BTW, we stopped the whale kill in Washington. Let me see, the plan was to kill five whales a year beginning in 1998. Only two were killed which means 58 grey whales saved and one of the whales killed saw some of the inept whalers led by Wayne Johnson go to jail. It seems that they were the convicted criminals, not us.

    • David

      No Pauly boy, the Australians are threatening again to take Japan to court. But they have been threatening since at least 2002 and have never got past the sound bites and threats. Maybe it is just a ploy to get eco-sheeple to vote for them? Seems to have worked last time, promise to take Japan to court, get enough votes to win the ellection, forget about whales until the next election, promise again to take Japan t court, see eco-sheeple believe you again.

      Kind of similar to; tell an old man you can stop whaling if you only had $5 million, get $5 million from old man, don’t stop whaling, ask everybody (not just old man) for more money and promise you can stop whaling. Sounds like a morally bankrupt and vicious circle.

      • Robert Beller

        I thought the Australian government defunded the “we’ll take you to court” campaign a year or two ago? The Aussies have been told by more than one legal expert they don’t have a hope of winning and their actions may threaten the stability of the Antarctic Treaty. Many powerful ATS members have told the Aussies they will counter any new claims they try to make. The Australians can’t interfere with scientific research in the Antarctic and they know it. CCAMLR specifically cedes whales to the control of the IWC. You can call it commercial whaling all you’d like but Judges will be restricted to calling it research because that is what ICRW article 8 calls it.

    • Kii yaa tuk

      Well now Paul your assertation that you do not know who I am is only matched by audacity of the denial that your SS employees were arrested, and ultimately some sent to prison, in Washington as they committed an arson while moving your office from Friday Harbour back to California.

      I suppose you want me to go into the litany of emails you and I had, or the exchanges we had about your money laundering with Lisa Distefano on the High North Alliance website. Or I suppose you want me to dig up the exhanges you had with the ones working with CERTAIN that you spent so much of your time trying to keep your website cleared of the lies you had posted to dupe your fundraisers.

      I could go into all that and you know it. It suffices for me to see you are still living a life of denial based upon a faux persona and that in and of itself is a victory. When a person’s soul has to be hidden such as you have to hide yours then you have lost the only thing of value you ever had in this life, and that was the ability to live a life of being who you truly are. You gave that up a long time ago Paul and it appears you are still lost in your own web of lies and denials.

    • Kii yaa tuk

      Just because I know how you lie Paul here is a link (not for your benefit but for the ones reading this)

      http://www.highnorth.no/guestbook/guests_1999.htm

      —– Original Message —– From: Paul Watson To: Kii yaa tuk Sent: Thursday, December 16, 1999 1:33 PM Subject: Re: Out of the Fog

      I have just returned this morning from overseas so I was unable to call you yesterday. I have taken a look at the concerns you raised re: the exhibit in Victoria and our posting on the web site. I did not post that info but this does not mean that I absolve myself from responsibility as I am the President of the Society. However I have instructed the web-people to remove that site and I have sent out a memo reminding everyone that our opposition to the Makah hunt is based on our committment to uphold the regulations of the IWC. I believe that the reason for the posting was to demonstrate that there is a lobbying effort underway to have the public accept the return to whaling and it was this that they meant to expose. However I do not deem it relevant to our overall objective of opposing the hunt because it is not authourized by the IWC. It has been my intention from the beginning of this campaign to keep our focus on the international regulations. I am not interested in being critical of Makah culture or anyone else’s culture. Our responsibility is to the whales first, foremost, and exclusively. I do not believe that you can cite any reference whereby I have insulted the Makah culture directly. It may be argued that our very opposition to Makah whaling is an insult to the Makah culture and if this is believed, it is unfortunate but we cannot abandon the whales. We are bound to have differences. What is important is not our differences but our motivations and I feel confident that our motivation in opposing whaling is 100% that of conservation and adherence to whale protection laws.

      Now if you notice this was done by Paul Watson “after” information about his tranferring donated assets to his wife of that time was posted on that thread:

      Kii yaa tuk
      howanji@sopris.net
      12/16/99

      Paul–

      I have been really trying to understand how selling a ship worth $171, 384 for One Dollar http://www.highnorth.no/guestbook/guest.htm could be used later as a statement on the SSCS website that such a sale was to raise money for the SSCS. http://www.seashepherd.org/ships/ships.html

      Such creative sales didn’ t only raise money for the SSCS, it also paid fines levied in Canada as well? (HNA’s web site, supra) The transaction which Watson describes now is not at all what is recorded on the SSCS 1993 Capitol Gains Shedule. On that statement the sale of the Cleveland Armory was recorded as for $23, 110 and declared a loss of (148,274). (Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, A NonProfit Oganization, Financial Statements, Year Ending April 30, 1994, Department of Justice Portland Legal, Dec 27, 1996.)

      An letter from Klein , Bogakos, and Robertson, CPA’s Inc, who prepared SSCS tax forms for that year, dated November 15, 1994 to the SSCS Board of Directors, states “Management has elected to omit substantially all of the disclosures required by generally accepted accounting principles. If the omitted disclosures were included in the financial statements, they might influence the users conclusions about the Company’s financial position, results of operations and cash flows. Accordingly these financial statements are not designed for those who are not informed about such matters.”

      So I guess Paul did inform us all how this matter was. The Cleveland Amory was not sold for the amount disclosed to the Oregon State Department of Justice—it was sold for one dollar not $23,110. And out of that one dollar fines were paid and a ship was bought. What is money laundering? I always wondered what that really meant.

      This accountant number crunching game has always eluded my understanding. I have about a dollar left over from paying my propane bill—maybe I could get Paul to buy me a ship like Whales Forever with it? He seems to be able to, I know I cannot. Stranger things are known to happen I have heard. These days it seems anything is possible.

      Now it makes sense why in Lisa’s Neah Bay Diary she was so out front with her almost demands for money—I am going to go back through her diary and see if her requests were anywhere near her paydays. I do think I remember her writing something to the effect in regards to donations that “cash is always good” or something to that effect.

      Conflict generation for personal gains?

      Yo Paul—will you buy me a ship for my one dollar? You said doing that was perfectly legal—where can I send my dollar to and you can show me how to do this? I am still keeping an open mind and just asking questions Paul —
      *************************

      Care to engage in any more of your lies Paul?

      • SSCS_Supporter

        All that link does is show that MANY people seem to have problems with you….and you call other people out?

      • http://www.Seashepherd.org Captain Paul Watson

        Ahhh let me see, because I exchanged a few e-mails with you a decade ago, you think that I should remember who you are. When I said I don’t know you, I mean I don’t know you. I have never met you. You were just one of thousands of people that have attacked us over the years. Honestly it’s pretty arrogant of you to think that I actually remember who you are from a couple of e-mail exchanges a dozen years ago.

        Anyhow Kii whoever you are. Sea Shepherd has been audited twice by the IRS since 1998 and we still retain our charitable status as a 501(c)3 organization. I think the IRS is a more credible judge of our fiscal activities than yourself.

        Maybe in a dozen years from now you can remind me again how we “know” each other because I will certainly have forgotten you again.

        Now your accusation that SS employees were sent to jail for arson is absolutely a fabrication. Prove it. Who were they? Where were they arrested? Where did they go to prison? Kii you suck whoever you are, this is simply a lie and you know it. Give me some names and some proof. That’s the problem with the internet, any person can say anything they wish and some idiot will believe it.

        The fact is that there has never been a single Sea Shepherd crewmember, staffmember, volunteer or director who has ever been convicted of a felony crime anywhere in the world for any activities associated with Sea Shepherd campaigns, voyages, or activities. I think you should name some names or shut the hell up because you have absolutely no idea about what you are talking about.

      • Kii yaa tuk

        Paul we both know how this works don’t we? I post a fact, you call it a lie, I post proof you are lieing (again) and you call that lie. That is a tactic you are so proud of you even wrote about it in your dime novel your wrote about yourself.

      • Kii yaa tuk

        Sea Racist Supporter: Yes, it must come as a surprise to you that Watson has succeeded in duping gullible people such as yourself for years. If you read the High North website you will no doubtably see the exact same scenario playing all over again with Captain Blowhard.

        It has never ceased to amaze me how easily people such as yourself ignore someone’s dishonesty who openly admits in his own dime novel about himself that lieing is a perfectly acceptable, and effective, strategy he uses.

        Well, guess what benefits from his lies? His bank account. Fools and their money are soon parted is a good saying to interject here I think.

      • Kii yaa tuk

        Yes, I remember when those of us at CERTAIN were filing complaints with the IRS about your lack of an audit. It is noteworthy that you stated 1998 and not your transactions from 1994 which was the subject of that original post. I really do like your attempts at diversion from what is put in front of you.

        Whatever happened to your attempted hostile take over of the Sierra Club so you could take their assets? I predicted then that what would happen would be you would attract more membership dues to them and then ultimately you and your cronies you nominated would loose being elected to their board.

        How did that work out Paul? I notice it isn’t something you put on your website as one of your “victories” LOL

      • Kii yaa tuk

        Here you go Paul. Ask and ye shall receive >:)

        http://www.seattlepi.com/local/156710_animalrights15.html

  • Bob

    Hey Paulie,
    Any response to the other posts that have been made about your antics?

    Like this one for instance that takes a look at one of your points:

    Paulies point: “I don’t recall any court proving my interpretation of the law to be wrong. We won our court case when Canada charged me with chasing the Spanish and Cuban drag trawl fleets from the Grand Banks of Newfoundland. I have never been convicted of a felony crime. I have in fact – a completely clean criminal record and a letter from the F.B.I. to prove it.”

    The facts:
    A copy of the Judges remarks from the Cuban fishing trawler trial is available in a discussion thread here (the PDF can be downloaded): http://www.endecoterrorism.com/index.php?option=com_agora&task=topic&id=2&Itemid=55

    Some interesting things found in this document:

    - you, Paul Watson were convicted under section 430(3) of the Canadian Criminal Code, a mischief charge punishable by up to 10 years in prison. This is the equivalent of a felony in the US (The Canadian legal system does not use the term ‘felony’).

    - Judges remark – “This is not, as was suggested by counsel for Mr. Watson, a minor or “nuisance” offence.”

    - Judges remark – “Inasmuch as Mr. Watson’s defence to this charge was that he acted under colour of right in that he himself believed that he was authorized to do what he did by the UN Declaration (1982) known as the World Charter for Nature, his conviction also carries with it the conclusion that the jury were satisfied that the Crown had proven beyond a reasonable doubt that he did not have such an honest belief.”

    - the boat that you, Paul Watson, attacked, the Rio Las Casas, was an innocent victim. It was not in violation of any law when you attacked it.

    - Judges remark – “The appeal to a higher motive carries with it a high standard of responsibility with respect to the manner of achieving one’s goal. One cannot hide behind a good motive as justification for any intrusive, indiscriminate or deliberate act.”

  • cho cho ma

    He never said he would end whaling during that season with 5 million dollars. The Japanese are scared because Sea Shepherd killed their profits again and the government of Japan can’t afford to have another money draining program. At the current rate I assure you whaling in the Southern Ocean will end with in the next five years or so. Oh ya David and all u other morons can shut up, and get a life. I doubt even one of you really have a legit reason to hate Sea Shepherd anyway. Sea Shepherd will continue to do what they do, like it or not. Best of luck to Paul Watson and crew!!!

    • David

      Really Che, so Bob Barker is a liar? Paul Watson told Bob Barker he could stop whaling if he had $5 million. Did you know in many states using false statements like that to get money from the elderly is illegal?

      The whalers make an assured profit. The government pays them a set price to perform the research. The amount is the same if they get 100 whales or 1000 whales. And the whaling fleet costs are such a small amount of the Japanese budget (<0.03% if no whale meat is sold, considerably less when the whale meat offsets expenses) that they can afford to continue for decades.

      SSCS has been publicizing the cost to the Japanese taxpayers for at least 5 years and Greenpeace has been doing it for even longer than that. Can you point to any protests about the cost?

  • Jim

    How is Sea Shepherd going to tell a poacher from a legal fisherman? Not all the boats are there for tuna, and I’m sure that those captains are not going to allow searches of their boats.

    If Watson wants to tear into Greenpeace,fine. He is in actually on location. Cho cho ma and all of the other “checkbook protestors” want to tout the SSCS’s accomplishments, that’s fine, too. But, those donors should not badmouth Greenpeace until they are willing to do something other than type on a keyboard. I have my personal thoughts on both GP and the SSCS, but I keep them to myself, as they are working towards a common goal, but through the use of different methods. If you really care about animals, then it doesn’t matter whether you favorite group is ‘better’ than another – all that matters is that they are willing to help in some form or fashion. Unless you can handle the task without the help of others, stop attacking other animal rights groups – your energy is better directed at poachers and others like them.

  • http://www.seashepherd.org Captain Paul Watson

    Sorry but I don’t respond to Pauly or Paulie or derogatory names. You trolls who hide behind the security of the internet are all very brave online which implies to me that you’re all actually quite cowardly. So ask politely and you may get an answer

    Generally what I will say is that most of the people who post remarks on this issue know absolutely nothing about the complexities of the laws regarding whaling.

    The fact remains that I have no felony record anywhere in the world. I have had convictions on misdemeanors under Canadian Department of Fisheries regulations that are not under the Canadian Criminal Code. In the United States where I am a citizen, I have an unblemished criminal record – not a single summary conviction. Now the Makah whalers on the other hand were convicted under Federal law for illegally killing a whale, a whale that took ten hours to die because of the ineptness of Wayne Johnson and his crew of butchers. None of my crew were arrested during the Makah campaign, a campaign that we were invited to initiate by respected Elders of the Makah nation.

    • TitaniumTotem

      Well, Paul, I didn’t call you Paulie or Pauly in any of my questions to you but you don’t seem very ready to answer those questions, so Paul let’s try it again shall we:

      - Why are you conducting an anti-tuna poaching campaign in the Med instead of the equally devastated Pacific tuna overfishing in nearby coastal waters? How do you justify to your donors the added expense of a 30,000 mile campaign?

      - You claim that you “…personally command all Sea Shepherd field campaigns so the criticism that I stay onshore and send off crew to dangerous missions is bogus.” You were obviously not in personal command when you sent the Farley Mowat off on an operation that you now admit would provoke a response from the Canadian Coast Guard and which resulted in others getting arrested and from which much of that criticism arose. Did you just forget that particular operation when you made that statement? Does this mean that instead of remaining safely ashore in “Southern France” that you will “personally command” the Steve Irwin’s operations from the bridge?

      - You claim that it was you deliberate intention to have the Farley Mowat seized in a planned retirement (and I don’t doubt that), yet at the time you made a lot of angry denouncements against the Canadian government for stealing your ship and warned any potential buyers that they would not end up owning your ship. I assume it was your intention to use the seizure as a rhetorical tool all along to raise money (good marketing idea but it could start to make donors questions your statements). Now you’re sending the Steve Irwin on a 30,000 mile boondoggle that is assured to provoke a response from regional authorities if you use forceful tactics and you won’t personally command the campaign from the Steve Irwin. Given the similarities between this and the “retirement” run of the Farley Mowat, how do you reassure the people on the Steve Irwin that they aren’t going to be left holding the bag in some Med legal system?

      There you have it Paul, very precise and civil, so instead of general and vague comments about internet trolls and such, perhaps you would care to actually address these issues and put them to rest.

      I look forward to your direct answers.

      • TitaniumTotem

        Well, from your refusal to answer questions asked “respectfully”, I suggest you get comfortable with people questioning your motives, statements and claims. These are no longer the days prior to Whale Wars when the basis of what most people know of you comes from unchallenged press releases and speeches.

        Now, through the public exposure you’ve received from Whale Wars, people have the opportunity to compare the image of Paul Watson you have presented for thirty years with the Paul Watson they are seeing on screen and learning more about from public forums much as they did on the Animal Planet forums before they were closed down.

    • shugh8

      Paul – these are the same fools that went from AP forum, to Facebook forum, to here. The anti-SSCS/Whale Wars group on FB has 400 members. Compare that to the 66,000 + on the SSCS fan page and the proof is in the pudding. The VAST majority of the people support you and your crew. I met many of them last week in NYC and that only helped to steel my resolve.

      On another note…when can we expect Operation Blue Rage shirts in the SSCS store?

      Keep up the good work.

      • http://www.endecoterrorism.com TruthSayer

        Yes Sir,

        The same 12 people who operate at http://www.endecoterrorism.com . They have a total of 79 members, of those 79, ten or 12 of them basically carry the majority of the discussions. The same 10 or 12 that sabotaged the AP forums, with their endless rhetoric.

        Less than 12 people who normally generate at least 85% to 90% of the negative garbage that gets posted about Paul and the SSCS. 470,000 members on just one Facebook support page and they can only garner TWELVE people to post against the SSCS and Paul Watson.

        Give it a break already, you guys haven’t changed more that a couple dozen peoples views on the subject and you sure have not hurt the SSCS in any way, especially financially. Please keep up the good work.

      • David

        How many people are on the SSCS forum? Zero, because they shut it done because they couldn’t control it. But it will be back Monday afternoon and here it is Tuesday afternoon and still no new forum.

      • Robert Beller

        How many people are in the official Sea Shepherd forum? Exactly ZERO because the SSCS is too intellectually and factually weak to have it’s own forum. The SSCS relies on hiding behind other people and discarding them when they become inconvenient.

        It’s pretty sad when 400 or even 79 people can force the SSCS to shutdown all of the forums they are too cowardly and weak to run themselves. Paul’s ghostly girlfriend Mia bragged about the closure of the Animal Planet forum right before it closed and Erik Brush posted a goodbye letter right before the “unofficial” official Sea SheepleAU website was closed. Erik was very specific that the closure was due to people at SSCS HQ.

        When SSCS criminal Ben White broke the law he almost collapsed the whole organization because he didn’t “follow Sea Shepherd policy” so Paul discarded him. This is the same excuse I hear for the reason the SSCS disassociated themselves from “their” forum. Now I hear they are going to be called the “Ocean Retardian Alliance” (different toilet, same turd)

        “The one exception was when Ben White was arrested in Florida for attempting to rescue captive dolphins. The attempt failed. Sea Shepherd was hit with an $8,000 legal bill and we narrowly avoided a civil suit. White acted in Sea Shepherd’s name without the knowledge of the Sea Shepherd board. He was quite aware of the Sea Shepherd policy that prohibits any illegal action within U.S. territorial waters. We operate internationally, and we need the sanctuary of the U.S. to be effective. White’s actions threatened the security of Sea Shepherd.”

        From “Attacks on Sea Shepherd are unfair,” by Paul Watson, Animal People, December 1993

        None of the SSCS or their supporters can stand up to the facts a handful of people can scare up with the slightest bit of research.

    • David

      So you can use derogatory names against your opponents but if the same is done to you, you whine and put your fingers in your ears. Well that does seem to be a usual SSCS double standard, the SSCS can do things but if your opponents respond in kind then it becomes wrong.

      You were convicted under CANADIAN CRIMINAL CODE 430(3). It is available online and the links have been posted at ecorazzi a few times now. But you will continue to insist that it never happened. When I find a piece of cake missing and my 3 year old has icing all over his hands I am not surprised when he insists he didn’t eat the cake. But I expect better from an adult.

      I thought, and all the reports indicate, a single Edler. No ‘s’ on the end. Not that it matters either way. Obviously a majority of the tribe supported the hunt.

      • Bob

        Good point Dave. I think “trolls” and “crew of butchers” are a lot more derogatory than “Pauly”.

        For anyone that’s interested, here is a direct link to a pdf copy of the sentencing decision following Watson’s criminal conviction in Canada in 1994 http://www.endecoterrorism.com/components/com_agora/img/members/22/KMBT35020100309160156%20ocr2.pdf

      • shugh8

        Not knowing Canada law well…in the US, there are varying degrees of a crime. In this case, malicious mischief against property, would range from a full felony to a misdemeanor. Given the fine imposed and the short jail sentence, that appears to be a misdemeanor.

        Felonies are usually crimes punishable by at least a year in prison. Misdemeanors usually include a fine and less than a year in prison. So in this case, not convicted of a felony would be true? At least according to US law.

      • Bob

        @shugh8

        If you check the document I linked above it is quite clear that the crime Watson was convicted of was punishable by up to 10 years in prison – therefore the equivalent of felony in the US.

        The judge also specifically states in this decision:
        “This is not, as was suggested by counsel for Mr. Watson, a minor or “nuisance” offence.”

        Click on the link, it’s all there.

      • shugh8

        Bob,

        If I smash your computer with a hammer – malicious mischief. If I smash a server that maintains mission critical data, still mal mischief but of a different degree. In both cases I commit the same act but there are mitigating circumstances – you lose your computer vs widespread data loss for many people. If the Canada incident rose to the highest level of mischief it “could” have been up to ten years. In this case, it was much less of a degree and therefore the 30 days.

      • Bob

        shugh8

        Let’s let the Judge be the judge the seriousness of the offence. His words: “This is not, as was suggested by counsel for Mr. Watson, a minor or “nuisance” offence.”

        And also the sentence included 2 years of probation in addition to the incarceration period.

    • lilredhsb

      Sir, you wont respond to Pauly or Paulie ? You call these people “trolls” ?

      • http://www.Seashepherd.org Captain Paul Watson

        Hey Bob,

        You forgot one thing. The Court of appeals overturned the verdict.

        Nice try.

      • Bob

        Wrong Pauly. You’re lying again and it’s very easy to prove.

        The decision on your appeal can be found here http://www.canlii.org/en/nl/nlca/doc/1999/1999canlii13906/1999canlii13906.html

        Some very interesting reading in there, I recommend people take a look.

        For the purpose of proving you re lying though, I need only refer to the 2 sentences at the end:

        “For the reasons given the appeal of conviction and the cross-appeal are denied.”

        “Appeals dismissed.”

      • Kii yaa tuk

        He used to like to call people “cockroaches” but that offended some of his vegan friends when he would do that so I guess he thinks calling people trolls is more politically correct—a humanistic trait he used to decry when doing so would get him an extra five dollar contribution.

    • Kii yaa tuk

      I see you are still playing word games with people Paul about “legalities” of whaling. That red herring you keep trolling in front of people as bait is as phoney as your credibility to tell the truth.

      The truth is that you are against all whaling, legal or not—or at least that is what you used to say when pushed on that point.

      I suspect the simplest way to address this is to once again ask you straight up:

      Do you oppose legal whaling?

  • http://www.Seashepherd.org Captain Paul Watson

    Jim’s Question.

    How is Sea Shepherd going to tell a poacher from a legal fisherman? Not all the boats are there for tuna, and I’m sure that those captains are not going to allow searches of their boats.

    Thank-you Jim for submitting a serious question and in a respectful manner. I am happy to answer this.

    We have done the research. We have the list of licensed and unlicensed vessels, their legal areas of operation and their quotas. Any fishing after June 15th is illegal.

    Sea Shepherd has been working with groups in France and Spain and with government officials in France and Monaco. Last month I spoke on this issue before the French Senate in Paris and I’ve met with Prince Albert of Monaco to discuss the problem.

    Sea Shepherd’s objective in the Med is to oppose illegal activities. We are not there to protest. We will have fisheries experts onboard in addition to crew trained in defending the vessel from attack. We have been working on this campaign for over a year and I am confident that we have the resources and the intel to take on this challenge.

    • TitaniumTotem

      And by what legal authority are any fisherman required to actually submit to demands made by the Steve Irwin?

      • http://www.Seashepherd.org Captain Paul Watson

        Sorry but I don’t reply to people with fake names. Cowardly trolls hiding behind fake personas have zero credibility. Tell me who you really are and ask me a question respectfully and I’ll give you an answer.

      • TitaniumTotem

        You were asked respectfully, far more respectful then the venom you spew at others. My real name and screen name are of no importance to the question and are nothing more then a simple excuse to not answer.

        Another suggestion, respectfully, I would avoid injecting cowardice into the discussion since your own bravery from the beach appears to be prevalent in your actions.

        Now, if you have no other faint excuses perhaps you can answer the questions?

      • Robert Beller

        Paulie you’re an expert on lacking credibility if it wasn’t for your absolute lack of credibility someone might believe you. We all know you don’t respect the truth you write about it in your books. (Oh, and there is the mountain of lies you’ve been caught in)

        You may not want to answer us but will you answer your Japanese arrest warrant? I’m sure the Japanese will be very respectful and they’ll happily give you their names. You sure talked a lot about how you wish the Japanese would put you on trial so you could turn the tables and “put whaling on trial”. I guess Peter Buffoons current plight has made you rethink your wish. Come on Paulie show us how powerful the UN Charter for Nature (UNCN) really is, use it to get Peter out of his fix before he turns more evidence against you.

        Why isn’t the UN coming to Bethune’s aid? I know, you’re waiting to build suspense and at the last moment you’ll write the Judge a homemade UNCN writ for Peter’s release. Then you’ll deliver it in person with another homemade UN decree absolving you of all guilt. It will be signed by you, the prince of Monaco and Richard Dean Anderson. Then the Japanese government will have to let both of you go and they’ll have to pay reparations or the mighty UN army will attack. If you do that everyone will see how powerful the UNCU is and Whales will be saved in perpetuity throughout the universe.

        Come on Paul what do you have to lose (except your freedom)? Does the UNCN carry the weight of law or not? You keep saying you’re willing to die for whales certainly a little prison time isn’t out of the question? I’ve heard rumors that if enough SSCS members go to jail the series will be renamed “Jail Wars” and it will air on CourtTV.

    • Kii yaa tuk

      Do you really expect people to think that after you attacked Spainish vessels that their government is now working with you?

      Or is this like you claimed in the Gallapagoes where basically you rented out a crewless ship and then claimed your crew was doing the enforcement work on behalf of their government until we got the email from them stating that your crew was specifically “not” doing the patrols that it was only your vessel that you had provided.

      We told you then Paul which it appears you did not learn, that the days of the internet would stop your pathological lieing as a tool you use.

      BTW—I really liked the South Park Whale Whores segment. They pegged you very well on that. Congratulations on your world fame LOL

  • David

    “Sorry but I don’t reply to people with fake names.”

    So some how you know that the people you have responded to are using their real names? Pray tell do how you know that? Couldn’t someone use ‘David’ as a alias?

    • Kii yaa tuk

      Don’t confuse Captain Blowhard with logic. It doesn’t matter how something is asked or who asks a question he will either lie, change the substance of the response, or make up some lame reason he is not going to answer.

      One of his better ones was that once he was bragging that his then wife was a playboy model and when people asked what issue she was in he acted all offended and refused to answer.

      He always is asking for proof and accusing people of lieing but if you notice he never, ever offers any proof of anything he does other than refer to his own website as the source of what he is saying.

      • Rob Andrew

        I find it amusing Mr Watson goes on about not responding to people with fake names. Does this imply we should not reply to his rhetoric since he’s not a Captain? Caught in his own web again, I see.

  • David

    @shugh8

    “Felonies are usually crimes punishable by at least a year in prison. Misdemeanors usually include a fine and less than a year in prison. So in this case, not convicted of a felony would be true? At least according to US law.”

    You are correct that Criminal Code 430 can range from summary conviction (a misdemeanor in the US) to an indictable offense (a felony in the US) in severe case it can even result in life in prison.

    From the trial decision we see;
    “Range of Sentence

    The offense of mischief in relation to property the value of which exceeds $1000 may be prosecuted by indictment or on summary conviction. The Crown chose to proceed by way of indictment. Subsection 430(3)(a) of the Criminal Code provides the offense carries with it a maximum term of imprisonment of ten years.”

    So in the case of Paul Watson he was convicetd of and lost his appeal to a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison. The fact that he got only 30 days and a minor fine doesn’t change the fact that he was convicted of a felony.

    • http://www.endecoterrorism.com TruthSayer

      More assumptions, you people spout off about PROOF every chance that you get. He WAS NOT convicted of a FELONY according to Canadian law. You can spin your facts concerning US law anyway you like. You are making up garbage to suit your needs. He’s was not tried here in the USA. Plain and simple, the FACT is Paul was not convinced of a FELONY based on Canadian laws.

    • David

      TruthsLayer

      The proof has been posted again and again. Links to the original case results and the appeals.

      He was convicted of a felon under Canadian law. He could have gotten a sentence of 10 years. He got lucky and only got 30 days but it is still a felony conviction.

      It has been Paul and his supporters that keep bring US law into the discussion.

      • http://www.endecoterrorism.com TruthSayer

        You just cant respond to someone without being a prick in someway can you? Keep posting the garbage, whatever it takes to further your cause. IDIOTIC People!!

      • David

        Don’t get upset because you are too idiotic to post the truth even though you put it in your name.

      • Rob Andrew

        The fact remains he was convicted under the Canadian criminal code and has or possibly HAD a criminal record if he successfully was granted a pardon. Pardon’s are relatively easy to get for a minor CRIMINAL conviction, something which is now being addressed in Parliament with tougher restrictions.
        The use of the word “felony” is indeed misleading. He is or was, still a convicted criminal.
        His claims that the “FBI cleared” him suggest he did apply and was granted a pardon since the record is then sealed and only re opened upon further criminal activity or if there’s an application made by the convicted person to work in or be around children after being convicted as a sex offender. The information on the conviction is then disclosed to the potential employer even if a pardon was granted. The FBI wouldn’t have seen anything on his docket since he wasn’t convicted under a sex related offense. No police force would, even domestic.

  • cho cho ma

    Paul Watson is 10 times the man any of you will ever be

    Risk more than others think is safe. Dream more that others think is practical. Expect more than others think is possible.

    • Kii yaa tuk

      Captain Blowhard is ten times the man he used to be too. LOL

      Must come from eating all that steak dinners he eats on his ship with his animal rights buddies ignoring that little tidbit (or should I say morsel)

      And just in case you missed it Paul here ya go:

      http://www.seattlepi.com/local/156710_animalrights15.html

      Now I am sure you will at this point say none of those terrorists were convicted. Do you want to expose yourself in yet another lie or can you man up (with your ten sized stature) and admit this was your organization involved in this?

      • Cho cho ma

        So the best you can come up with about Paul is this article in which he himself didnt break any laws. Then accuse him of eating steak dinners, ya right. Oh ya then call him names that are some how meant to offend him, but some how I just might think they will do nothing. So “captian blowhard” is the best you can come up with. Why do you even bother with this website, it is clear you have no love of animals or this earth. Captain Watson is a hero for this planet, and you Kii Ya whatever your name is, is just a useless, hate filled, murder supporting, ignorant person.

      • Kii yaa tuk

        I posted that article because your beloved hero stated that none of his volunteers or employees have ever been convicted of felonies in the US. That is another lie he knows is not true.

        And you are right, I gave up caring what Watson and his supporters he recruits think a long long time ago, about the time that they were doing bomb threats against schools.

        It is easy for people like you to sit back on a message board and support this kind of stuff. If your family and friends were ever on the receiving end of the violence he promotes you would think differently. Watson belongs in prison. Period.

      • SSCS_Supporter

        Do you suffer from dyslexia? No where in that article did it say ANY SSCS volunteer was arrested or convicted. The only mention of the SSCS is in reference to the husband of the accused. Those arrested were members of the ALF and ELF.

      • Kii yaa tuk

        Sea Rascist Supporter you obviously have not been around Paul Watson enough to know how his little game works.

        You see, first he denies anytbing like this even happened. Then someone like you who knows almost nothing at all about the situation posts something like you did. BTW I think what you meant was maybe a reading comprehension inability on my part rather than dyslexia but I suppose any diversion would work for you obvious lack of intellectual honesty or fact finding curiosity.

        But I digress.

        What Watson does now (unless he exited the forum which I totally suspect he has) is deny any of his crew or volunteer association with the underlying crimes. Of course this is problematic for him for several reasons.

        First, and the most obvious, is that SS rented the truck and paid for the moving expenses that in effect funded these arsons.

        Second, the commission of these crimes happened while acting in rendering service to the SS.

        Third, any follow up research done by anyone with any modicum of intellectual integrity would find that the ones finally convicted and sent to prison had in fact been involved with Watson’s antiwhaling campaign in Washington State.

        But of course, the blowhard liar you are so dedicated to would deny this, which would provide me another opportunity to post facts rebutting his lies. That is the way Watson works. He even says so in his book he wrote.

        So why people like you beleive anything a person who writes a book about how he lies can still believe anything he says, even after being proven time after time after time, is beyond comprehension (not dyslexia).

        In the future Sea Racist Supporter, do some your own research and post a factual rebuttal rather than just promote your propoganda. It would help you keep from looking as stupid as Watson does.

      • SSCS_Supporter

        I was just responding to your link. You posted that link to show some proof of SSCS involvement. That article, as written, failed to do so. If you have something diffinitive, post it. We are not as “in the know” as you claim to be. Educate us and maybe win some converts. Your links, so far, have not fully supported your claims. If you have this inside information, share it.

      • Kii yaa tuk

        Sea Racist Supporter you need to educate yourself. I am not going to go through this little routine of responding to your obvious lack of reasoning skills, which makes you the perfect supporter of Watson.

        For example: The article states:

        “In May 2000, the Watsons were hauling equipment between the Southern California office of Paul Watson’s Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and the organization’s office in Friday Harbor. For that purpose, said Paul Watson, they rented a Penske truck.”

        Now, for even the most blind, this truck was rented by SS and the people charged, arrested, and ultimately convicted were using this truck, under the direct supervision of Watson’s wife and while being paid for out of SS money, to commit arsons.

        Watson’s wife received immunity and provided envidence that convicted the people helping the SS move during this crime spree using SS assets and funding to commit those crimes.

        Some of these individuals were involved against the Makah whaling. That is a fact.

        Do your own research into this. It is not secret knowledge, it is public information and was very well covered in the Seattle media.

  • Cho cho ma

    Unfortunatly for you guys, the stuff we are talking about didnt happen in the U.S. so that makes U.S. law irelevant.

    • Erik

      you silly little twit…
      of course it didn’t happen in the US, and since the US is the place where the term is used. but your dimwit hero cannot just say “I’ve never been convicted in the USA”… so he hides the fact he HAS been convicted in several other countries and says I’ve never been convicted of a felony (which is what he has just recently started repeating since the truth has been outted), which still flies in the face of his lies. This quote from the recent TEDxSF shows him in normal operation ” ..He said he had never been charged with any illegal acts…” ( http://www.siliconvalleywatcher.com/mt/archives/2010/04/captain_paul_wa.php )

      If it looks like a cow patty…
      If it smells like a cow patty…
      If it feels like a cow patty….

      then it probably IS….
      watson running his mouth again

    • Kii yaa tuk

      It just makes the unfortunate case on the international arena that the US harbors and supports terrorist organizations.

  • Cho cho ma

    To bad you guys dont stop running your mouths. The only nations that think Sea Shepherd is a terrorist organization is Japan and their little puppet nations. He is not a terrorist, Sea Shepherd is not a terrorist organization, like it or not. When was the last time the taliban, oklahoma city bomber, or the IRA used photonic disruptors, loud speekers, and butric acid against a person-oh wait they hever did.

    NUMBER OF PEOPLE HURT BY “TERRORIST” SEA SHEPHERD-0
    NUMBER OF PEOPLE KILLED BY “TERRORIST” SEA SHEPHERD-0

    • Kii yaa tuk

      You seem to be missing a key point here mindless.

      Watson’s wife was given immunity from prosecution.

      “Allison Watson was called again, given immunity from prosecution and compelled to testify or face contempt of court charges , according to the complaint.”
      http://www.seattlepi.com/local/156710_animalrights15.html

      Now what that means in layman terms is that she cut a deal and offered evidence against the very people that she was arrested with, in the commission of eco-terrorism arson, that utilized SS assets and funding to carry out.

      A reasonable person would have to ask themselves how many more people have been turned over for prosecution by the Watson organization to retain his tax status? I think you see now with what happened in Japan that Watson has a history of letting his people who support him go to jail and prison while he remains free. And that doesn’t cause you a question?

      He is a lightening rod for the fringe elements and when they emerge he turns them over for prosecution. He serves a function for law enforement in that way it is reasonable to conclude.

      Go ahead and believe what you want. But at least do it with having an awareness of what his true history is.

  • Kii yaa tuk

    Just about now is when the self-proclaimed and misunderstood hero of the world Captain Paul Blowhard Watson will come back on the board and give one of his exit speeches about how important things are calling to him to do and that he has wasted enough time on this board.

    Of course, he will leave the many questions unanswered and will probably leave another string of lies in this exit post he is going to make.

    I hope they feed you whale meat in the Japanese prison you are going to Watson.

    • Kii yaa tuk

      And Paul I know you cannot resist reading about yourself so here you go one more time so you can show your supporters what your true position is:

      Would you support legal whaling?

      • Cho cho ma

        I know your question was intended for Paul but I think he is done commenting on this story. I believe his answer would be no. But that would not change the fact that there are still whale sanctuaries regardless if commercial whaling was legalized. Additionally they would be completely banned from whaling in sanctuaries, like the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary, as a result Japan would not accept a deal allowing commercial whaling. If commercial whaling was legalized then even with set quotas greed will get the best of the whale killers and they will bump up their kill quotas. Legalization of commercial whaling would not work well for the whalers, nor the ativist. (at least as far as Japan goes)

      • Kii yaa tuk

        The importance of this question is that when pushed on this question Paul’s answer exposes the red herring approach he uses about framing whaling in terms of “illegal” whaling. That is a button pushing term he uses to generate support for his idea he promotes that he is an “enforcement” organization (which he has yet to find any court that has ruled that way)

        His ultimate answer when pushed is that he is against “all” whaling, legal or not. But he does not come out and say that openly because it would undermine his media strategies and impinge upon his donor base.

        You don’t have to take my word for this. Ask him that question yourself. Ask him if there is “any” whaling he does not oppose.

      • Damocles

        ‘Additionally they would be completely banned from whaling in sanctuaries, like the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary, as a result Japan would not accept a deal allowing commercial whaling’

        Cho, go take a look at the Schedule to the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling. Japan still has in place the perfectly valid objection they registered to the Southern Ocean sanctuary, in regard to Minke whales. If the commercial moratorium was lifted they could hunt Minke in the SOWS, no problem.

  • TitaniumTotem

    Well, it doesn’t appear that there will be any answers forthcoming for respectfully asked questions although I’m sure there will be other angry tirades in the future denouncing those who form opinions based off those unanswered but very obvious questions.

    • Kii yaa tuk

      Of that there is no doubt.

  • AnimuX

    Well there had to be a destination for the lovely pro-whalers whose constant vitriol and 24x7x365 public campaign against Sea Shepherd led to the demise of at least one open forum already.

    Here we find them continuing where they left off, gleefully slinging about their one-sided slanderous accusations based on opinions in concert with industry propaganda. They’re working hard to shut down an activist organization that’s operated for 30 years against environmentally destructive industries and poachers.

    Their anti-activist mission is the same whether they comment on a campaign against IUU (Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated) fishing of Blue Fin Tuna with its known ecological and economic consequences OR an ongoing campaign against a whaling industry with its long history of subversion of internationally established conservation efforts.

    Just as the CCF constantly assaults the Humane Society these characters represent a concerted effort to demonize and marginalize any and all aspects of an environmental movement.

    Despite the fact that Sea Shepherd has not been responsible for a single death in over 30 years of operation they continue to make the terrorist comparison invoking an emotional reaction to real murderous groups like Al Qaida.

    Despite the fact that since 1931, one government after another in Japan has violated and subverted international regulations regarding whaling they insist Sea Shepherd is only attacking Japan because they’re racist and looking for cash donations.

    Never mind the fact that Japan has historically violated size limits, species limits, sanctuary boundaries, seasonal limits, all manner of quotas and even facilitated “pirate whaling” operations all over the world. (that’s using front companies with foreign labor to kill whales for “traditional” purposes like smuggling unreported whale meat to Japanese markets)

    Never mind the fact that Sea Shepherd has opposed whaling, bottom trawling, long lining, shark fining, seal skinning all over the world and continues to assist the law enforcement entities responsible for protecting the Galapagos from poaching.

    Never mind the fact that Sea Shepherd has received high ratings as a charity that puts most of its donations into its operations rather than overhead.

    The rhetoric is maddening in the attempt to make every situation look like a McCarthy case against evil. Stink bombs are spoken of as if they’re WMDs. (Never mind that Sea Shepherd activists handle this material regularly and have not been burned, disfigured, blinded, poisoned by any of it.) Ship collisions are called attempts to murder regardless of any amount of actual damage (again referring to 30 years of operation with no resulting deaths).

    Yet when sealers physically strike at activists with a haikpik, or when whalers ram and sink a boat full of activists these so-called opponents of violence wildly approve. They’re here to erode support for Sea Shepherd in support of an ideology. (employed or simply sympathetic) They represent the industries that seek to eliminate public resistance to environmentally destructive business endeavors.

    Blue Fin Tuna probably won’t be the last species to fall victim of industrial greed. Sea Shepherd and other conservation-minded organizations simply don’t have the power to stop it. But I’m glad they’re bold enough to try.

    • TitaniumTotem

      Way too much coffee.

    • Cho cho ma

      To that I say risk more than others think is safe. Dream more than others think is practial. Expect more than others think is possible. Remember a rain storm starts with a single drop of water.

      • Bob

        You forgot the main one – tell more lies than Kelloggs got cornflakes. And in your case I’m sure the rainstorm started with a single drop of kool-aid.

    • Bob

      “Despite the fact that Sea Shepherd has not been responsible for a single death in over 30 years of operation they continue to make the terrorist comparison invoking an emotional reaction to real murderous groups like Al Qaida.”

      Faisal Shahzad isn’t responsible for any deaths. Guess he’s not a terrorist either.

      • Rob Andrew

        Excellent point Bob.

      • AnimuX

        “Faisal Shahzad isn’t responsible for any deaths. Guess he’s not a terrorist either.”

        Yet another exaggeration intended to evoke an emotional response. Shahzad attempted to kill scores of innocent civilians with an improvised car bomb in NYC as an act of international terrorism. Thankfully he failed.

        Sea Shepherd has never attempted to kill anybody in its 30 year history. Unfortunately, some continue to compare them to murderers as part of a campaign to generate animosity toward environmental activists.

      • Rob Andrew

        Any time that Watson has engaged in attempting a ramming or in instances where he’s used explosives to temporarily sink a vessel is an act of terrorism.
        I’m sure the logger he maimed on the west coast holds a dim view of him and Watson bragged about hurting him with tree spiking.
        Yeah, some “hero” you have.

      • AnimuX

        The exaggerations of the negative campaign against Sea Shepherd continue in this ongoing commentary.

        —————–
        “Any time that Watson has engaged in attempting a ramming or in instances where he’s used explosives to temporarily sink a vessel is an act of terrorism.”
        —————–

        The “explosive” events you’re referring to happened back in the 1980s. Paul Watson was not personally responsible and some even contend the people who were did not work for Sea Shepherd (though Watson did claim Sea Shepherd was involved). Each whaling ship was operating outside of the regulations of the international whaling commission.

        This includes “the Sierra” an infamous “pirate whaler” that was not represented by any country at the IWC and killed endangered species and under size whales in areas designated off limits to commercial whaling by the IWC. The illegal catches were not reported and the meat was smuggled back to Japan through Taiyo fisheries which funded the hunt.

        Taking out the Sierra was a bit like burning down a meth lab in a place where nobody else would shut it down. Putting holes in the bottoms of boats, used for illegal purposes, while specifically avoiding loss of human life is NOT terrorism.

        Also, large steel ships that touch in the open ocean do not spontaneously explode. The danger of Sea Shepherd brushes with Japanese whalers is greatly exaggerated. As an example, I give you the very real ramming of an Icelandic ship by the HMS Falmouth during the “Cod Wars”. The Falmouth struck an Icelandic ship TWICE at speeds over 20 knots and still did not sink her.

        Unfortunately, the negative campaign against Sea Shepherd uses this false comparison to “terrorists” in order to evoke an emotional response. The fact is, Sea Shepherd does not attempt to kill anybody and has not killed anybody in over 30 years of intervention against industries that subvert and violate international regulations.

        —————-
        “I’m sure the logger he maimed on the west coast holds a dim view of him and Watson bragged about hurting him with tree spiking.”
        —————-

        Here we see another break down in the campaign against Sea Shepherd.

        Paul Watson did not harm a logger with a tree spike.

        In fact, other environmental activists did not harm the logger either.

        The man in question, George Alexander, was nearly killed when the bandsaw he was operating struck a nail and shattered. As it turns out, the FBI suspect in this case was not an activist. The main suspect was a survivalist who was angry that loggers continued to take trees off of his private property. So he spiked his own trees and told the logging company what he’d done. He also failed a lie detector question about whether he’d spiked trees outside of his property as well.

        However, this didn’t prevent the logging companies from touting poor Mr. Alexander around the country as a victim of evil eco-terrorists without mention of the FBI suspect. In the end, laws were passed against tree spiking. The groups that had initially supported the tactic gave it up. The loggers used metal detectors to mitigate the possibility of future incidents. And Mr. Alexander, the victim, had to take his former employer to court to get compensated for his work related injuries.

        Today, anti-environmentalist campaigners continue to cite this tree spiking incident as evidence of violence from environmental activists. Including the use of poor Mr. Alexander’s injuries to attack Paul Watson and others.

      • Rob Andrew

        Bullshit. He’s a convicted criminal with a self published intent to cause harm. Spin it whatever way you’d like, he claims responsibility for those sinkings. He happily does it. Bin Laden of the ocean with no remorse for the environmental damage he causes and an admitted liar.

      • AnimuX

        Clearly, the negative campaign against Sea Shepherd and environmental activism will continue to make outrageous slurs such as:

        “Bin Laden of the ocean”

        Activists who struggle to enforce internationally established conservation efforts and regulations and have not killed a single human being…

        …are falsely compared to real terrorists, like Bin Laden, responsible for murdering thousands of innocent people.

        These anti-environmentalist fanatics display no shame in the ongoing effort to demonize an environmental movement. They even arbitrarily use the suffering of victims of real international terrorism in their ideological attacks on the character of activists and environmental causes.

      • Robert Beller

        @ Ani

        I thought Watson liked history he’s always spouting ignorant drivel about WWII in connection with legal research conducted in the 21st century. At least Watson is the same person in our history lesson unlike his WWII racial vilification campaign that attempted to smear an entire race for a 65 year old conflict.

        It’s gotta suck to tow the new SSCS PR line. Watson stirred you guys up with his images of irrelevant WWII atrocities so thoroughly he had the Sea Shepherd AU forum members planning synchronized Butyric Acid attacks against Japanese Embassies around the world. That’s when Erik Brush wrote his goodbye letter blaming SSCS HQ and CEO Steve Roest by name. Did you miss it? I have a copy if you want to see it, it was glorious! Erik railed against the forced forum shutdown he even told Roest he wouldn’t have looked so silly and uninformed if he had used the SSAU forum as a resource when he made a fool of himself on the Animal Planet Whale Wars forum before Watson girlfriend Mia bragged about it being shut down.

        It’s a shame you had to shutdown your forum for a disassociation that must be what the term “dis” comes from. No that’s right it’s from the word disrespect oh well same difference. Anywho I hear your new media whore club is going to be called the Ocean Giardia Alliance or some such, good luck with that.

      • AnimuX

        Unfortunately, when the anti-Sea Shepherd campaign is not comparing activists who haven’t killed anybody to murderers it attempts to use yet another emotionally charged set of false allegations.

        ———————–
        “I thought Watson liked history he’s always spouting ignorant drivel about WWII in connection with legal research conducted in the 21st century. At least Watson is the same person in our history lesson unlike his WWII racial vilification campaign that attempted to smear an entire race for a 65 year old conflict. ”
        ———————–

        It’s true that WWII is mentioned by representatives of Sea Shepherd when discussing Japan’s whaling operations. There is a very simple parallel drawn between the actions of a military force destroying neighboring civilizations and an industrial force destroying natural resources and environments. It has nothing to do with race or racism.

        However, the Japanese government has been quick to assert that any and all criticism of the corrupt whaling industry is inherently racist or “cultural imperialism”. This is part of the grand propaganda campaign to distract from the egregious violations of international whaling regulations.

        As previously stated, Japanese whalers are historically guilty of violating size limits, species protections, seasonal limits, all manner of quotas and even facilitated “pirate whaling” all over the world. (That’s front companies using foreign labor to kill whales for the “traditional” purpose of smuggling the meat illegally and unreported to Japanese markets.)

        It’s also ignorant to discount the fact that modern Japanese whaling is fundamentally linked to World War II. Japan traded in whale oil with Nazi Germany. Japanese whaling ships were converted to military service during the war. Whale meat served Japanese soldiers. And after the war was lost, General MacArthur approved continued whaling to provide a cheap source of protein during the post war recovery. It was during this recovery, for the first time in history, that whale meat was consumed more than other meats nationally. After the Japanese economy recovered from the war, families began to purchase and enjoy other meats and the market for whale has declined ever since. Even the school lunch programs that had served whale to Japanese children dropped it from the menus. (That is until a government sponsored pro-whaling program to re-introduce it was conceived in recent years.)

        At no time has Watson called the Japanese people racially inferior. In fact, Sea Shepherd has supporters of many races, colors and nationalities, including Japanese people.

        I suppose it is easier to falsely accuse someone of racism than to confront the horrid abuses of Japan’s whaling industry. After all, the negative campaign against Sea Shepherd is not interested in addressing decades of violation and subversion of internationally established whaling regulations and conservation efforts.

        —————–
        “so thoroughly he had the Sea Shepherd AU forum members planning synchronized Butyric Acid attacks against Japanese Embassies around the world.”
        —————–

        The forums you refer to were not managed or maintained by Sea Shepherd and the actual managers of that forum never condoned or approved of any such action. In fact, no such action was taken at all anywhere in the world. However, I’m certain that will not stop the same negative campaign that compares stink bombs to WMDs and people who have never killed anyone to Osama Bin Laden. The attempts to demonize an environmental movement will undoubtedly continue.

        —————–
        “Erik railed against the forced forum shutdown”
        —————–

        To the best of my knowledge, the forum you’re referring to is merely changing its title to accurately reflect its management. And it never officially represented Sea Shepherd in the first place. Though a great deal of support for the organization was shown and will most likely continue as well.

  • http://www.ecorazzi.com marcus

    Here is a short summary from my perspective.
    Paul saved a bunch of Whales lives while you have spent time researching and trying to defame him.

    Paul – you are the man!!!!

    • TitaniumTotem

      From what I’m reading in the news today Australia’s Attorney General has a different view.

    • David

      Yes technically he saved some Antarctic whales. But in so doing he caused some North Atlantic whales to be killed. So it kind of balances out.

      I wouldn’t call 3 or 4 minutes with Google real research, because that is all it takes to prove Paul’s lies.

      And how many whales have you saved?

  • SSCSsupporter

    Oh STFU haters. The only reason you get on the internet and find stupid reasons to bash the Captain is because what he and his crew does is NOBLE and RIGHT. They DIRECTLY SAVE LIVES. not just protest with signs and eat whale meat like greedpee. “greenpeace”

    Loved your response Captain! BLUE RAGE IS ON! & GO VEGAN! and buy shampoos/toothpaste/etcetc that DOESN’T test on billions of dogs, cats, monkeys, rats, etc every year.

    I will soon donate to Sea Shepherd and Peter Bethune’s fund when I get more $.

    and rock on, marcus!

    • Rob Andrew

      Go right on wasting your money.

      • SSCSsupporter

        It’s certainly not a waste. Saving LIVES > buying material things.

    • Robert Beller

      Byte me! Watson welcomed having critics until he didn’t. This is what he wrote about his Whale Whores critics. It is classic “bring it on” bravado of the type that dropped George Bush Jr’s. popularity into the toilet.

      “I have read many of the negative comments on the Animal Planet Whale Wars website with great amusement”.

      “Truthfully, I am actually flattered that our actions can inspire so much vitriol, so much anger, and angst, and reveals so many people with little else to do than to type negative blogs about things they know so little about. What this tells me is that we are doing our job. We’re stirring the pot, turning over the crap and pissing people off, and I so love to piss people off, as it helps to stimulate their wee little brains and it helps to make some people think.”

      http://www.seashepherd.org/news-and-media/editorial-090616-1.html (better read it quick before they take it down)

      Paulie was flattered and laughing and in love a year ago but now he’s crying like a little girl with a skinned knee and telling all his friends. He wants the ride to stop so he can get off but the world don’t work that way. What happened to all his amusement why did his love for us sour? I guess he was flattened with all the “flattery”.

      • Cho cho ma

        What you just said made no sense.

      • Robert Beller

        Of course it made no sense most of it was a direct quote from Paullyanna Watson. What he was trying to say was he likes people to hate him because it let’s him know he’s having a effect. Now Paulie has had his fill flattery and he wants to try and brand the people he loves as “hate mongers”. You must not have seen the “we need to stop being racist” post Watson made over on FOJLTWA.

        The SSCS needs to fire their new PR firm because their attempt at a SSCS makeover is an EPIC fail.

  • Cho cho ma

    I was talking about what you said in the comment, but that was a nice way to spin it.

    • Robert Beller

      You can put your fingers in your ears and sing la,la,la all you’d li,li,like it isn’t going to change the facts. No one is surprised you can’t understand anything based on factual information you’re a SSCS supporter after all. Doesn’t Paulie always say just make up facts if you don’t have any? I’m sure it is in one of his books.

      • SSCSsupporter

        you’re an idiot. who is out there saving lives and who’s on the internet saying the most useless shit ever about a noble man and organization?

        By the way, to whoever supported greenpeace, Greenpeace (yellowpee) ate whale meat to “respect japan’s culture” and since when did holding up signs save whales? they never did a damn thing, which is why someone on greenpeace went to sea shepherd because they were tired of having the whale killers laugh in their face and spray them with water hoses.

      • Rob Andrew

        @ SSCSsupporter
        Really? I have to remember that sinking vessels in ecologically sensitive areas save lives. That polluting a sensitive area is actually good for the species that live there and by fouling them we’re doing them a favor. Yay SSCS…keep up the good work by killing more animals than you portend to save all in the name of self glorification. Really now, who is the idiot? Yeah, that would be Watson and his merry band of polluters.

      • From MN, with hope…

        Sea Shepherd never claims to be good for the environment, they try to save the ecosystem. Regardless, there were no harmful chemicals on the AG before they had to cut it loose, and let it sink. But the whalers are the ones who rammed the AG, so blame lies with them for instigating the sinking. And its not like a ship has ever sunk before. If you think just letting a ship sink without the fuel or such on board, than you must be devastated by the fuel and oil spilled (and still being spilled) in Pearl Harbor when the Japanese surprised attacked the US Navy. (Just for the record, I am not saying that these two are interrelated. I am not one of those who goes off and calls the Japanese on their faults. I call them the whalers, not the Japanese.)

      • Rob Andrew

        Newsflash. Do you realize what’s involved with sinking a vessel in an eco friendly way? It takes more than the single day Watson claims to have done it in. Did he remove the engines and realted powerplant equipment. No, he didn’t. Did he remove the toxic wiring? No, he didn’t. Did her remove the fuel tank? No, he didn’t. Did he scrub down , rinse out the bilges and recover the waste
        water? No he didn’t. Did he intentionally sink the vessel? Most probably.

  • TitaniumTotem

    So where are we at in Operation Angry Smurf?

    - The tune season, both legal and illegal, is open and in full swing.

    - Greenpeace is at sea.

    - The Steve Irwin is still sitting in Cannes…and by a stroke of luck, there’s a film festival going on.

  • David

    Well ‘Blue Rage’ has now lived up to the name SSCS gave it.

    Earlier today the Steve Irwin injured a Maltese fisherman. This ocurred after the Steve Irwin illegally halted and tied off to a tuna cage. Even if the SSCS story that the fishermen ‘attacked’ the Steve Irwin is true, Paul Watson himself said they tied to the tuna cage so they could inspect the catch before the ‘attack’. They are not authorized ICCAT inspectors and have no enforcement powers.

    Their blog of the last few days indicate that ICCAT and naval forces are patrolling the area and they say they reported their suspicions to ICCAT. So why didn’t they wait for the authorities to arrive? Towing the tuna cage is a slow process, the fishermen couldn’t have gotten away and they obviously had the boats name.

    • AnimuX

      I still haven’t seen too much information on this. What’s reported is the Sea Shepherd attempted to hook a tuna cage and one of the fishermen attempted to dislodge the hook and cut his arm in the process.

      Sea Shepherd’s brief public response contends the fishermen first claimed they had a legal catch from before the official end of the season. Then when asked why they had more than the allotted quota for their vessel, they claimed the cage had combined catches from many vessels. Then when Sea Shepherd approached the cage there was a collision and the fishermen attacked Sea Shepherd activists with gaffs.

      Hopefully there is video documentation of the event.

      • David

        Oh well we all better wait for AnimuX to get more info!

        Or wait we could just use Paul Watson’s own words. I mean he is actually there and AnimuX isn’t.

        ““This was sounding most convenient so we asked to examine the fish for juveniles and they refused. I put the bow of the Steve Irwin close to the cage and we tied off to hold onto the cage so that we could examine it further,” said Captain Paul Watson, founder and president of Sea Shepherd.

        “The vessel Rosaria Tuna rammed the Steve Irwin on the aft port side and slid alongside the port rail as a fishermen tried to gaff Sea Shepherd crew members with a long hook on a pole. The Steve Irwin crew retaliated with eight litres of rotten butter forcing the seiner to retreat.”"

        http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20100617/local/maltese-fishermen-injured-in-clash-with-protesters

        So Watson wanted to inspect the catch which he has no authority to do. When the fishermen refused his request he decided to become a vigilante and tied of to the cage so he could examine it.

        Someone with no authority, restricts the legal actions of a group of fishermen and illegally attaches his vessel to their nets.

        With the government backing the fishermen as being legal I can see some problems for the SSCS even if their side of the story is the truth.

      • AnimuX

        The fishermen may be telling tall tales…

        ‘He claimed that the cage held a large number of juveniles and that the fish were caught after the official closure of the season and exceeded the quota. Referring to reports about the injured fishermen, the captain said no one was injured by his crew’s actions.

        “We saw one man dive into the water from the side of the cage. We saw him get up and give us the rude Italian arm signal. We had another fisherman slash at the crew with a hook on the end of a long pole and we had one of the vessels ram us in the port stern area,” he said.’

        http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20100618/local/anti-tuna-campaign-denies-injuring-fishermen-says-it-freed-800-tuna

      • AnimuX

        Here is the Sea Shepherd press release:

        http://www.seashepherd.org/news-and-media/news-100617-1.html

        “There are claims in the Maltese press that a bluefin tuna fisherman was injured by our actions. No one on the Steve Irwin, in the helicopter, or in the Delta saw any incident where a fisherman was injured. We saw one man dive into the water from the side of the cage. Then, we saw him get up and give us the rude Italian arm signal. Another fisherman slashed at the crew with a hook on the end of a long pole, and one of the vessels rammed us in the port stern area.”

      • David

        Yes the fishermen may be telling a lie.

        But the SSCS has no authority to stop or question any fishermen, legal or illegal. Paul tying to the net is definitely illegal. So whether the fishermen were breaking the law or not is a question we can’t answer at this time, but we can say for a fact that the SSCS broke the law.

    • http://s181454115.onlinehome.us Erik

      ah yes… the much valued press release from the sscs…

      We know to take these seriously!

      … 2 members of my crew were kidnapped…
      … it’s only rancid butter…
      … arrows? did Robin Hood magically appear to put them there…

      yes… the world can believe him…this time…

  • AnimuX

    http://f1plus.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20100620/local/their-actions-were-intended-to-hurt-us

    According to the injured fisherman, he jumped into the pen as the SI was about to ram the edge and put himself in harms way despite the activists waving at him to get out of the way.

    Then he got his hand (not arm) cut up on a hook he says he grabbed onto thinking it was a rescue line.

    He received 12 stitches after being airlifted out.

    • David

      Thanks for the update AnimuX.

      In cases like this early reports usually don’t have all the info so the media speculates. Now we have a much better idea of what happened.

      The SSCS illegally rammed the tuna cage and almost drown the legal fisherman trying to protect his livelihood. Then when he thought that they were attempting to aid him it turned out they were ignoring the man the almost killed and were still more interesting in damaging private property and releasing legally caught tuna, in the process they injured the legal fisherman.

      So just as a preliminary read, we have damaging private property, attempted murder, assault and various violations of UNCLOS. And all this in Libya’s EEZ. I’ve heard Libyan jails aren’t much fun.

      • AnimuX

        Not so fast.

        According to Sea Shepherd, the Steve Irwin did not ram the cage. It’s bow was up next to the cage and when the fishing ship rammed the SI the bow was pushed into the cage.

        Apparently, this is confirmed by video taken from a helicopter. ;-)

        http://www.fis.com/fis/worldnews/worldnews.asp?l=e&country=0&special=&monthyear=&day=&id=37019&ndb=1&df=0

        ‘He also insisted that the Sea Shepherd’s Steve Irwin vessel did not actually ram the tuna cage, as the fishers claimed.

        “We put our bow up to the cage to observe what was inside when the Maltese vessel Rosaria Tuna rammed us in the stern pushing us into the cage. This ramming is recorded on tape from the air,” Watson explained.

        “One of the fishermen assaulted the Sea Shepherd crew with a long pole with a curved hook. […] We repelled the assault with bottles of very smelly rotten butter,” he recalled.

        He pointed out a double standard.

        “When fishermen assault conservationists this is deemed appropriate, but when conservationists defend themselves this is considered unacceptable,” Watson declared.’

      • David

        Not so fast.

        We know Watson is a liar, so let’s see this video proof.

        Why were they up next to the cage? They have no enforcement powers. The fishermen don’t have to stop and let the SSCS inspect their cages. So by being next to the cage and impeding the fishermen he was already in violation of UNCLOS.

        The fishermen have released video that shows different. And the picture the SSCS has released shows the much smaller fishing vessel hit the Steve Irwin in the port side, it wouldn’t have pushed it forward. Plus the same picture shows prop wash behind the Steve Irwin, now until Paul changes his story and says he was trying to back up, that would show they were still moving forward into the net.

        Yes he points out what he considers a double standard. Of course it has nothing to do with whether he committed criminal acts or not. It is just another SSCS attempt to shift the focus and hide the original issue.

      • AnimuX

        The fishermen released a video of the fishermen ramming the rear end of the Steve Irwin as described by Sea Shepherd. (That’s when the camera suddenly shakes and you hear a loud collision)

        http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20100622/local/libyan-assistance-to-fishermen-prompted-by-diplomatic-request

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