Latest news with #PaulWatsonFoundation


Int'l Business Times
3 days ago
- General
- Int'l Business Times
Why Krill Conservation is Vital for Preserving the Whale Ecosystem: Exploring Captain Paul Watson's Synergistic Mission
Over the years, there has been a significant rise in initiatives and efforts aimed at safeguarding marine biodiversity. From whales to penguins, and sharks to turtles, these animals have long commanded public attention and protection, with many preservation campaigns that have risen to protect them from being hunted. Although many have succeeded in their efforts, a deeper issue remains unresolved beneath the surface. This threatens the very foundation of marine life: the overfishing of Krill, a tiny crustacean often forgotten yet indispensable to the survival of preserved species such as whales, penguins, and seals. As krills are overfished in large numbers, their impact reverberates through the depths of the Southern Ocean, which is the biggest krill fishery in the world. As these species are being harvested at unsustainable rates for the development of health supplements, protein superfood, and farm animal feed, many animals within the Antarctic ecosystem have become deprived of sufficient fodder for their survival. "Large factory vessels are picking up krill in the millions, taking food out of the mouths of whales and penguins, and they're being rendered into protein sources for supplements and livestock. This is extremely harmful to marine life," says renowned marine wildlife conservationist Captain Paul Watson, who is taking active measures to preserve the marine ecosystem and whale life. As the founder of Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and the Captain Paul Watson Foundation, Watson has long stood at the frontline of ocean defence and is now bringing his passion and commitment to preserve the heart of the Southern Ocean. He has dedicated over 50 years of his life to protecting the whale ecosystem, executing several successful missions to halt whaling operations in regions all around the world. "We cannot claim to care about whales while allowing the food they rely on for survival to be stolen from beneath them," Watson states. "There's no moral difference if you're bringing a harpoon or starving it by depleting its food supply, you're still killing the whales. They need to be protected, and to protect them also means to protect what feeds them." Krill is the cornerstone of the Antarctic ecosystem, feeding everything from blue whales, the largest animals to ever exist, to seals, penguins, and countless seabirds. Despite their tiny size, their ecological role is massive. Rich in omega-3, protein, and vitamin A, it's not hard to decipher why krill has become the next touted supplement, and has been left at the mercy of large-scale industrial fishing. However, as they hold such a pivotal role in the marine ecosystem, removing them from the equation can bring a collapse to the fundamental food web, and this is the very issue that Watson aims to tackle. With the Captain Paul Watson Foundation, in collaboration with Sea Shepherd France and Brazil, Watson has launched a new mission to stop the overfishing of krill before the consequences spiral further out of control. Their vigorous method, or as Watson likes to call it, "aggressive non-violence method," involves putting a stop to krill fishing using vessels to intervene as the fishing operations take place. The Captain Paul Watson Foundation Through his aggressive non-violent intervention using vessels, coming from Australia and Brazil, Watson aims to garner global attention by leveraging his tactics to shed light on the industrial exploitation of the krill population. And this is not just a protest. "Our initiatives are totally in compliance with the regulatory authorities that allow for NGOs to intervene to protect endangered species and threatened habitats," Watson explains. "We're stopping illegal or harmful operations without causing injury to anyone." There's also a deeper environmental link that gave Watson an additional impetus for his Krill preservation missions. Krill feed on phytoplankton, which have declined by nearly 40% since 1950 . This degradation in the marine food chain has cascading effects not only across the entire marine ecosystem but also for life on earth. In fact, Phytoplankton produce around 70% of the world's oxygen supply, making krill protection even more pivotal. For many, krill may not be the face of marine conservation, but they are the foundation of it. As they continue to diminish in exponential numbers, it calls for the need to raise a louder voice, not just for the big titans of the ocean, but also for the small ones. With the mission commencing its operations by the end of the year, preserving krill is just a stepping stone towards their larger mission. "This isn't just about saving tiny crustaceans," Watson emphasizes. "It's about preserving an entire ecosystem. When you save krill, you're saving whales, penguins, and many more aquatic animals out there. You're saving the ocean, and that's the ultimate goal behind what we do."


Belfast Telegraph
10-05-2025
- General
- Belfast Telegraph
From IT to the high seas: Irish volunteer among crew of anti-whaling ship preparing for next mission
The 24-year-old IT expert from Cork volunteers to combat whaling. He is currently on board the MV John Paul DeJoria, a former Scottish fisheries patrol ship now owned by the Captain Paul Watson Foundation, which takes direct action against the slaughter of whales. The ship is docked in Dublin for the next month and the public is invited along for tours to see what it takes to prepare for a mission and speak to crew members about their work. Mr Kennedy speaks passionately about his involvement, which last year took him to the Faroe Islands to disrupt the annual 'grind', the traditional driving ashore of pods of whales to be killed for food and oil that is now carried out largely for amusement. 'I recorded 248 pilot whales killed in one session,' Mr Kennedy said. 'It's not fishing boats and harpoons any more. It's motorboats and jet-skis. The whales have no chance.' 'The meat is meant to be eaten but we saw a lot left behind. Some of the carcasses were barely touched. It took me a while to unpack all of that.' The 'grind' is just one of the charity's concerns. Iceland, which once had a traditional domestic need for whale meat, is home to a large commercial whaling company that mainly supplies the Japanese market. Its owner, multi-millionaire investor Kristjan Loftsson, announced recently that he would not be whaling this season because inflation had dampened Japanese demand, but he also talked of being back when consumer sentiment lifted. 'We don't always believe what he says,' Captain Locky MacLean, who is in charge of the John Paul DeJoria, said. 'So we're keeping an eye on things. It's only a few days' sailing to Iceland from Dublin so we can react fast.' The big worry, however, is Japan. Since the country withdrew from the International Whaling Commission in 2018, it is no longer bound by the members' moratorium on whaling and it is ramping up its activities. 'There's a company part-owned by the Japanese government that has built a $50m factory ship that can hold fin and blue whales,' Capt MacLean said. 'The sides have roller door openings that the whales are slid through and then they roll shut like garage doors. 'There's nothing to get hold of and we can't get to the whales. Before, we'd throw stink bombs on deck to make the meat commercially unsaleable but we are going to have to think of other ways.' The foundation has been tracking the Japanese all around the Antarctic and North Pacific on what it says are stock-taking assessments. 'They're looking for rarity and banking on extinction. The more rare the species, the greater the delicacy and the higher price they can charge,' Capt MacLean said. It was on a trip to intercept a Japanese whaling ship in the north Atlantic after a stay in Ireland last summer that Captain Paul Watson, the head of the foundation, was arrested. Stopping to refuel in Greenland, an Interpol notice initiated by Japan years earlier was activated by Denmark and he ended up imprisoned for five months while extradition proceedings began. He was released suddenly three days before Christmas when Denmark dropped proceedings and is now in France awaiting final confirmation that he is off the Interpol list. For Capt MacLean, the campaign has been a 25-year vocation. Others, such as Mr Kennedy and the rest of the multinational volunteer crew in Dublin, can only give a few weeks here and there, but all contributions are welcomed. 'I'm not a sailor – I only ever kayaked and canoed before – but I've learned so much being part of this,' Mr Kennedy said. 'I admire Paul Watson and the foundation for the directness of what they do. 'A lot of groups drum up awareness but this one goes directly to where the whales need them. I'll be in Faroe again this summer and I hope I can keep doing this as long as I can be of help.'


Irish Independent
10-05-2025
- General
- Irish Independent
From IT to the high seas: Irish volunteer among crew of anti-whaling ship docked in Dublin to prepare next mission
The 24-year-old IT expert from Cork volunteers to combat whaling. He is currently on board the MV John Paul DeJoria, a former Scottish fisheries patrol ship now owned by the Captain Paul Watson Foundation, which takes direct action against the slaughter of whales. The ship is docked in Dublin for the next month and the public is invited along for tours to see what it takes to prepare for a mission and speak to crew members about their work. Mr Kennedy speaks passionately about his involvement, which last year took him to the Faroe Islands to disrupt the annual 'grind', the traditional driving ashore of pods of whales to be killed for food and oil that is now carried out largely for amusement. 'I recorded 248 pilot whales killed in one session,' Mr Kennedy said. 'It's not fishing boats and harpoons any more. It's motorboats and jet-skis. The whales have no chance.' 'The meat is meant to be eaten but we saw a lot left behind. Some of the carcasses were barely touched. It took me a while to unpack all of that.' The 'grind' is just one of the charity's concerns. Iceland, which once had a traditional domestic need for whale meat, is home to a large commercial whaling company that mainly supplies the Japanese market. Its owner, multi-millionaire investor Kristjan Loftsson, announced recently that he would not be whaling this season because inflation had dampened Japanese demand, but he also talked of being back when consumer sentiment lifted. 'We don't always believe what he says,' Captain Locky MacLean, who is in charge of the John Paul DeJoria, said. 'So we're keeping an eye on things. It's only a few days' sailing to Iceland from Dublin so we can react fast.' The big worry, however, is Japan. Since the country withdrew from the International Whaling Commission in 2018, it is no longer bound by the members' moratorium on whaling and it is ramping up its activities. 'There's a company part-owned by the Japanese government that has built a $50m factory ship that can hold fin and blue whales,' Capt MacLean said. 'The sides have roller door openings that the whales are slid through and then they roll shut like garage doors. 'There's nothing to get hold of and we can't get to the whales. Before, we'd throw stink bombs on deck to make the meat commercially unsaleable but we are going to have to think of other ways.' The foundation has been tracking the Japanese all around the Antarctic and North Pacific on what it says are stock-taking assessments. 'They're looking for rarity and banking on extinction. The more rare the species, the greater the delicacy and the higher price they can charge,' Capt MacLean said. It was on a trip to intercept a Japanese whaling ship in the north Atlantic after a stay in Ireland last summer that Captain Paul Watson, the head of the foundation, was arrested. Stopping to refuel in Greenland, an Interpol notice initiated by Japan years earlier was activated by Denmark and he ended up imprisoned for five months while extradition proceedings began. He was released suddenly three days before Christmas when Denmark dropped proceedings and is now in France awaiting final confirmation that he is off the Interpol list. For Capt MacLean, the campaign has been a 25-year vocation. Others, such as Mr Kennedy and the rest of the multinational volunteer crew in Dublin, can only give a few weeks here and there, but all contributions are welcomed. 'I'm not a sailor – I only ever kayaked and canoed before – but I've learned so much being part of this,' Mr Kennedy said. 'I admire Paul Watson and the foundation for the directness of what they do. 'A lot of groups drum up awareness but this one goes directly to where the whales need them. I'll be in Faroe again this summer and I hope I can keep doing this as long as I can be of help.'