'Whale Wars' is back and so is controversial Capt. Paul Watson

Capt. Paul Watson, whose Sea Shepherd Society has drawn praise and harsh criticism for its sometimes confrontational encounters with Japanese whalers, says of the second season of the Animal Planet series, "Whale Wars," which debuts tonight at 9 p.m.: "It ought to be 10 times more dramatic and exciting than last year."

That's because last year's shows, which were based on the 2007-08 exploits of Watson and crew, contained very little drama and excitement. This year it'll be different because Watson's 2008-09 campaign against whalers in the Antarctic included numerous confrontations -- including three collisions and a very dramatic pursuit through ice -- with Japanese crews that regard Sea Shepherd as a terrorist group.

"They were very aggressive toward us -- the most aggressive I've ever seen them -- so it's a far more dramatic season for that reason," Watson said in an interview this week.

Sea Shepherd's tactics are to disrupt the months-long hunt and any efforts by whalers to transfer harpooned whales onto the processing ship. 

Japan employes a research loophole in the wording of an international whaling moratorium to justify the hunts, which annually target nearly 1,000 minke whales and 50 endangered fin whales. Minke whales are not endangered and the country for generations has sold whale meat at market. Whaling, Japan has argued, is deep-rooted in the nation's culture.

Watson, one of the co-founders of Greenpeace, is either revered or despised for the controversial methods he employs. Greenpeace and other whale conservation groups consider his efforts too confrontational and potentially perilous. Watson counters that Sea Shepherd doesn't violate laws and has not injured anyone. He has lots of critics and does not care.

"People think we're sort of arrogant in what we do," he said. "But as I always say, our clients are whales and we don't really care what people think. We're more concerned with what the whales think. Find me a whale that disagrees with what we do and I'll reconsider."

During the 2008-09 hunt (summer in the Antarctic), Japan fell 305 minke whales short of its quota, so Sea Shepherd is taking credit for saving those whales. The whalers killed only one fin whale, so Sea Shepherd is saying it saved 49 fin whales.

"We saved 500 whales the year before, 500 whales the year before that and 83 whales the year before that," Watson boasted.

Japan, which requires a high quota to profit from these hunts, has fallen short in recent years but remains steadfast and some believe it will announce, later this month, its intention to add endangered humpback whales to its quota list.

Sea Shepherd also remains steadfast. Watson said his crew will greet the Japanese fleet in 2009-10 with three vessels instead of one, enabling a longer and more effective campaign because it will allow for a constant presence, whereas with only one vessel there is a need to make long refueling voyages.

Asked if having film crews aboard embolden his crew to a dangerous level, Watson responded: "That's absolutely not true. We can't control the Japanese and the problem is one-sided. Those guys are trying to kills us and their government will defend them if they do. But we have to take every precaution to ensure we don't injure any of them. It's a very one-sided battle and I have to be very careful."

--Pete Thomas

Photos, from top: Paul Watson; "Whale Wars" videographer Jamie Holland braces for an evasive maneuver aboard an inflatable boat as a Japanese whaling ship bears down. Credits, from top: Animal Planet; Sea Shepherd.

Comments

[Hart]

"Monkey-wrench a bulldozer and they call you a vandal. Spike a tree and they call you a terrorist. Destroy a forest, a mountain, or a river, and they call you a logger, a miner, an engineer." ~Paul Watson

[CB4000]

this article omits to mention an important point: That the whaling fleet is killing whales illegally in the Southern Seas Sanctuary, ignoring international laws and treaties.

[Derek]

These guys ROCK!

[Mike]

CB4000,
The Japanese are not doing anything illegal. The IWC does not make laws and has ZERO authority. Countries do not have to recognize a sanctuary if they choose to do so.
And the researching "loop-hole" still allows whales to be taken in a "whale Sanctuary" IWC regulations also require that any usable meat be used.
This group is a terrorist organization, how they still have tax exempt status in the US I will never understand.
I hope they all die.

[thomas taplin]

would love to voluteer for part o crew on the sea shepard

[Christine]

This group is not a terrorist organizations. They have never hurt anyone. They are saving whales from being brutally murdered for their meat. The Japanese are not doing research that is a lie they stick to because they know governments will not challenge them. It will be devastating to add humpbacks to the already large number of whales the Japanese are murdering. I hope that the crew continues their battle against the whalers.

[raquel lopez]

im a 15 year old girl that is in love with animals believe it or not im the future genaration that is going to be in charge of cleaning the mesess that this violent no-hearted people that are putting indanger these beutiful animals have commited. i feel very helpless and truly sadden by these events but i do hope that the captain of this organization and with the help of god to be able to complete his mission and that by this tv show people open up their hearts and for the information of the people that think is a normal act to kill these animals they are wrong and i hope that by the time im all grown up this will stop if not paul watson you can sure count me in volentering to this wonderful cause!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! STOP WHALE HUNTING AND STOP JAPENESE FISHERMEN FROM KILLIN ILLEGALY THSES WONDERFUL ANIMALS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11

[Robin]

Geez, Mike; calm down. Why don't you go clean your gun or something? I think there's a racoon in your open garbage bags piled in back of your trailer, better go blow it away. Maybe you could accumulate enough to make a fur coat.
These people are the only citizens of the earth that have the guts to confront human barbarism head on. I won't call them sub-human, because being human is no compliment. We suck. So do you Mike.

[Katie]

CB4000: Pointing out legalities is the right way to go, but it isn't enough. We need to go to our congressmen and senators to encourage them to make laws to protect endangered species. International waters should be protected by an international organization.

Mike: I am sad you hope they all die. They are brave enough to stand up and fight for something they believe in. The Japanese aren't technically breaking laws because they know backdoors. Also, just because something isn't illegal doesn't make it right. I.E. wishing someone would die because you don't agree with what they are doing.

We need to get someone from Japan to go undercover and prove, if that is possible, that the Japanese whalers (They kill whales, they are whalers. If I kill cows I am a butcher, even if you kill cows in a scientific manner you are called a butcher) are lying. If we can get proof we can shut them down. If no proof exists, we need to stop harassing them.

Though, if we are right and they are harming whales, we should hunt them down and disable their boats. Not just disable, sink. Make sure they are empty and steal them and blow them up. Then put up an international organization to monitor and pursue any lawbreakers.

[Andy]

Steve Watson and the rest of the losers on that boat are TERRORISTS. Violence is not an acceptable solution to echo balancing, science and education is. What is the Sea Shepard crew teaching our youth? Voilence, intimidation, and piracy. You are all a bunch of losers floating around in the ocean because you have no other skill sets to generate possitive change in environmental balance. Steve is a discrace to Western Civilization and is going to get someone killed. He should be in GB Cuba with the rest of the worlds terrorists

[jeff]

what happens when the SS or whaling ship goes down? fuel oil spills, damaging an environment in which no organized recovery can be done. Im a qual'ed oil spill recov tech, and this is an awful scene

[Everything Is Upside Down]

Things have truely been turned upside down in this world when a man (Paul Watson) can say that injuries to himself or any other human being are less important than the life of an animal. If he had actually been shot, as they try to make us believe on the recent program; would the crew have stayed to fight for the lives of the whales or would they have dropped everything and made way for port? I would hope they would forget about the whales and try to save the MAN...the man with a soul and an eternal existence that is far more important than the whales. These people are really mis-guided when it comes to what is important. Imagine the number of starving children in the world that could be saved with the money that is spent on fueling the Sea Sheppard to chase another boat around the ocean. WHAT A WASTE OF TIME AND MONEY!!!!

[DeeDee]

paul watson is a hero, the entire crew are heroes. how many generations have to pass before the Japsnese loose their taste for whale meat. A sanctuary means a place of refuge and protection . (2) a refuge for wildlife where predators are controlled and hunting is illegal. what makes Japan so special, others countries are adhereing to the ban on whaling.....if the Sea Shepherd sinks and destrpys the Japanese whaling operation, What A Wonderful Day That Will Be.

[Whale watcher]

Andy,
"Echo balancing"? Isn't it supposed to be Eco? The word "positive" doesn't have 2 "s". Learn how to spell before you criticize! Idiot!

[Sassylashes]

Praise you Mr.Watson,LOVE the work you are doing,only wish I could help.If I can send money,please let me know how.KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK,KEEP THOSE WHALES ALIVE!!!ANGIE

[Becca]

Everything is Upside Down,

I can see you think that you're some kind of religious authority on who has souls and who doesn't--but there are some who would believe that all of God's creatures, if you want to put it that way, deserve not to be brutally murdered--not just the ones who are capable of getting away with such murders . And I really think it's taking things too far to suggest that the Sea Shepherd crew wouldn't want to save their own captain.

And if you knew that "misguided" is not hyphenated, and that "shepherd" has one p, another h, and no a, that might make your case seem a little more compelling.

[Aaron]

These guys are a bunch of idiots. Chasing whaling ships and "policing" the seas under the authority of no one but themselves....lol morons. obviously whaling is legal. loophole or not, its legal.

Hey Yusshin Maru, get some pepper ball (PAVA) guns. Its non-lethal and should help you to defend yourself against these losers.

btw, here in Hawaii (large japanese american population) have always eaten whale for special occasions. Now its obviously banned in the US. Those were the good old days and lots of people miss it. Whale meat = yum.

BTW, I cant wait to read the posts that will call me all sorts of cr@p haha. You folks are all too much fun! =)

[Penny]

Paul Watson is a cult leader, and a manipulator. I have watched whale wars, and have realized that he never takes responsibility for anything that he asks his crew to do. For instance, they were deciding whether to attack the spy ship and he left it up to the crew. Never putting himself upfront to be the one to take responsibilty for any of the actions of that ship. Just like he pretty much manipulated the two guys that boarded the japenese ship. These people that join the ship are always young or easily manipulated to do his bidding. Just like a cult leader. To me he is right up there with Charles Manson. You can see that he relishes the spot light in the name of whales but I think its all for his ego. And as for him getting shot by the japenese ship, another tactic for his "cause" himself. He staged it. I think its awful that animal planet feeds this guys ego. Lets put a maniac on t.v, who assaults and pirates ships in the name of whales.

[Gwen Lebec]

If Japan chose to, all they have to do is resign from the IWC and then they would be entitled to ramp up and resume commercial whaling. There is no "world government" and no international laws. There are international agreements - of many kinds - as nations come together to try to collaborate because they realize that everyone has to work together on topics that affect many nations.

I don't like whaling and wish it would end, but this simplistic baloney about "laws" drives me nuts. We need to grow up and realize that the world is complicated and that we have to negotiate all sorts of things with other nations. Glorifying Watson and crew is no way to resolve a serious question. It drives everyone into their own nationalistic corners. There are a number of serious organizations working through the IWC on this and other matters - and they should get credit for all the progress that has been made. Making these nuts the "heroes" makes me ill.

[Kubo]

Sea shepherds are not terrorists,the japanese goverment is a shameles organization which is afraid of loosing the lucrative fishermans vote by cancelling this program.I have been there for 20 yrs and know that this "research" talk is bs,it is a totally commercial project.

[Skinner]

Penny - you are dead on. This Watson is a narcissistic POS. If he had been shot, he would have been knocked on his butt -- the Japanese ship was only 20 yards away, you would have heard the gunshot too.

He would have severe bruising, and perhaps a broken rib/sternum.

He is a self-aggrandizing liar, and he does not care about his "crew" at all. They are all useful idiots in his eyes.

I am actually glad AP has this show. It lays bare these losers. What a joke of humanity - nothing more than wannabe eco-mobsters.

Someone will die under the "Captaincy" of this clown.

[Michel Guillaume]

Here's hoping that Japan pulls out of the IWC, sends some professionals, and banishes these fanatics and their camera crew to the bottom of the sea.

It's not like Paul Watson has scuttled any ship.
Oh wait, he has. Or ten. How is this wack-job not in a brig?

[Peg]

Mike: You hope they all die. Wow. Somehow I bet you oppose abortion, though.
And if there's no law, how is there a loophole? The Japanese government is being disgustingly hypocritical. They're "researching" how whale tastes.

[Reason]

Wow. I've met all types of people in my life, but I've never met anybody who was pro-whaling. Who the hell are you people? Isn't routing for the whalers a bit like routing for the Nazis? I guess with six billion people in the world, there are always going to be one or two who will support anything, no matter how absolutely, hands-down evil it is.

[Mike]

I do not oppose abortion. I just don't think it is the federal governments place to pass laws on it. IT is up to the states to decide.
It wold be better if they concentrated on reducing unwanted pregnancies, especially those of poor and illegal citizens. Then Abortion numbers would drop

And there is o law against what Japan is doing. ANd a US senator is powerless and can not make international law against it. Nor does the IWC make laws it only regulates whaling activities