Paul Watson Of The Sea Shephard Has Been Arrested In Germany

Originally posted by OccamAssassin
reply to post by stanguilles7

 

They *might* damage a ship in a way that disables it, but not in a way that woud sink the ship in open water or cause any real harm to the crew.

A ship in a disabled state is a death sentence at sea.

But, again, as i noted, they dont damage ships in open sea to any degree that would cause the ship to sink. They only damage them to the point that they can no longer engage in illegal actions. The Sea Sheppard has never damaged a ship in open sea and left it there.

reply to post by SkipperJohn

So is cutting a fin off a shark.

I agree that "Shark Finning" is a deplorable, heinous act and it should be stopped.

However, chasing after one or two fishing boats, with little respect for local laws is a waste of time and - IMHO - is simply childish. It achieves nothing.

All Paul Watson has to do, is film the crime being committed and then pass on the footage to officials in the home-port of the boat.

Instead we have a boat maintained with donations and crewed with greenhorns, ignoring colregs (yes, I noticed your nick) and putting lives at risk by stupid operations that will - at best - only deter.

For what?

Ratings?

I notice several claims (totally unsubstantiated) that Watson and the Sea Sheppard endanger people's lives. This isnt true. They trow butter at whalers, and have disabled a few ships in a way that prevents them from continuing to operate illegally. They have never damaged a ship in a way that has endangered crew. AT ALL.

Originally posted by seabhac-rua

Originally posted by stanguilles7
reply to post by Domo1

 

Can you cite some examples where he has endangered other people's lives?

Dude, go on a boat, screw around, see how friggin easy it is to get yourself killed. I'm from a fishing community, my very first job was on a trawler, believe me at sea you take nothing fore-granted.

That's not what was stated. It was claimed that he has endangered other peoples lives. All you are saying is being on a ship is dangerous. Thats not the same thing AT ALL.

Originally posted by stanguilles7
reply to post by Domo1

 

Can you cite some examples where he has endangered other people's lives?

Ummm, have you watched the show!? Sending peolle in a small rubber boat cutting right in front or a huge ship? Throwing heavy metal cannisters at the whalers? Throwing anchor hooks where multiple people are present?There are many more examples. It's not just his crew he puts in danger, but the whalers on boats they attack.

I dont want those people killing whales either, but this dude puts lives in jeopardy.

Originally posted by OccamAssassin
Chasing after one or two fishing boats, with little respect for local laws is a waste of time and - IMHO - is simply childish. It achieves nothing.

Actually, it achieves a lot if they prevent the ship from continuing illegal activities.

All Paul Watson has to do, is film the crime being committed and then pass on the footage to officials in the home-port of the boat.

AhahahahaHAHAHAHA gasp AHAHAHAHAHAHAH! lol:

Originally posted by intrptr
reply to post by seabhac-rua

 

This guy does not do the anti-whaling movement any favors in my opinion.

That guy is the anti whaling movement. What balls. Took on an entire fleet of people who give little regard to environmental protect for 10,000 children's whale meat lunch boxes. Of course he embellishes to "get views". So what? Antarctica is a long ways away. I didn't see anyone else down there blocking the slip way of the factory ship.

Yeah? Well I for one think less of him after watching the show. Of course the crews of the sea shepherd are admirable in their commitment to their cause, but I find Watson to be a unsavory character.

Double post

reply to post by capone1


And yet no lives have ever been lost. Just some rotten butter thrown. Oooh teh noes!

Dont believe everything you see on teevee.

reply to post by stanguilles7


Did you not read that he was arrested in Germany for interfering with a ship in Costa Rica? Messing around at sea is a dangerous game.

reply to post by stanguilles7


You must be falling asleep while watching the show then, you don't seem to be paying attention? The whole enterprise Watson and his crew engages is extremely risky especially to themselves, it is a wonder nobody has been killed yet.

reply to post by seabhac-rua


Well, no one has died in over 3 decades. More people die flying commercial airlines or driving on the freeway.

So you might as well say that anyone who is driving on the freeway is 'endangering others lives'.

Again, you should consider the show is high-drama for ratings.

I dont think much of Watson, myself, but those are the facts.

reply to post by stanguilles7


Tell me this isn't endangering lives:

Originally posted by stanguilles7
reply to post by seabhac-rua

 

Well, no one has died in over 3 decades.

Again, you should consider the show is high-drama for ratings.

I dont think much of Watson, myself, but those are the facts.

True.

I still think that it's a wonder no has died. Sometimes I think Watson is deliberately gambling the lives of some of his volunteers for the very purpose of ratings.

Originally posted by Chadwickus
reply to post by stanguilles7

 

Tell me this isn't endangering lives:

It's really not. If you look into their tactics, and know anything about how these ships are built and operate, they arent really 'endangering' anyone. They are disabling a ship. They arent trying to sink it. I have read enough of your posts to know you are genuine. So look into it yourself. Their tactics arent actually that dangerous. Which is why they have never been convicted of a felony. EVER.

I mean, it's 'dangerous', but so is driving down the street, or getting a bee sting.

Considering NO ONE has ever died as a result of any of their actions, i'd say it's not actually all that dangerous.

Originally posted by seabhac-rua
. Sometimes I think Watson is deliberately gambling the lives of some of his volunteers for the very purpose pf ratings.

His volunteers all have a choice to participate in every action they engage in, and are carefully vetted to make sure they all know what they are getting into.

Look beyond the sensation of the teevee show and read about the group.

reply to post by seabhac-rua

Good. He's the modern day Captain Nemo (of Jules Verne, not the cartoon parody). Just hasn't sunk any ships (like Nemo). If you listen to him here for instance, he lays a good argument for preservation of a species. Unsavory?

Originally posted by intrptr
reply to post by seabhac-rua

 

Good. He's the modern day Captain Nemo (of Jules Verne, not the cartoon parody). Just hasn't sunk any ships (like Nemo). If you listen to him here for instance, he lays a good argument for preservation of a species. Unsavory?

Yep unsavory, when I detect what I perceive to be dishonesty in a person it puts me right off, but his cause is a good one, so I dunno, maybe as has been mentioned earlier he's under pressure for ratings.

reply to post by stanguilles7

It's really not. If you look into their tactics, and know anything about how these ships are built and operate, they arent really 'endangering' anyone.

If you try that anywhere but in international waters, you will end up in jail(gaol).

Try it in a port and you will have the habour-master on your vessel in minutes and you will be removed in handcuffs.

I know you think that disabling a boat at sea is nothing to worry about.....you are wrong.

As soon as a ship lacks the ability to point its bow (front) into the swell it can broach. Ships are designed to take a lot of stress(lateral) in a certain direction but remain flexible enough not to break apart in rough weather. This is a two-edged sword though as it means that the ships are weak with respect to perpendicular forces.

The following video shows the incredible forces acting on a ship in weather.

What do you think would happen to the ship if it were subjected to the same forces abeam (from the side)?

Note this is a real phenomena....there are no mirrors or tricks used.

reply to post by stanguilles7


I have to disagree with you.

There is no guarantee damage won't happen from carrying out such an act.

And it isn't legal or ok to deliberately ram another ship.

It's akin to piracy.

Oh and the Ady Gil certainly wasn't built for ramming, but they still gave it a shot...

reply to post by intrptr

Just hasn't sunk any ships

Salvagers have raised and refloated the two whaling ships scuttled in Reykjavik harbor by environmental activists.

''The boats popped up from the sandy harbor floor like a cork,'' Kristbjorn Thorarinsson, owner of the salvage company which contracted the job, said Tuesday.

The sabotage caused $2 million in damage, the Hvalur Whaling Company said. The 430-ton vessels, insured for $4 million each, were coated with heavy oil residues from leaks sprung in the scuttling.

The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, an international antiwhaling group, claimed responsibility for the Nov. 9 sabotage and for wrecking an unguarded whale-processing station 50 miles north of Reykjavik.

www.nytimes.com...