Sea Shepherd E-News: Operation Zero Tolerance 25JAN13 & Statement from Captain Paul Watson 7JAN13 & Sea Shepherd Ordered By U.S. Appeals Court To Keep 500 Yards Away From Japanese Whalers 18DEZ12

Capt Paul Watson has resigned his leadership positions in Sea Shepherd and as captain of the Steve Irwin as a result of a ruling by the US 9th Circuit Court. This is in response to the case brought against Sea Shepherd by the japanese whaling industry which continues to violate international law with their whaling in the Southern Whale Sanctuary. Below is the statement from Capt Watson on his resignation, an article from HuffPost on the court decision and the latest e mail newsletter from Sea Shepherd on the new leadership of the organization and Operation Zero Tolerance. If you can please make a donation to Sea Shepherd (a 4 star charity per Charity Navigator) to show the japanese whaling industry Sea Shepherd will continue their anti-whaling operations with the support of people around the world. 

STATEMENT FROM CAPTAIN PAUL WATSON

January 7, 2013

Statement from Captain Paul Watson

Captain Paul Watson on the bridge of the SSS Steve irwin
Photo: Tim Watters / Sea ShepherdFor the 35 years since I founded the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society I have strived to act non-violently and within the boundaries of the law.

Sea Shepherd has never been a protest organization nor have we engaged in civil disobedience. We are an anti-poaching organization established to uphold international conservation law. We operate within the guidelines of the United Nations World Charter for Nature that allows for intervention by non-profit non-governmental organizations and individuals to uphold international conservation law.

During Sea Shepherd’s long history we have never caused a single injury to any person. Although we have broken some bureaucratic regulations like Canada’s so called Seal Protection Act, we did so to challenge the validity of these regulations, which were in contradiction to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. In all other respects we have always operated within the boundaries of the law, both international and national.

In 1998 Sea Shepherd USA complied with the order by the United States Coast Guard to not approach within a thousand yards of the Makah whaling operation in Washington State.

I myself have never been convicted of a felony crime.

And for this reason, the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society in the United States and myself as a U.S. citizen must comply with the order by the 9^th Circuit court of the United States.

Because I have been personally named in the injunction I have resigned as the President of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society in the United States and as President of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society Australia. I have also resigned my position of Executive Director of Sea Shepherd Conservation Society USA and I will hold no paid position with Sea Shepherd anywhere Sea Shepherd is registered and operates as a non-profit organization in any nation.

I have also stepped down as campaign leader for Operation Zero Tolerance. Former Greens Party leader and former Australian Senator, Bob Brown of Tasmania will now hold this position.

I have also stepped down as Captain of the Steve Irwin. Captain Siddharth Chakravarty of India is now in command of the Steve Irwin. The other three Captains are citizens of Sweden, France and Australia.

As a United States citizen, I will respect and comply with the ruling of the United States 9^th District Court and will not violate the temporary injunction granted to the Institute for Cetacean Research.  I will participate as an observer within the boundaries established by the 9^th Circuit Court of the United States.

Read more in our article Sea Shepherd Australia To Lead Antarctic Whale Defense Campaign

http://www.seashepherd.org.au/commentary-and-editorials/2013/01/07/statement-from-captain-paul-watson-592

Sea Shepherd Ordered By U.S. Appeals Court To Keep 500 Yards Away From Japanese Whalers

SEATTLE (AP) — A U.S. appeals court ordered American anti-whaling activists to keep 500 yards away from Japanese whaling ships off Antarctica.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued an injunction against the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, which sends vessels every December to disrupt whale killings by Japan's Institute of Cetacean Research.

The whalers sued Sea Shepherd last year to prevent the protesters from interfering, but the judge refused to grant the request.

The 9th Circuit ordered Sea Shepherd not to approach any of the Japanese vessels until it can rule on the merits of the whalers' appeal.

Japan's whaling fleet kills up to 1,000 whales a year for research. Whale meat not used for study is sold as food in Japan, which critics say is the real reason for the hunts.

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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/18/sea-shepherd-us-appeals-court_n_2323908.html

Dear Craig, Neptune's Navy is now in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary. The illegal whalers should arrive any minute and we have zero tolerance for poaching! Our fleet is stronger than ever with four ships, one helicopter, drones and more than 120 volunteer crew from around the world. We are ready to put a stop to the barbaric killing of these magnificient sentient beings forever! We still need your help to make sure our dedicated volunteers can take direct action on the frontlines to save the great whales. They depend on us for protection, and we depend on you to help us get there. Operation Zero Tolerance Being Lead by Sea Shepherd Australia Founder Captain Paul Watson has stepped down as President of Sea Shepherd U.S. and Australia. With much pride we would like to introduce former Greens Party leader and former Australian Senator Bob Brown who is directing Operation Zero Tolerance along with Director of Sea Shepherd Australia, Jeff Hansen. Encouraged by the huge worldwide support for this campaign Sea Shepherd Australia is in a very good position to lead Operation Zero Tolerance in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary. Find out more! Paul Watson Granted Original Nation Passport In a show of solidarity, the First Peoples of Australia have granted Sea Shepherd Founder, Captain Paul Watson, a passport. An Original Nation Passport is an acknowledgement by the First Australians of the years he has spent looking after the planet and the creatures that call it home. Accepting the honour, Captain Watson made the following statement: “I am proud beyond measure to receive a passport from the First Australians, an indigenous community that continues to remain unbroken from the connection between the laws of nature and our species..." Captain Watson is the second high-profile activist to have received the honorary Original Nation Passport. Get the details! Without your unwavering support we are unable to continue our fight in the Southern Ocean. You are our lifeline! To ensure a successful campaing you can contribute to Operation Zero Tolerance and keep our ships at sea until we run the whalers out of the Southern Ocean once and for all. I truly appreciate your generosity in helping make this a zero-kill year! For the oceans, Jeff Hansen Australian Director	Sea Shop Show your support for the Oceans with an OperationZero Tolerance T-shirt! Commentary Statement from Captain Paul Watson Regarding recent changes to Sea Shepherd Live Stream We are living streaming from Op Zero Tolerance! Keep an eye out for our next live broadcast! Give Meet the Crew Meet the international volunteer crew of the Steve Irwin Follow Us

Sea Shepherd Australia 7/288 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy, Vic 3065, Australia Tel: +61 3 9445 0323 Email: australia@seashepherd.org

SEA SHEPHERD E NEWSLETTER 5OKT12

FROM Sea Shepherd, reports on the coming Japanese whaling season in the Southern Oceans Sanctuary, the hysteria and slaughter of sharks, and the fight against corporate weakening of CITES, a way cool video of why Sea Shepherd defends our oceans and a commentary from Captain Paul Watson......

Dear Friend of Sea Shepherd, Countdown to Operation Zero Tolerance: The crew is mobilizing and the ships are completing preparations. The Steve Irwin is in Williamstown, VIC. The Sea Shepherd air crew has all systems go for helicopters and drones. The Bob Barker is in Sydney, NSW. The Brigitte Bardot is completing repairs in Hawaii. The Sam Simon is in an undisclosed location and ready for the campaign. This could be the campaign that ends whaling permanently in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary! We have zero tolerance for whaling and other violent acts against the oceans and their inhabitants. Your help is critical to our ability to carry out our mission. Please support our efforts today, so we can defend, conserve, and protect marine life for future generations to come. Sinking the Japanese Whalers — Economically Time and time again, we have said our goal is to sink the Japanese whaling fleet economically, believing that if we attack their bottom line, the war on whales in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary will eventually end. Now, the word is out — straight from the Japanese whalers themselves! According to the New York Times, the Institute for Cetacean Research (ICR), a front for Japan’s commercial whaling industry, is citing Sea Shepherd’s interventions for its catastrophic financial losses in Antarctica last season. Find out how many millions of dollars we cost them… CITES — A New Hope? The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) is an agreement between governments that aims to ensure the international trade in wild animals and plants does not threaten their very survival. But over the years, special interests have used their powerful associations with CITES to skew issues and lobby against protection for sharks, bluefin tuna and other species at risk of being exploited for financial gain. Thanks to Sea Shepherd, this reign of corruption may soon be nearing an end. Get the details… Fear and Hysteria Spawn War on Sharks in Western Australia Did you know more people are killed by vending machines each year than by shark attacks? It’s true! Unfortunately, due to mass hysteria over the tragic deaths of five surfers in the last year off the coast of Western Australia, government officials have declared war on sharks and they are killing any sharks unlucky enough to be found along the region’s beaches — including the endangered and supposedly protected Great White shark! Learn more about this issue and how we can safeguard surfers, swimmers, and divers in a non-lethal way... The Ladies Will Love This! Our female supporters can show their love for our cause in this new women's cut Jolly Roger T-shirt! The new fitted T-shirt proudly displays our popular Jolly Roger logo, which was created by artist Geert-Jan Vons and co-designed by Captain Paul Watson. Ever wonder what the Jolly Roger logo symbolizes? It stands for the good pirates (Sea Shepherd) who pursue the bad pirates (driftnetters, whalers, sealers, poachers, etc). The logo's intricate design includes a shepherd's staff, which represents the way Sea Shepherd guards and protects our oceans, and Neptune's trident, which signifies our interventionist approach. The skull represents the death that humans inflict on the creatures of the sea. It is further detailed with a dolphin and whale "yin yang" symbol to represent the natural balance of the oceans when free from human interference. Purchase the Women's Sea Shepherd Jolly Roger T-shirt today! All proceeds from Sea Shepherd e-Stores support our efforts to defend ocean wildlife worldwide! There is no greater legacy that can be imagined, no cause more noble, no campaign more important than the protection and conservation of the diversity of life in our oceans. I am part of that legacy and so are you. We all are, if we so choose to be. No matter the challenges we face or the setbacks we endure, one thing is certain - we will not rest until whaling ends. No compromise. No tolerance. No doubt. Please support our actions to defend and conserve ocean wildlife worldwide. Thank-you! For the oceans, Captain Paul Watson Founder and President Sea Shop Start your day off knowing you are committed to saving our oceans! Get the Sea Shepherd Mug Video Why We Defend the Oceans Watch now! Campaign The Cove Guardians are standing strong for the dolphins in Taiji, Japan Read the latest report Commentary There Can Be No Honor in Supporting Death Give Events   Show your support in person, and join us at a Sea Shepherd event in one of the following areas: Australia • Nov 9 - Sydney Belgium & Netherlands • Oct 7 - Nieuwpoort Brazil • Oct 27-28 - Prai France • Oct 6 - Paris Germany • Oct 5-7 - Bonn Ireland • Oct 11 - Dublin New Zealand • Nov 13 - Auckland North America • Oct 6 - Jacksonville, FL • Oct 10 - Philadelphia, PA • Oct 11-14 - NYC, NY • Oct 13 - Tampa, FL • Oct 15 - Denver, CO We're Hiring!  We are currently seeking an experienced Business Development Director. Learn more about this executive opportunity.  Become a Member Sign up for the Direct Action Crew Monthly Giving Program and we'll send you a free T-shirt and a 20% off code for our e-Stores Join today! Follow Us  | Privacy Policy Sea Shepherd Conservation Society P.O. Box 2616, Friday Harbor, WA 98250 USA (USA) Tel: 360-370-5650 Fax: 360-370-5651   Share on Facebook Not on our list? Sign up for the Sea Shepherd e-News!

Captain Paul Watson Arrested In Frankfurt, Germany on Warrant Issued by Costa Rica 13MAI12 & Update on the Arrest of Captain Watson: Day 2 in Custody 14MAI12

CAPTAIN Paul Watson, leader of Sea Shepherd (of Whale Wars and The Cove fame) has been arrested in Germany on a warrant from Costa Rica issued in 2011 over an incident in 2002....here are the updates from the past 2 days.....
Photo: Tim WattersCaptain Paul Watson was arrested yesterday in Germany for extradition to Costa Rica.  The German police have said that the warrant for Captain Watson’s arrest is in response to an alleged violation of ships traffic in Costa Rica, which occurred during the filming of Sharkwater in 2002.  The specific “violation of ships traffic” incident took place on the high seas in Guatemalan waters, when Sea Shepherd encountered an illegal shark finning operation, run by a Costa Rican ship called the Varadero.  On order of the Guatemalan authorities, Sea Shepherd instructed the crew of the Varadero to cease their shark finning activities and head back 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 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.
Conservationists around the world maintain hope that the Costa Ricans will drop the charges against Captain Watson.  There is also a chance that the charges have already been dropped, but Sea Shepherd has been unable to confirm that with the Costa Rican officials. With Costa Rica’s rich biodiversity, it would be a travesty for them not to stand up for sharks, which sit at the highest levels of the food chain assuring balance among ecological communities in the ocean.
While in jail, Captain Watson is being assisted by the European Parliament Vice President Daniel Cohn Bendit and the European deputy Jose Bove.  Our hope is that these two honorable gentlemen can set Captain Watson free before this nonsense goes any further.  The European Sea Shepherds have also mobilized to support Captain Watson.
As the plight of the sharks becomes more desperate, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society has begun to outline a new shark campaign for 2012. Julie Andersen, founder of Shark Savers and Shark Angels, has joined Sea Shepherd to lead our global campaign to save sharks from extinction.
Sea Shepherd will use its expertise and experience, as well as media savvy, to empower people around the world to take back their sharks – an animal critical to their, as well as the global, environment and economy.
Sea Shepherd is offering its assistance to countries around the world to enforce international and local laws, end ruthless poaching, patrol marine sanctuaries under attack, implement high tech defenses, and empower locals through training and the provision of resources to take on the battle. Sea Shepherd will also fight a war of public opinion, changing everything we know about an animal most despised.
The first stop will be the South Pacific, where the team will be headed in June.
“We’ve got all the laws we need to protect sharks. Now we will leverage our resources and expertise to help countries around the globe enforce them. Using Galapagos as a model, we will travel wherever we are needed - enforcing local laws while developing strategies and training locals to defend their sharks, fueling world-wide enforcement efforts.” - Julie Andersen, Shark Campaign Director
http://www.seashepherd.org/news-and-media/2012/05/13/captain-paul-watson-arrested-in-frankfurt-germany-on-warrant-issued-by-costa-rica-1374

Update on the Arrest of Captain Watson: Day 2 in Custody

Captain Paul Watson defending the whales in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary, as the Japanese factory ship, Nisshin Maru, lurks nearby. Photo: Barbara VeigaCaptain Watson remains in the custody of German authorities as of Monday, May 14th.  A German judge in the lower courts of Frankfurt has refused to release Captain Watson, instead saying that the German court would like to confirm that Costa Rica wants Captain Watson extradited to their country.  The German legal council representing Captain Watson includes Oliver Wallasch and Alexander Gruner.  Sea Shepherd operatives continue to work around the clock in Europe and Latin America in order to determine the true reasons behind Costa Rica’s warrant.
The warrant for Captain Watson’s arrest was issued in Costa Rica in October of 2011, curiously close to the time that the Institute for Cetacean Research (ICR) filed their civil suit against Sea Shepherd Conservation Society in the United States.  The question remains, what prompted Costa Rica to issue an arrest warrant for Captain Watson in October of 2011?
INTERPOL has issued a statement on their website citing that they will not publish a Red Notice seeking the arrest of Captain Watson because their Office of Legal Affairs is not satisfied that the request from Costa Rica is in compliance with INTERPOL’s Constitutions and Rules. Hopefully the German courts will come to the same conclusion soon and set Captain Watson free.
As Sea Shepherd becomes increasingly more effective at protecting marine wildlife globally, the enemies of the oceans are using all their resources to stop us.  Currently Sea Shepherd is under legal attack from all parts of the globe and each case represents the very biodiversity we strive to protect.  In the UK Sea Shepherd is currently battling a lawsuit brought by seafood brokers Fish & Fish regarding Bluefin Tuna.  In the United States we have the civil suit brought forth by the ICR concerning anti-whaling activities in the Southern Ocean, and now with Captain Watson’s detainment in Germany (via Costa Rica’s arrest warrant) which we believe stems from Sea Shepherd victories in curbing shark finning on the high seas.  No matter the country or the court system, Captain Watson will not be intimidated, and he will not stop until marine life and ecosystems are given the protection they deserve.
http://www.seashepherd.org/news-and-media/2012/05/14/update-on-the-arrest-of-captain-watson-day-2-in-custody-1375