The star of television show “Whale Wars” must remain detained while authorities decide whether he will be extradited to Japan, a court has ruled.
The decision to keep Paul Watson in custody was made Wednesday by a Greenland court.
While Watson is being held by Greenlandic authorities, the island’s status as an autonomous territory of Denmark means Copenhagen will ultimately determine whether an extradition will take place.
According to UPI, Watson will remain in custody until October 23 while officials from Denmark’s Ministry of Justice weighs his case and potential extradition.
Watson, who has famously sparred with Japanese whaling vessels, was arrested July 21 on an Interpol warrant.
The captain was refueling his ship in Greenland when authorities swooped in and arrested him. According to Japanese paper The Asahi Shimbun, Watson’s vessel was preparing for a voyage to the Pacific to disrupt the Japanese whaling fleet.
Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi insisted the country will continue trying to bring Watson for prosecution, saying the government “will continue to take appropriate measures, including making approaches to relevant countries and organizations.”
Watson is accused of causing harm to a person after allegedly attacking Japanese whalers in the course of their work.
Confrontations with the island nation’s whalers was the core concept of the show “Whale Wars,” which followed the exploits of Watson, his oceanic activist organization the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and action aboard the group’s various vessels.
Should Watson be extradited to Japan?
The SSCS currently runs nine vessels in its fleet, which it calls “Neptune’s Navy.”
Watson and his organization invited controversy over the show’s history as their dangerous marine maneuvers were caught on camera — from both the show’s producers and rivaling Japanese vessels.
One video, which can be seen below, shows a collision between one of the SSCS’ former vessels and a Japanese whale research ship.
Japan’s whaling activities have been a source of controversy for decades.
Tokyo was a signatory to the International Whaling Commission’s 1986 ban on whaling, but maintained a fleet that continued to harvest the massive marine mammals under the auspices of “research.”
Japan abandoned the IWC and the organization’s hunting ban some five years ago, and has been steadily increasing its commercial whaling industry.
According to Reuters, Japan harvested hundreds of minke, Bryde’s and sei whales last year, and in May added the noble fin whale to its list of commercial species ships are allowed to kill and take.
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