Paul Franklin Watson is a Canadian marine wildlife conservation and environmental activist, who founded the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, an anti-poaching and direct action group focused on marine conservation and marine conservation activism.

Controversies

Canadian Seal Hunt Protest

Sea Shepherd Conservation Society leader Paul Watson has had frequent run-ins with police. In 1980, Watson was sentenced to 10 days in prison and fined $8,000 for his actions during a Canadian seal hunt protest.¹ Watson was arrested in 1993 in Canada on charges stemming from actions against Cuban and Spanish fishing boats off the coast of Newfoundland.² In 1997, Norway convicted Watson in absentia and sentenced him to serve 120 days in jail on charges of attempting to sink a Norwegian fishing and whaling vessel. Ultimately, he spent 80 days in detention in the Netherlands pending a ruling on his extradition before being released.³

Attempted Murder

In 2002, Watson was charged with attempted murder and nearly imprisoned in Costa Rica.⁴ He fled the country as the authorities were trying to apprehend him.⁵

Interpol Fugitive

In 2012 Watson was declared an internationally wanted fugitive on the international police cooperation organization Interpol’s Red List.⁶ In May 2012, he was arrested in Germany on an extradition warrant from Costa Rica related to the 2002 attempted murder charges.⁷ Watson then skipped bail claiming that had he been extradited to Costa Rica he would have then been sent to Japan on charges related to obstructing their whaling activities.⁸ Consequently, Interpol issued a second Red Notice request for his arrest.⁹

After fleeing Germany, France granted Watson political asylum, shielding him from extradition.¹⁰ In June 2016, Watson was given his Canadian passport back and subsequently entered the United States.¹¹

1. “Hunt Disrupter Gets 10 Days In Quebec Jail.” The Montreal Gazette. Arch 11, 1980. Accessed December 14, 2017.  https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=1GUxAAAAIBAJ&sjid=oqQFAAAAIBAJ&pg=1227,81403&dq=paul+watson+convicted&hl=en
2. Campbell, Duncan. “Champion of seas faces attempted murder case.” The Guardian. June 2, 2002. Accessed December 14, 2017.  https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2002/jun/03/fish.food
3. Vincent, Sam. “Blood and Guts: Dispatches from the Whale Wars.” Black Inc. September 6, 2014. Accessed December 14, 2017.  https://books.google.com/books?id=IEJUBAAAQBAJ&pg=PT15&lpg=PT15&dq=%22paul+watson%22+and+%22120+days%22+and+%22Nybr%C3%A6nna%22+and+norway&source=bl&ots=t4XvXrguSO&sig=C4vKIccEAWimXq6JhHCI6mj4w2U&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjS-dzSyYfYAhXB7iYKHe8QAOoQ6AEILzAB#v=onepage&q=%22paul%20watson%22%20and%20%22120%20days%22%20and%20%22Nybr%C3%A6nna%22%20and%20norway&f=false
4. Malik, Shiv. “Paul Watson, anti-whaling campaigner, held in Germany over 2002 incident.” May 14, 2012. Accessed December 14, 2017.  https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2012/may/14/paul-watson-arrested-germany-sea-shepherd
5. Khatchadourian, Raffi. “Neptune’s Navy.” The New Yorker. November 5, 2007. Accessed December 14, 2017. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2007/11/05/neptunes-navy
6. Dehnart, Andy. “Not Their Whale War Anymore: How Animal Planet Was Forced to Step Down.” The Atlantic. December 12, 2013. Accessed December 14, 2017.  https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2013/12/not-their-whale-war-anymore-how-animal-planet-was-forced-step-down/356026/
7. “Paul Watson Explains His Decision To Flee Germany.” ECORazzi. July 30, 2012. Accessed December 14, 2017.  http://www.ecorazzi.com/2012/07/30/paul-watson-explains-his-decision-to-flee-germany/
8. Dowling, Siobhan. “Paul Watson skips bail in Germany.” July 26, 2012. Accessed December 14, 2017.  https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2012/jul/26/paul-watson-skips-bail-germany
9. “Paul Watson, Sea Shepherd Founder, Disembarks In U.S. For First Time In Months.” Huffington Post. December 6, 2017. Accessed December 14, 2017. https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/31/paul-watson-sea-shepherd-us_n_4183030.html
10. Dehnart, Andy. “Not Their Whale War Anymore: How Animal Planet Was Forced to Step Down.” The Atlantic. December 12, 2013. Accessed December 14, 2017.  https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2013/12/not-their-whale-war-anymore-how-animal-planet-was-forced-step-down/356026/
11. “Sea Shepherd CEO and Founder Paul Watson Back in the U.S. After Two Year Absence.” Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. August 25, 2016. Accessed December 14, 2017.  http://www.seashepherd.org/news-and-commentary/news/sea-shepherd-ceo-and-founder-paul-watson-back-in-the-u-s-after-two-year-absence.html