In Paris, Paul Watson promises to “put an end to whaling, one way or another”

“We are going to end whaling around the world, one way or another”declared Saturday Paul Watson during a press briefing at Place de la République in Paris, a few days after having regained freedom. “We will continue our missions. We will oppose Iceland's whaling and, if Japan tries to return to the Antarctic whaling sanctuary, we will be there.he told the media on the sidelines of an event organized at Place de la République to celebrate his release. “We are going to end whaling around the world, one way or another. We must learn to live in harmony with all the species that share the world with us.”

“We will return to sea”

An international figure in the defense of whales, he had been detained in Greenland for five months, before Denmark rejected an extradition request from Japan. He arrived Friday afternoon in France, where his family lives and where his arrest had sparked a surge of solidarity, and declared on Saturday that he was in a hurry to “spend Christmas with (one’s) children” and seeing her grandchildren for the first time in six months.

“It’s my priority, but we will return to sea”a-t-il promis. L’association Sea Shepherd “has a boat in Bermuda, which will go to Iceland next June. We also have a boat in Australia ready to return to the Antarctic sanctuary if Japan goes there..

More than 4000 letters of support

For her part, the president of Sea Shepherd France Lamya Essemlali, present at her side during the press briefing, specified that Paul Watson “received more than 4000 letters in prison, including more than 3000 from France”. “He received more letters of support from Japanese citizens than from Australian citizens”she also declared, indicating that “less than 2% of Japanese eat whale meat” and that the association “has nothing against the Japanese people”.

Asked about a possible message to the Japanese government, Paul Watson replied that the country should “obey international laws. Killing whales in an international whaling sanctuary is illegal. (…) We are not protesting against the Japanese whaling . We simply ask that (this country) respects the law”.