Hand written note from Captain Paul Watson

Captain Paul Watson at the helm of the Sea Shepherd flagship, the Steve Irwin. Photo: Barbara VeigaSea Shepherd expected news on the fate of Captain Paul Watson to be announced yesterday by the German Higher Regional Court in Frankfurt but as hours passed on, no word was received from the general public prosecutor until close of business hours.  At 1800 hrs, the general public prosecutor finally submitted his motion for a preliminary extradition arrest warrant against Captain Paul Watson.  The late filing of this motion, coupled with a German bank holiday today, has given Captain Paul Watson’s supporters and allies until this Friday to appeal to German Federal Minister of Justice Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger and Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr. Guido Westerwelle’s standards for International Human Rights.

Lead legal counsel for Captain Paul Watson, Oliver Wallasch, had this to say about the general public prosecutor’s motion on Wednesday:

“Absolutely unusual – I never had this experience in all my practice in cross border cases – the fact that the public prosecutor stated, that the German Ministry of Justice and the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs have the power to stop the extradition procedure on political reasons.”

Thus the keys to Captain Paul Watson’s freedom are in the hands of the Honorable Minister of Justice and the Honorable Minister of Foreign Affairs. We therefore ask all supporters of Captain Paul Watson to immediately contact the Minister of Justice and the Minister of Foreign Affairs to ask them to end the unjust and politically-motivated extradition of Captain Paul Watson before a panel of judges decides Captain Paul Watson’s fate on Friday.

For days, Sea Shepherd supporters from Germany and around the world have expressed their concerns about the political nature of this extradition, as well as their concern for the safety of Captain Paul Watson, to Federal Minister of Justice Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger. Given the motion made by the general public prosecutor, it is now time to also focus attention on Minster of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Guido Westerwelle. Either Minister (or both Ministers) can take the action that Interpol has already taken and acknowledge that the case against Captain Paul Watson is politically-motivated and is a violation of Captain Paul Watson’s human rights.

Should the Honorable Ministers fail to put the brakes on the persecution of Captain Paul Watson, the extradition process will proceed and Costa Rica will have a maximum of 90 days, from the time that he was arrested, to put forward their bogus case for extradition. During this time, Captain Paul Watson would remain isolated in prison, awaiting an extradition that would be tantamount to a death sentence.

The Taiwanese Shark Fin Mafia has had a $20,000 bounty on his head for years.  We know the arm of the Taiwanese Shark Finning Mafia reaches not just to the illegal fishing industry in Costa Rica, but also to the prison system there. Sea Shepherd fears that not only would Captain Paul Watson not receive a fair trial in Costa Rica, but he would likely not survive jail long enough to see the inside of a court room.

This is our final effort to ask the Honorable Ministers to intervene before the extradition process officially begins.  We only have hours to change the minds of the German officials who can make a difference and not only save the life of Captain Paul Watson, but also save the lives of whales, dolphins, seals, and fish that he has spent his life courageously defending.

While visiting Captain Paul Watson in prison, Ship Operations Officer, Peter Hammarstedt and Director of Intelligence and Investigations, Scott West were able to obtain a handwritten note from Captain Paul Watson to his supporters, which you can read at the bottom of this article.

Please call, email, and fax the following Ministers:

Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger
Federal Minister of Justice
Deutscher Bundestag 
Platz der Republik
11011 Berlin

Telephone 030 - 227 751 62 
Fax 030 - 227 764 02 
E-Mail: sabine.leutheusser-schnarrenberger@bundestag.de

Federal Ministry of Justice
Mohrenstrasse
37 10117 Berlin
Germany

Telephone: +49 (030) 18 580-0
Telefax: +49 (030) 18 580-9525

Dr. Guido Westerwelle - Minister of Foreign Affairs
FDP-Bundestagsfraktion
Platz der Republik 1 11011
Berlin

Tel.: 030 / 22771636
Fax: 030 / 22776562
E-Mail: guido.westerwelle@bundestag.de

Today in Frankfurt, Germany the general Public Prosecutor to the Higher Regional Court requested a preliminary extradition arrest warrant against Captain Paul Watson, on the basis of the local arrest warrant and request for extradition from Costa Rica.  In a highly unusual move, the Public Prosecutor stated that the German Ministry of Justice and the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs have the power to stop the extradition procedures on political grounds.

If the German Ministry of Justice and/or the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs give notice that they would not grant an extradition of Paul Watson to Costa Rica the case would be over, and Captain Watson would be set free immediately.  We ask our supporters to continue to appeal the German Ministry of Justice for help.

Sea Shepherd representatives were able to visit Captain Watson in the Frankfurt prison this morning and they were able to record the following statement from Captain Watson:

In our efforts to defend the lives of whales, dolphins, seals, sharks, and fish we have made some powerful enemies, most notably the government of Japan. It is no coincidence that the extradition request by Costa Rica was issued the same month (October 2011) as the Japanese whaling (ICR) lawsuit against Sea Shepherd was initiated. The extradition request was in reference to a complaint from Costa Rican fishermen who I caught poaching in Guatemalan waters. The fishermen were not injured and their boat was not damaged. The incident was fully documented for the film Sharkwater. Interpol originally denied this extradition order and deemed it as politically motivated. Therefore the question must be asked why Germany is now taking into account accusations made by illegal poachers.”- Captain Paul Watson

Captain Watson has travelled extensively throughout the world since the Costa Rican government issued this arrest warrant in October of 2011.  He has been to Australia, France, Spain, the United Kingdom, etc. None of these countries have sought to arrest Captain Watson as Germany has.

Should Captain Watson be extradited to Costa Rica, he will certainly not receive a fair trial and his safety cannot be guaranteed. Sea Shepherd is doing everything it can to provide Captain Watson the best legal defense team possible.  Between the illegal Japanese whalers and the shark finning mafia in Costa Rica, Captain Watson has formidable enemies who seek to stop his efforts to defend marine life.

Your generous donation will help keep Captain Watson out of harm’s way, and will allow him to fulfill his mission: to protect marine creatures while there is still hope.

Statement from Captain Watson’s Attorney Oliver Wallasch:

Dear all,

Today I received the request from the general public prosecutor in Frankfurt to the Higher Regional Court in Frankfurt to issue a preliminary extradition arrest warrant against Paul WATSON on the basis of the local arrest warrant and the request for extradition from Costa Rica. The general public prosecutor gives notice, that the Costa Rican authorities have asked for extradition on a charge which is also a criminal act under the German law (dual criminality rule); the general public prosecutor is concerned that the preliminary arrest is necessary because of the likelihood of an escape of the client.

At this stage of the procedure we do not have all the evidence and we do not have any extradition papers from the Costa Rican authorities Therefore the public prosecutor only asks for a preliminary extradition warrant; he does not ask for a decision of the court concerning the extradition itself. Absolutely unusual - I never had this experience in all my practice in cross border cases - is the fact, that the public prosecutor stated, that the German Ministry of justice and the German Ministry of foreign affairs have the power to stop the extradition procedure on political reasons.

If the German Ministry of justice and/or the German Ministry of foreign affairs give notice, that they would not grant an extradition from Paul Watson to Costa Rica the case will be over, and Paul Watson will be set free immediately. For an independent public prosecutor this statement is absolutely unusual, and gives a hint, that is not an ordinary extradition case, but to be handled also on the political level.

Please click here to donate to Captain Watson’s legal defense fund.

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.

May 13, 2012-Friday Harbor, WA- Captain Paul Watson, Founder and President of Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, 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 illegal 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 Sea Shepherd 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 shark 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 for more information and updates head to www.seashepherd.org

There’s currently only 55 dolphins remaining on the planet, and the NZ Prime Minister is making decisions next week on the fate of these rare dolphins.

Maui’s dolphins are listed asCritically Endangeredby both national (Department of Conservation) and international agencies (IUCN).

Together, we can persuade the Prime Minister to save the NZ Maui and Hector dolphins from extinction!

We don’t have much time left! Sign the petition and share widely:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/days_to_save_the_worlds_smallest_dolphin/?tta

We need volunteers to be present at the Bonneville Dam and at the trap site in Astoria, Oregon. We need your help to stop the slaughter of federally protected California sea lions on the Columbia River. We believe that by our constant vigilance on the river, we can effect change and save the lives of sea lions. SSCS is looking for folks who can work independently, professionally, be calm, cool, deliberate, intense, courageous and passionate.

Sea Shepherd’s amazing and effective Cove Guardian Leader, Scott West will be leading the campaign.

Is this something for you? Please e-mail Scott at: damguardian@seashepherd.org

You will then receive an information package.

Lamya Essemlali and French Sea Shepherd group (Guyve, Christelle, Samy, Melodie, Thomas, Brian)
Photo: Sea ShepherdEcologists win a battle against oil companies in the south of France, but the war is not over yet.

On April 8, 2012, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society took part in a massive opposition event on the beach of Bregançon, in the south of France, to oppose off-shore drilling in the Mediterranean Sea. The project site was to be off the coast of France, near Marseille and was to be carried out by the Melrose Oil Company.

The opposition was initiated by José Bové, who now proudly flies the Sea Shepherd Jolly Roger flag on his ship. Mister Bové had met the week before with Captain Paul Watson and Lamya Essemlali, President of Sea Shepherd France, to invite Sea Shepherd to join the event.

Thanks to the strong opposition of citizens, the French governement finally refused to allow Melrose to drill off the coast, but many other drilling projects are still pending. Sea Shepherd activsts were among thousands of activists that day, along with a ship proudly flying the Jolly Roger. As a French reporter stated the arrival of the pirates did not go unnoticed.

“We do not want ever want to see what happened in the gulf of Mexico happen here in the Med” said Lamya Essemlali. “Every time the government will be tempted to sell out the marine biodiversity to oil companies, they must know that we, citizens and NGO’s, will be there to oppose it. This is just the beginning of an ongoing resistance to oil companies”.

Captain Paul Watson and José Bové in ParisPoster for opposition of offshore oil drilling “No hydrocarbons in the sea”