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Whalers Call Paul Watson “Eco-Terrorist,” Then Shoot Him

Mar 12th, 2008 by Will Potter

watson_vest.bmpCall me Ishmael.

I mean, call me an “eco-terrorist.”

I mean, call the Japanese whalers complete hypocrites.

So, you remember how whalers held members of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society hostage when the activists boarding the whaling boat in order to deliver a letter? Well now the whalers have turned to physical violence, shooting Paul Watson, captain of the Steve Irwin, in the chest.

Whalers are, not surprisingly, trying to spin what happened, and so is Sea Shepherd. But a few things seem pretty clear. Members of the Sea Shepherd crew threw stink bombs, bottles of butyric acid (an acid found in rotten butter), aboard the whaling ship near Antartica. In return the Japanese say they threw “sound balls,” a pretty hilarious euphemism for what police and the military call concussion grenades or flash grenades. One member of the Sea Shepherd crew was hit by a grenade and suffered minor injuries.

Sea Shepherd Stink BombsAbout this time, Watson says he felt something hit his chest, and discovered a bullet lodged in his bullet-proof vest. He told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, “but it also came through and I have this badge and it hit the badge and bent that too so it just left a bruise really on my chest – so it could have – if I wasn’t wearing the vest it could have been pretty serious.”

[Here's some good footage from CNN.]

The Australian Embassy was told by the Japanese that the whalers fired “warning shots.” Sea Shepherd says that’s not true.

From a statement by Sea Shepherd: “Captain Watson is now in a comfortable condition, and no whales are being slaughtered in the name of bogus research by these illegal poachers.”

Ok, now just so we’re all getting this straight. Sea Shepherd disrupts illegal whaling operations, harasses whalers, and sends a boarding party with a note that explains what they are doing, and why the whalers must stop. Whalers respond by holding crew members hostage. Sea Shepherd tosses stink bombs. Whalers respond with concussion grenades and a gunshot to the chest.

Taking hostages and using physical violence are pretty traditional “terrorism” tactics (tactics the environmental movement, it should be noted, has never used). So if the T-word is going to be used at all here, should it be used against the people taking hostages and using violence, or against the folks with the stink bombs?

Well, the “Institute for Cetacean Research,” the whaling front group, said it “was disappointed that more serious means were required today for defending its research vessels in the Antarctica against more violent attacks by the terrorist group, Sea Shepherd.”

And, perhaps my favorite part in all of this: the whalers condemn the Sea Shepherd for using stink bombs, because “it will be causing damage to the Antarctic environment.”

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Posted in Activism & Activists' Response, Opposition, Terrorism Rhetoric

  • beetlenutz
    paul watson is a big sanctimonious lard butt pile of dirty laundry that came to life. Whale sanctuary, my ass, that's international waters that stupid ass ozzies are claiming, what? dispossessing the aborigines, wiping out the tasmanian aboriginal people isnt enough? Paying that " Ow i've been shot! " blubberhead to enforce this dubious claim is low, so low there's no room even for flatworms to squeeze thru. sleazebag wore a bulletproof jacket, but look! he left his own people without any sort of similiar protection, what a piece of shit!
  • tggr
    Will's conclusion(s) are the only logical conclusion(s) that can be drawn from what has been shown. No one has apparently seen the alleged "bullet" since the ship returned to port. And Captain Watson would be parading it in front of as many people as possible if his allegations were true.
    Of all the posts related to this topic, Will's is the only post or reply that even considers that the "slug" might be a fragment from one of the flash-bangs that were thrown. Which seemed obvious to me from the instant that I saw the show.
    Mr Watson certainly could have faked the incident, but I think it more likely that he's trying to hype a fragment into a bullet. The same way he hyped the "kidnapping" of his crew.
  • what
    lets see, Indians think Cows are sacred, so how 'bout its ok if they do anything and everything in their power to stop the rest of world from killing Cattle
  • Morten
    Extremists are always dangerous! Whales are good meat. Do not make them extinct, just treat them like any livestock. Most people eat meat, why not eat the healthy kind?
  • john
    These SS terrorists are immature narcissists who want to "feel" that they are "doing good" so they dont have to go to work. This Watson character is typical of a revolutionary protestor and would use any tactic to get his way, and lying is part of his arsenal. Of course, most reporters are willing accomplices to his propaganda since most of them are of the same ilk as he. If these people on this ship were not lapping up Watson's obessive cause like mind-number robots, they would be causing trouble somewhere else or protesting against some other business.
  • Bryan
    I would shoot a Harpoon right through the bride of that ship and see if his jacket would stop that!!!
  • Anonymous
    Guys,
    I have spent 18 years as an Emergency Medical provider, several of those in direct concert with SWAT teams for a large metropoloitan area and as a flight medic. I saw the episode in question and believe that at very best that was a peice of a flash bang. I have treated those injuries and they are small cuts and some minor bruising. At worst and what I personally believe, as proven by the sensational history of Mr. watson, I belive it was staged. Had he been struck by a rifle round, as was claimed, he would have been gravely injured. He did not have the type of body armor needed to stop a rifle round. If he was truly struck with a pistol round he would have reacted much differently. The after effects of a bullet strike on the type of armor that Mr. Watson was wearing is almost immediately evident and very dramatic. But it did look good on film.

    I am glad that the plight of these truly majestic creatures id being brought to light but I hate that it is being down played by some of these antics.
  • Anonymous
    @Will

    obviously - it's you who has never seen what it's like when someone is shot with a vest -- yes there is bruising, but knocked off their ass -- NO. If you use your high school physics - Newton's 3rd law - it's the same change in momentum that the person firing the gun feels - and if you've ever fired a gun - you don't get knocked on your ass - or stagger. Even for large caliber and high muzzle velocities (ie - large change in momentum)
  • Anon
    Well first off, you wrong when it comes to firing the gun initially. Your body does feel recoil, but that is over come by the movement of your arms and the force of friction on your feet.
    Second, the momentum of the bullet increase after its is fired, so the force of impact on the target is most certainly greater than that of when it was first fired.
    Then of course, where the person is shot and how the force is dispersed comes into account, as a person bracing themselves to receive impact would be able to support themselves, whereas someone standing normally would be caught of guard and more easily thrown off balance.

    @anon
  • Will
    Obviously Will Potter has never seen what it looks like when someone is shot while wearing a bullet-proof vest. There is massive bruising, usually broken bones, and the person is knocked off their ass, or at least staggered a bit. At worst, Watson was hit by a bit of shrapnel from a flashbang, but I am more inclined to believe that he staged the whole thing. It's not hard to shoot a hole in a vest, insert a piece of metal (that BTW looked nothing like a bullet that had been deflected by a vest and a metal badge) and then claim you've been shot. Watson is clearly not above these sorts of falsehoods. Wake up people!!!
  • Whale Lover
    21 vjhd.... are they fighting to save lives? Other than jovially engaging the whaling ships with non-lethal methods what are they truly accomplishing? Preservation of whale live? ….doubtful by any measurable amount. Their efforts would be better served to change the international laws which permit these practices. Do away with, no, but possibly change. One example might be to change the stipulation that states no whale meat shall be wasted, which facilitates a legal market for this meat. How about waste all whale meat that is not used for scientific purposes. Remove the legal consumer market. This will not end whaling, but it will reduce it.

    In short, if the SS were fully focused on the whales they would focus their efforts on any number of more obvious solutions. Which leads me to believe that saving whale life is not the underlying purpose of the SS operation.
  • gary
    saw the whole series on Planet Green channel of watson war on the japanese fleets and was astounded that he was able to get away with the tactics he uses, sounds awful close to declaration of war and total vessel to vessel combat in antarctica if you ask me.

    Yet, the fact that the japenese actually shot the guy with a gun is so outrageous that their whole defense now falls apart . Japan is revealed as the agressor here in response to largely non violent harrassment to date by sea shepard to stop whaling. i think the parties have to renegotiate this treaty of whaling to totally ban whale harvest once and for all. if this keeps up, someone will be killed soon either intentional or by accident
  • Igor
    Throwing glass bottles endangers lives. If someone was throwing glass bottles at me, my life would be threatened, therefore I would shoot to kill. No questions asked. Shoot now, asess later. Glass can slice your jugular vein and kill you. Shoot the bastards!
  • A Real Sailor
    I just feel bad for Mrs. Irwin. Clearly she was duped into thinking this was a legitimate organization, and allowed them to use Steve's name. Now his name is associated with truly poor seamanship and terrorist activities. Too bad.
    If he truly would have supported them while alive, I would lose all the respect I have for him.
  • Anne
    Watson was not really shot. It's an obvious media hoax, something staged to get him attention.
  • JJ
    Feeling MARGINALIZED again? How long have you been sitting at the kiddie table?
  • Childish punks or not... they are still fighting to save life, and you are just doing nothing good and writing stupid comments. Get lost and start using brain.
  • JJ
    Interesting point SubGroundZero.
    I'm taking my own "extremist" stance here in that EVERY eco-terrorist organization or individual is motivated out of sheer selfishness. They resort to adolescent behavior not for want of saving the trees, whales, snails et al. but rather to tell us, i.e. you and ME, what to do! They are so marginalized and insignificant in true terms they can't stand being ignored as the pariahs they truly are. So, they take up their banner or whatever the cause of the day is and ban together to make a point. And the point is they want a seat at the table that matters but are destined to always remain at the kiddie table.
    And that's the way it is!!!
  • Anonymous
    These fools on the SS are just going to get killed due to lack of any boating experience. Half of them have never even stepped foot on a raft let alone run a ship. It's on Watsons hands when one of them get seriously injured or killed. How about the fiasco with the Zodiak? Luckly the one girl only came away with a broken pelvis. No chain of command, just a bunch of spoiled punks out there...
  • SubGr0undZer0
    Unless you are a strict Vegan then you are no better than are the whalers!!! Period!!
    Logic: Try to follow and grasp the concept.
    Any of you who support anti-whaling activities do so why? Because you believe that the whales life is somehow akin to ours (humans), in that it is precious and they perhaps have "souls". How do you determine this? If you are to think in such a manner then you can not discriminate against any other living creatures, for there is no defined line that clearly separates whales from any other living creature in as it's potential of having a "soul". (I do make some assumptions here as to why you all support anti-whaling activities).
    The point I'm getting at here is that if any of you use products or consume products that are created from the destruction of any living animal, (eat meat, use leather, oils fats from animals) then you are hypocrites and fools. Unless you are a strict Vegan then you are no better than are the whalers!!! Period!! :::sighs:: "Fanatics and the Mob, What pathetic and wasted souls" -me
  • Gr0undZer0
    Oh My Goodness....all supporters or Watson should be ashamed of both he and themselves. Allow me to explain why.
    On the season 1 finale, Watson made false accusations against the whalers, claiming that they shot him in the chest with a rifle. This would be quite criminal if he were not in international waters. How pathetically desperate a move. If it was not obvious to you that he had faked the whole event...then there is no point in my attempting to enlighten you, for you are obviously an ignorant fool or fanatic that will not listen to reason, logic or the truth regardless of how it is presented. I'm not so much dogging his use of falsely accusing his adversaries of attempted murder to help his cause (His cause might be quite noble indeed, I myself am ignorant of the facts surrounding whaling or whales) as I am dogging his horribly pathetic attempt at doing so. Having failed so miserably at providing evidence of this false accusation yet believing that he had, this "Watson" is obviously not a very intelligent man, which alone would make me question my support of him. I would be so very embarrassed for him if I were one of his supporters, one of his crew members, or the man himself.
    How sad.
  • ShiftyDevil
    You know, I've been watching a few episodes from the marathon that's going on. As pretty well reasoned, moderate person, I find this man and his crew to be fools. They are quite obviously children playing at "pirate". No wonder Greenpeace cut off contact with this person.

    The man was not shot by anyone on that factory ship, period. To claim otherwise is absolutely childish. If you don't want the Japanese to whale then abide by law, sue them, etc etc. Even if they had shot this man, they were within right. They had absolute reason to believe that this group would be willing once again to illegally board that ship. Under international maritime law (what there is of it) you are absolutely allowed to defend yourself and you ship with force.

    These Sea Shepard children made 2 passes BEFORE the Japanese did anything to try to stop them. I see nothing wrong with the whalers actions in this case. Sea Shepard including their ego maniacal leader should be prosecuted, curiously one of their home ports is not so far from me. I'm curious to see what, if anything, I can do about these foolish, immature, childish people. In the end I hope no one gets hurt. I think they are quite lucky they haven't gotten themselves killed playing around as they do in a rather harsh climate.
  • Steve
    The man wasn't shot. It was a small piece of shrapnel from the flashbangs. If he was indeed shot, he would've bee knocked on his ass and had a huge welt. This is a bogus claim and the ignorance of these ego-terrorists is cemented in my mind.
  • greentangle
    So Joe, no embarrassment about passing off something from a website as your own words? Sea Shepherd "rams" ships with their can opener, not with the intention of sinking at sea. Since they've found the Japanese fleet many times and sunk none of it, does that tell you anything? There's a difference between publicity and practice. The Japanese whalers have rammed Greenpeace however, so do you condemn the Japanese?

    Why not include this quote from the same NY Times article? "The two ships were close enough to collide, but Watson had instructed Cornelissen to delay the ship, not to ram it."

    Or this one, “We’re not going to ram the Nisshin Maru, but we will obstruct any whaling activities that we come across,” he said. “I will not watch a whale die. I’ve not seen a whale die since I left Greenpeace, in 1977. When we show up, whales don’t die.”

    Or "On several occasions, he has demanded to be charged for sinking or ramming vessels, and he has even flown to a country that is considering his arrest. Watson says the ploy works because his adversaries fear that he will use the courts to publicize their own wrongdoing. But he has also claimed responsibility for damage to ships that in fact was caused by accidents or by other activists. “Let me just give you a warning about Paul,” an anti-whaling conservationist told me. “He takes credit for more than he’s due.” (By Watson’s count, Sea Shepherd has sunk ten whaling vessels in port. By my count, he and his crew have attempted to scuttle two vessels and have successfully sunk two others.)"

    And is there something illegal about being photographed with a gun? Are you pro gun control? That surprises me coming from someone who gets his words from that website.

    I may be an Eco Facist (whatever that is), Tom, but I can't imagine a more ecofascist attitude than to consider yourself superior to every other species of life on the planet and imagine they're yours to do what you want to/with.
  • Simone deMontfort
    The Japanese in this case are the terrorists, obviously. They are cruel, violent people who have no compassion for whales or people. This confrontation is a great example of "the link," i.e. the link between cruelty to animals and violence towards people. I have no doubt that karma will work all of this out.

    Paul Watson is my hero! He puts his life on the line to protect all sorts of animals. I wish him luck fighting the horrid sealers in Canada soon.
  • Joe
    Amy, here is part of an article from the New Yorker 03/15/2006.

    "Watson believes in coercive conservation, and for several decades he has been using his private navy to ram whaling and fishing vessels on the high seas. Ramming is his signature tactic, and it is what he and his crew intended to do to the Japanese fleet, if they could find it."


    Get YOUR facts straight!
  • Joe's right I suppose in that Paul Watson is no innocent victim. He is after all, guilty of having the balls to stand up for what he believes in and go to the mat for it, so to speak. If more people in this world had that kind of dedication and drive to do what was right, I would be willing to bet there never even would have been a Red Scare, much less our present Green.
  • Amy
    Joe needs to get his facts straight before he starts commenting. Sea Shepherd's ships are reinforced with cement because they're trawlers designed to break through Arctic and Antarctic ice. They don't t-bone ships, they act to uphold international conservation laws under the UN Charter for Nature because apparently, no one else will. Sea Shepherd is trying to stop illegal activity, such as whaling in a Whale Sanctuary. It's neo-orwellian logic to paint the conservationists as eco-terrorists, and gun weilding whale slaughtering ocean killers as victims. Hopefully the media coverage Sea Shepherd has brought to this issue will end illegal whaling in the whale sanctuary!
  • Tom
    Interesting. The eco-terrorists, or as I like to call them, the Eco Facists, seem to render themselves above the law when it comes to whatever they deem necessary. More and more the Eco Facists seem to be aligning themselves with the likes of Hugo Chavez. He can't get he wants through diplomacy, so he uses force. Oh, I know, the Eco Facists will claim they are doing it for the whales, or the owls or the salmon.... it really boils down to the Eco Facists feeling superior to that other breed of scum called man. If you interfere with a man's livelyhood, you just might get bit. Eco Facists need to become less spoiled and more reasoned. Something they sorely lack....reason.
  • Joe
    I'm afraid its you greentangle who has it wrong. Watson used to boast about ramming other vessels and has been photographed with his AK47.

    I have worked on fishing vessels as an observer, and trying to board a vessel without permission is just like someone trying to force their way into your house.
  • greentangle
    I think you've got that backward, Joe. It's the whalers who do the killing, not Watson; the whales who are in fear for their lives, and Sea Shepherd who's acting in defense (and not using deadly force). I'm not a Sea Shepherd historian, but I'm fairly sure they've never tried to sink a ship at sea or fired a rifle at anyone. Empty ships in port aren't the same thing.

    I do see where you've copied your post from though.
    http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/individualPr...
  • joe's mother
    "If Watson was shot I’m sure he brought it on himself!"
    Joe, you're a jackass.
    "I don’t support shooting people Will, but I beleive one should be able to protect themself. "
    And then you went and made a bigger jackass of yourself. This is the point where you say that women who wear skimpy clothing are asking to get raped, but make sure that we know you don't support rape, you just think those girls should have been able to protect themselves.
    Wait...now I look like a jackass for comparing Paul Watson to a rape victim. I would hate...hate to see him in a skimpy dress.
  • Joe
    I don't support shooting people Will, but I beleive one should be able to protect themself. I don't know for sure what happen onboard those ships, but given Watson's track record he may have put others in fear for thier lives to the point where they felt there was no other recourse but deadly force.
  • "If Watson was shot I’m sure he brought it on himself!"

    Joe: That's a very interesting comment, supporting shooting people, considering the recent back and forth you've been having with Jerry Vlasak on this website, condemning him for his stance on property destruction and violence.
  • Joe
    Lets not paint poor Paul Watson an innocent victim. Watson oversees a small fleet of ships outfitted with cement-filled bows built for the sole purpose of violently ramming and sinking ships they deem enemies of the environment; this could include everything from large whaling ships to small commercial fishing vessels. Each of Watson's boats is armed with high-powered water cannons and is protected by electrical barbed wire. His group has used acid, explosives, and a host of other means to disable and sink "enemy" ships. Watson himself has been known to brandish an AK-47 assault rifle that he has used to fire on fishing vessels. Painted on the sides of his ships are the names of those boats he has sunk.

    If Watson was shot I'm sure he brought it on himself!
  • Jill
    Best headline ever, Will!
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