Against Whaling

Island exile

I spent six months on deserted islands in the South Pacific until my lawyers convinced Bethune to sign an affidavit declaring he had lied in exchange for the suspended sentence. With that affidavit, then-U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry gave me clearance to return to the United States and the government of France also gave me clearance to enter France. Japan, however, refused to recognize Bethune’s affidavit and refused to drop the Interpol Red Notice against me.

The Interpol Red Notice is used to capture serial killers, war criminals, major drug traffickers and terrorists. I am the only person in the history of Interpol Red Notices cited for trespassing.

With an Interpol Red Notice over my head it was too risky to travel and I was forced to become landbound. Although I could coordinate campaigns and ship operations I could not physically participate.

I initiated the campaigns to protect the endangered vaquita in Mexico, to oppose invasive salmon farms in western Canada, to remove marine debris from Cocos Island and to oppose Icelandic whaling.

Branching out

My inability to work in the field allowed others to gain more control over campaigns and operations. I encouraged Sea Shepherd to become a movement of independent national entities, and I encouraged others to become leaders and decision-makers.

We decentralized Sea Shepherd in 2013 to allow for some leaders to initiate campaigns completely independent of myself. This allowed Sea Shepherd France to become incredibly active in protecting sharks at LaReunion Island, turtles at Mayotte Island, and dolphins being killed by the French trawler fleet. It allowed Sea Shepherd UK to organize the opposition to the killing of pilot whales and dolphins in the Faroe Islands and to organize an extensive campaign to remove ghost nets from British waters. It allowed Sea Shepherd Brazil to launch a campaign to protect Amazon River dolphins.

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