Sea Shepherd

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Eco-warrior, Sea Shepherd founder Paul Watson faces charges in Germany
The Australian
May 14, 2012

A FOUNDER of anti-whaling group Sea Shepherd, Paul Watson, has been arrested in Germany, the group has said. Captain Watson was arrested for the alleged violation of ships traffic in Guatemalan waters in 2002, over his involvement in interrupting the activities of a shark finning operation.

A statement released by the group said Captain Watson had been given orders by Guatemalan authorities to intercept the boat, Varadero, and escort the crew to port to be prosecuted. "While escorting the Varadero back to port, the tables were turned and a Guatemalan gunboat was dispatched to intercept the Sea Shepherd crew," the statement read. "The crew of the Varadero accused the Sea Shepherds of trying to kill them, while the video evidence proves this to be a fallacy. To avoid the Guatemalan gunboat, Sea Shepherd then set sail for Costa Rica, where they uncovered even more illegal shark finning activities in the form of dried shark fins by the thousands on the roofs of industrial buildings."

Sea Shepherd said Captain Watson remained in jail in Germany, but he was being assisted by European Parliament Vice President Daniel Cohn Bendit and the European deputy Jose Bove. The group came to public attention in January this year, when three protesters boarded Japanese whaling vessel Shonan Maru II off Western Australia, after being escorted there by Captain Watson.