Paul Watson

Paul Watson
Watson, with the MY Steve Irwin docked in Hobart, in 2009
Born	(1950-12-02) December 2, 1950 (age 73) Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Citizenship	Canadian American
Occupations	Activist television personality
Known for	Environmental, conservational and animal rights activism
Spouses	Starlet Lum Lisa DiStefano Allison Lance (div. c. 2008)[1] Yana Rusinovich ​ (m. 2015)​
Children	3

Paul Franklin Watson (born December 2, 1950) is a Canadian-American environmental, conservation and animal rights activist, who founded the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, an anti-poaching and direct action group focused on marine conservation activism. The tactics used by Sea Shepherd have attracted opposition, with the group accused of eco-terrorism by both the Japanese government and Greenpeace.^[2][3][4] Watson is a citizen of Canada and the United States.

The Toronto native joined a Sierra Club protest against nuclear testing in 1969. Because Watson argued for a strategy of direct action that conflicted with the Greenpeace interpretation of nonviolence, he was ousted from the board in 1977. However, Greenpeace has stated that Watson was an influential early member, but not one of the founders of Greenpeace.^[5] That same year, he formed the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. The group was the subject of a reality show named Whale Wars.

He promotes veganism,^[6] population reduction and a biocentric, rather than anthropocentric, worldview.^[7]

Watson's activities have led to legal action from authorities in countries including the United States,^[8] Canada, Norway, Costa Rica and Japan. He was detained in Germany on an extradition request by Costa Rica in May 2012. An Interpol red notice was issued on September 14, 2012, at the request of Japan and Costa Rica.^[9]

After staying at sea for 15 months following his escape from Germany, where he was released on bail, he returned to Los Angeles in late October 2013, going through customs and "was not arrested".^[10] He appeared before a US appeals court on November 6, 2013, stating that neither he nor the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society violated a 2012 order requiring them to leave whaling vessels alone.^[11] Although the United States is a signatory member of Interpol, Watson has not been detained for extradition to Japan or Costa Rica. He is living in Vermont, writing books.^[12][13] He was residing in Paris as of July 1, 2014, but has since returned to the United States.^[14]

In March 2019, Costa Rica dropped all charges against Watson and has removed the Interpol red notice.^[15]

He has created his own foundation Captain Paul Watson, as Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and the board of Sea Shepherd Global removed him. He has also left the executive office of the Australian branch.^[16]

In July 2024, Watson was detained in Nuuk by the Danish police, citing an Interpol red notice from Japan.^[17] He is expected to stay in pre-trial detention until 5 September 2024; Watson and the Captain Paul Watson Foundation have filed an appeal with the Supreme Court to have the decision set aside.^[18][19]