Latest news with #whaling
South China Morning Post
6 days ago
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Japan sees red as Interpol drops arrest request for whale activist Paul Watson
Interpol 's decision to drop a decade-old red notice against Paul Watson, the outspoken founder of marine conservation group Sea Shepherd, has sparked outrage in Japan , with critics accusing the international police agency of bowing to Western bias and undermining justice for alleged attacks on Japanese whalers. Interpol announced on Tuesday that it had removed the red notice – a non-binding request for the arrest and extradition of a wanted individual – after a review by its independent Commission for the Control of Files, which found the request raised concerns about political motivations and potential rights violations. Watson, 74, had been wanted since 2012 after Japan requested the red notice over clashes in Antarctic waters two years earlier, when his group hurled rancid butter at whaling vessels and allegedly interfered with harpoon operations. The Canadian-American was initially taken into custody in the German city of Frankfurt that same year but was later released, despite the red notice being in effect. Hopes of a successful extradition were revived when Watson was arrested in Greenland last July. Japanese officials were optimistic that Denmark – which governs Greenland and also oversees pro-whaling territories like the Faroe Islands – might be more amenable to handing him over. People demonstrate in Paris last October to support Paul Watson, who was asking France's president for political asylum. Photo: AP But those hopes were dashed in December when the Danish government announced it would not comply with Japan's request and released Watson from custody, citing the lack of assurances that his time in detention in Greenland would count towards any future sentence.
Malay Mail
6 days ago
- Politics
- Malay Mail
Japan furious as Interpol lifts red notice against anti-whaling activist Paul Watson
TOKYO, July 23 — Japan reacted angrily on Wednesday after Interpol lifted its red wanted notice against anti-whaling activist Paul Watson, insisting its own arrest warrant remains valid. Interpol had issued the notice against Watson, known for radical tactics including confrontations with whaling ships at sea, at the request of Japan. But 'Interpol has officially and permanently dismissed the Red Notice against me', Watson said in a statement Tuesday, calling the move an end to the Japanese whalers' 'vendetta'. Interpol confirmed to AFP that it had deleted the red notice, which asks police worldwide to arrest a suspect. Tokyo called the decision 'extremely regrettable', with top government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi saying it would not deter Japan. 'The removal doesn't change the fact that Japan's arrest warrant for him is valid,' Hayashi told a regular news briefing. 'Our position remains unchanged that we will continue to call on the parties involved for his extradition,' he said. Watson, a 74-year-old Canadian-American, was arrested and detained in Greenland in July, 2024 on a 2012 Japanese warrant, which accused him of causing damage to a whaling ship and injuring a whaler. He was released in December after Denmark refused the Japanese extradition request over the 2010 clash with whalers. On December 20, Watson returned to France, where his children attend school, following a high-profile campaign in his support. — AFP
Sky News
7 days ago
- General
- Sky News
Sanday Wreck: Archaeologists believe they have identified centuries-old shipwreck in Orkney
Archaeologists believe they have identified a centuries-old vessel shipwrecked in Orkney. Expert say the wreck discovered on the island of Sanday last year is most likely the Earl of Chatham, a former Royal Navy vessel called HMS Hind that was later renamed once it became a whaling ship. Historic Environment Scotland (HES), which funded the research, said the sixth-rate 24-gun frigate saw many years of active service, including the sieges of Louisbourg and Quebec in the 1750s and the American Revolutionary War in the late 1770s. Once decommissioned, it was sold and renamed the Earl of Chatham, becoming a 500-tonne whaling ship. HES said this was common for Royal Navy boats as their build quality allowed them to withstand the icy conditions of British whaling routes. As the Earl of Chatham, it completed four seasons in the Arctic before ultimately meeting its end in the Bay of Lopness in March 1788. The 56 sailors on board all survived. Wessex Archaeology, along with Dendrochronicle and volunteer community researchers, began working on the wreck's origins following its discovery in February 2024. Analysis of the wood concluded the ship was built with timber from south and southwest England. Archaeologists from Wessex Archaeology, local community researchers, and the Sanday Heritage Centre then spent months working with archives and community records to find the most likely candidate for the ship. This research was also supported by Sanday Heritage Group and Orkney Archaeology Society. Ben Saunders, senior marine archaeologist at Wessex Archaeology, said: "It is thanks to our dedicated team of community researchers and the evidence they have gathered that means we have been able to identify the Sanday Wreck with a reasonable degree of confidence. "Throughout this project, we have learned so much about the wreck, but also about the community in Sanday in the 1780s. "Sanday was infamous for shipwrecks at the time, called 'the cradle of shipwrecks in Scotland', but the community was equally well-known for its hospitability as it looked after sailors who fell afoul of the area's stormy seas. "We are grateful to the support from our partners, and we're delighted to be able to share our work on this intriguing wreck." The Sanday Wreck was revealed last year due to changes in the climate. Increased storminess and unusual wind patterns led to removal of the covering sands which had hidden and protected the wreck for centuries. Changes to coastlines, which are predicted to accelerate in coming decades, could make similar finds more common. The timbers are currently housed in a freshwater tank at Sanday Heritage Centre as part of preservation efforts. There, visitors can find out more about the wreck's story and Sanday's history. Alison Turnbull, director of external relations and partnerships at HES, said: "The discovery of the Sanday Wreck is a rare and fascinating story. "Wessex Archaeology worked closely with the community of Sanday to discover the ship's identity, which shows that communities hold the keys to their own heritage. "It is our job to empower communities to make these discoveries and be able to tell the story of their historic environment."
CNA
7 days ago
- Politics
- CNA
Japan vows to pursue anti-whaling activist Watson despite Interpol decision
TOKYO: Japan reacted angrily on Wednesday (Jul 23) after Interpol lifted its red wanted notice against anti-whaling activist Paul Watson, insisting its own arrest warrant remains valid. Interpol had issued the notice against Watson, known for radical tactics including confrontations with whaling ships at sea, at the request of Japan. But "Interpol has officially and permanently dismissed the Red Notice against me", Watson said in a statement on Tuesday, calling the move an end to the Japanese whalers' "vendetta". Interpol confirmed to AFP that it had deleted the red notice, which asks police worldwide to arrest a suspect. Tokyo called the decision "extremely regrettable", with top government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi saying it would not deter Japan. "The removal doesn't change the fact that Japan's arrest warrant for him is valid," Hayashi told a regular news briefing. "Our position remains unchanged that we will continue to call on the parties involved for his extradition," he said. Watson, a 74-year-old Canadian-American, was arrested and detained in Greenland in July 2024 on a 2012 Japanese warrant, which accused him of causing damage to a whaling ship and injuring a whaler. He was released in December after Denmark refused the Japanese extradition request over the 2010 clash with whalers. On Dec 20, Watson returned to France, where his children attend school, following a high-profile campaign in his support.
Japan Times
7 days ago
- Politics
- Japan Times
Interpol removes anti-whaling activist Paul Watson from wanted list
The International Criminal Police Organization, or Interpol, has decided to remove Paul Watson, founder of anti-whaling group Sea Shepherd, from its Red Notice wanted list, sources said Tuesday. Interpol based its decision on new developments, including Denmark's refusal to extradite Watson, 74, to Japan. It has notified all member countries of the decision. Watson was placed on the international wanted list after the Japan Coast Guard obtained an arrest warrant for him for allegedly interfering with Japan's research whaling in the Antarctic Ocean in 2010. In July last year, he was detained in the Danish territory of Greenland, but local authorities freed him in December. After his release, Interpol's Commission for the Control of Files, which oversees the organization's handling of personal information, suspended Watson from the wanted list at his request. This was followed by the decision to remove him from the list. Interpol emphasized that the decision is not related to the substance of Japan's allegations against Watson. Watson wrote on social media that the decision would end Japan's "politically motivated" persecution.
