Watson says campaign will continue despite ship seizure

Whaling activist Paul Watson views the Icelandic coast guard's seizure of his organization's ship, Bandero, as an international dispute and a chance to amplify his campaign against whaling. Watson stated that the Icelandic authorities' actions against the ship, Bandero, are an international issue and an opportunity to draw attention to whaling in the country.

Watson, who has not heard from the Bandero's crew since the seizure, described the incident on Facebook. He sees the potential arrests, detentions, and trials as a platform to highlight what he terms the illegal, morally wrong, and environmentally damaging whaling activities of Kristján Loftsson, the CEO of Hvalur.

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This means we have an international dispute concerning peaceful intervention in illegal, morally wrong, and environmentally damaging whaling.

"This means we have an international dispute concerning peaceful intervention in illegal, morally wrong, and environmentally damaging whaling," Watson stated. He further indicated that Iceland's potential accession to the European Union hinges on ending whaling, as it would be prohibited under EU rules. Watson intends to ensure the European Parliament receives full details of these actions, aiming to make the incident public.

Despite the potential seizure of the ship and detention of its crew, Watson asserted that his organization will continue its campaign against what he calls Kristján Loftsson's environmentally damaging and illegal operations. He believes the incident, while a setback for the ship, serves the larger purpose of their activism.

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The European Parliament must receive full information about these actions, and we intend to make this incident public.