I sit here, in this cell, and stare at the grey, cool walls. The metallic smell of the bars hangs in the air, and through the small window I can only see a sliver of sky - a pale blue that reminds me of the vastness of the ocean. It's ironic that I'm trapped now, caged like the animals I've spent my life trying to save.
The oceans have always been my home. I feel alive there, free, and the sound of the waves is like a second language to me. I have dedicated my life to protecting those who have no voice - the whales, dolphins, sharks. The giants of the seas, the gentle giants that we humans kill out of greed and ignorance.
Some call me a criminal. They say I've broken the law because I've stopped ships that hunt whales. Maybe they're right. But what is a law worth that allows the slaughter of creatures that have been on this earth for millions of years? Whales are not commodities, not resources. They are the heart and soul of the oceans, and without them the sea dies.
I often think back to my encounters with the whales. Their eyes have a depth that cannot be described - like a silent promise that they understand that we are helping them. And yet here I am, behind bars, while the harpoons continue to be aimed at them.
The irony? There is no legal reason for me to be here. Japan accuses me of obstructing their whaling ships - more than a decade ago. A "Red Notice" from Interpol, no judgement, no conviction, just an attempt to silence me. And now my fate is in the hands of Denmark.
I could feel lost, but I don't. Because I know that there are people who understand that it's not just about me. It's about what I represent: the resistance against the destruction of our planet.
I am 73 years old. My life has been characterised by struggle - but also by hope. And this hope is now in your hands. With your help, with your voice, you can set an example. Not just for me, but for the whales, the dolphins, the oceans.
The bars in front of me may be strong, but the will to protect the ocean is stronger?
1Nachrichten.fr, Paul Watson still in custody: Agnès Pannier-Runacher demands release of the whale protector, 25.10.2024, https://nachrichten.fr/paul-watson-weiterhin-in-haft-agnes-pannier-runacher-fordert-freilassung-des-walschuetzers/ 2Martin Fritz, Sea Shepherd founder - Free Paul Watson, taz, 17.10.2024, https://taz.de/Sea-Shepherd-Gruender/%216040251/ 3Rolf Arndt, Activist Paul Watson still imprisoned, Activist Paul Watson still imprisoned, Dänische Allgemeine Zeitung, 2 October 2024, https://www.daz.dk/2024/10/02/aktivist-paul-watson-weiterhin-inhaftiert/ 4Danish Parliament Confirms Faroe Islands Tip-off Led to Paul Watson's Arrest, Captain Paul Watson Foundation, https://www.paulwatsonfoundation.org/danish-parliament-confirms-faroe-islands-tip-off-led-to-paul-watsons-arrest/ 5Whale conservationist Paul Watson remains in custody on Greenland, DiePresse, 4.9.2024, ttps://www.diepresse.com/18828121/walschuetzer-paul-watson-bleibt-auf-groenland-in-haft 6Sophie Bachet, A dilemma of law and ethics: Denmark to decide fate of imprisoned anti-whaling environmentalist Paul Watson, The Copenhagen Post, 3.9.2024, https://cphpost.dk/2024-09-03/news/a-dilemma-of-law-and-ethics-denmark-to-decide-fate-of-imprisoned-anti-whaling-environmentalist-paul-watson/ 7Nicolai Kampmann, Paul Watson will remain behind bars in Greenland until December, The Copenhagen Post, 13.11.2024, https://cphpost.dk/2024-11-13/news/round-up/paul-watson-will-remain-behind-bars-in-greenland-until-december/ 8Thomas Borchert, Denmark and the case of Paul Watson, Frankfurter Rundschau, 11 August 2024, ¨https://www.fr.de/panorama/daenemark-und-der-fall-paul-watson-93236487.html 9Japan asks Denmark to extradite anti-whaling activist Paul Watson, France24, 1.8.2024, https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20240801-japan-asks-denmark-to-extradite-anti-whaling-activist-paul-watson 10Greenland arrests environmental activist Paul Watson, WeLT, , 26.7.2024, https://www.welt.de/vermischtes/prominente/article252635096/Paul-Watson-Groenland-nimmt-Umweltaktivisten-fest-Haftbefehl-aus-Japan.html
