Captain Paul Watson's response to the Prime Minister of the Faroe Islands

Captain Paul Watson's response to the Prime Minister of the Faroe Islands 


Prime Minister Kaj Leo Holm Johannesen of the Faroe Islands has issued a letter stating that “illegal actions against sustainable whaling in the Faroe Islands will not be tolerated.”

The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society has no issue with this statement primarily because there is no such thing as sustainable whaling anywhere on the planet, so it is not even possible to oppose something that simply does not exist.

Secondly Sea Shepherd never had and does not have any intentions of breaking Faroese law.
I have responded to the Prime Minister point by point below.

Prime Minister Johannesen: Illegal actions against sustainable whaling in the Faroe Islands will not be tolerated

Recognizing the widespread international interest in whales and whaling in general, and the Faroese pilot whale drive in particular, the Government of the Faroes underlines the importance it has always placed on dialogue, freedom of speech and the right of all citizens, both in the Faroes and in all other countries, to express their views openly.

Captain Paul Watson: Sea Shepherd was denied meetings with the Faroese government over this issue since the beginning in 1985 when then Prime Minister Atli Dam informed us that there was nothing to discuss because the Grind is a gift from God and thus there could be no debate. Open discussion with the government is allowable only when both parties agree that the Grind is humane, necessary and sustainable. Sea Shepherd’s position is that is inhumane, unnecessary and unsustainable.

Prime Minister Johannesen: Faroese authorities will not, however, tolerate the disruption of the pilot whale drive in the Faroe Islands, which is a legal, fully regulated and sustainable use of an abundant natural resource. Pilot whales in Faroese waters continue to provide a valued source of food for the people of our marine-dependent nation, as they have done for centuries.

Captain Paul Watson: There is no evidence that pilot whale populations are abundant, nor is there any evidence to demonstrate sustainability. The Faroese whalers simply translate their opinions as “fact.” It is not regulated because every passing pod may be slaughtered without discrimination. And although it may be legal under Faroese law, it is illegal under European Union regulations and Denmark is a member of the European Union. The Faroese receives subsidies from the European Union. It is the position of Sea Shepherd that Danish support and complicity with the slaughter of whales in unlawful and that the issuing of European Union subsidies to the Faroese is also unlawful.

Sea Shepherd is working through legal and legislative channels to address what Sea Shepherd views as illegalities. Pilot whale meat is not only unnecessary to provide a food source for the Faroese people it is also highly toxic and thus is not an appropriate food source for human beings. Toxic pilot whale meat is irresponsibly being fed to children in the Faroe Islands which is in Sea Shepherd’s view – an act of child abuse.

Prime Minister Johannesen: All meat involves the slaughter of animals. But most meat production today in industrialised countries is hidden well away from public view. The Faroese pilot whale drive, by its very nature, takes place in the open, in authorized bays around the Faroes. As such it has been openly documented and discussed internationally for many years as a unique part of the Faroese way of life.

Captain Paul Watson: The slaughter of animals in industrialized nations may seem to be hidden from view but it is well documented and much of the public has been made aware of the methods used. However as violent and as bloody as slaughterhouse videos may be, no abattoir in the civilized world allows for the kind of prolonged stress that is inflicted upon these highly intelligent, self aware, socially complex, sentient beings. Family members are slaughtered within sight, sound and smell of each other. The driving and the killing take many minutes and the killing is done in most cased by amateurs and on many occasions these amateurs are visibly drunk. Children are not allowed to observe or participate in the slaughter of domestic animals as they are allowed to do with the slaughter of pilot whales and dolphins in the Faroe Islands. In addition pilot whales are wild marine animals whose numbers, behavior, migratory patterns and social inter-actions are largely unknown. To compare pilot whales and dolphins to cows is absurd.

Prime Minister Johannesen: On Saturday 30 August, activists representing the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society attempted to disrupt a whale drive in the bay of Sandur on the island of Sandoy, both on shore and in the water. The police dealt with the situation in a calm and effective manner, quickly averting what could otherwise have become a dangerous situation for the activists themselves, operating in an unfamiliar coastal environment. Their actions could well have disrupted the organised procedures of the whale drive, thus prolonging it. 14 activists were detained and all were released again within 24 hours to face hearings in the Court of the Faroe Islands for breaches of the whaling regulations. Vessels used in the incident have been confiscated, pending further legal proceedings.

Captain Paul Watson: The Prime Minister has not been paying attention to the decisions of the Danish Court. All of the boats seized on October 30th were ordered released and the seizure by the Navy was ruled unlawful. The court ruled that it was not the intention of the boat crew to disrupt the slaughter. They were there to document it. The Faroese are seeking to prohibit the viewing or documentation of the slaughter by outsiders. The actions taken against Sea Shepherd were discriminatory. The Grind Master had not made a decision to close off the area and the only people that were disallowed from approaching by the police were Sea Shepherd people. The court ruled that the actions of the Danish Navy were unlawful.

The Sea Shepherd volunteers arrested report that the Navy and the police did nothing when a fishermen pointed a rifle at them and that they were illegally handcuffed behind their backs when transported over water in the Navy helicopters. (It is unlawful to transport prisoners without life jackets and with their hands tied behind their back because in the event of a ditching the risk of drowning is extremely high.)

This incident was valuable to Sea Shepherd because it exposed the complicity of the Danish Navy in supporting a slaughter of whales that is illegal under Danish law.

The group of 33 whales was beached at Sandur and killed swiftly in accordance with the regulations. The meat and blubber was shared free to the local residents and participants in the drive, as is the custom. The pilot whale drive in the Faroe Islands is one of the best documented uses of a renewable natural resource anywhere in the world, with annual records of catches dating back to 1584 and a long-term average take of around 800 whales a year, from a population estimated by international scientists to number 128,000 in the Faroe-Iceland survey area.

Captain Paul Watson: The Sea Shepherd volunteers observed the slaughter and reported that it was in fact cruel with great stress and horrendous screams of pain by the pilot whales. As for record keeping, the records of the abominable slave trade were meticulous and also recorded that the slaves were a renewable resource, that their suffering was minimal and besides they were not really human with emotions that any white person need be concerned with. The slave trade was also traditional and just like the Grind is considered a “gift” from God. The Bible was also used to justify slavery.

Illegal and potentially dangerous actions by the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, combined with attempts to spread deliberately misleading information to the media, have been the hallmark of the activities of this group for decades. They have repeatedly and aggressively targeted not only the Faroes, but many other countries and communities who depend on the sustainable use of resources from the sea. Of perhaps greatest concern is this group’s complete lack of respect for the rights of nations and peoples around the world to utilise their natural resources in a sustainable way, as recognized under international law and in UN declarations and resolutions.

Captain Paul Watson: Sea Shepherd has not spread any misleading information. What the Prime Minister is saying is that the information from Sea Shepherd disagrees with the official information by the Faroese government and whalers. Sea Shepherd says that the whales are endangered. The whalers say they are not. The whalers have no scientific evidence to demonstrate that they are not endangered or that the populations are abundant or sustainable. Sea Shepherd cites the precautionary principle. Sea Shepherd states from observation that the killing is stressful and crew. The whalers say otherwise. On this Sea Shepherd has documented video and audio evidence. Sea Shepherd’s view is the slaughter is unlawful. The Faroese say it is lawful. Again this depends on what laws.

Misinformation is not the same thing as difference of opinions. And yes Sea Shepherd repeatedly and aggressively targets any nation, community or corporations that kill marine wildlife illegally and Sea Shepherd will always continue to do so. Sea Shepherd is also concerned with the complete lack of respect by the Faroese whalers and government for the rights of cetaceans in the world’s oceans. They are not natural resources. They are highly intelligent, self aware sentient individuals living in socially complex nations. Sea Shepherd works to defend and protect endangered and threatened cetaceans in accordance with the principles established by the United Nations World Charter for Nature and Sea Shepherd is working to see that the Berne Convention outlawing the slaughter of cetaceans in Europe be respected.

Prime Minister Johannesen: The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society has long since been banned from participating in meetings of the International Whaling Commission (IWC). Their reckless conduct in the Southern Ocean has prompted a number of resolutions adopted by all member states of IWC over the years, including Denmark, condemning actions that are a risk to human life and property in relation to the activities of vessels at sea. Any dialogue with the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society has long since been made impossible by the illegal and confrontational actions and behavior of their representatives.

Captain Paul Watson: This “reckless” conduct was vindicated by the decision of the International Court of Justice in 2014 when it ruled that Japanese “scientific” whaling was fraudulent and thus illegal. The IWC has also prohibited Japanese whaling in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary. Sea Shepherd has no apologies for saving the lives of over 6,000 whales from illegal Japanese whaling activities. The Prime Minster neglects to mention that the IWC also condemned the Japanese whalers from actions that are a risk to human life and property in relation to their activities at sea. It was Japan that destroyed a ship and refused to cooperate with the investigation into the destruction of that ship. Sea Shepherd’s actions in the Southern Ocean accomplished what all the dialogue between nations including members of the International Whaling Commission were unable to do – and that was to stop the illegal killing of whales by Japan. Should a police officer use dialogue to stop a bank robbery or should a police officer aggressively confront the bank robber?

Prime Minister Johannesen: The Government of the Faroes will continue to promote openness, factual information and rational and informed discussion about whales and whaling in the Faroe Islands. Anyone with an interest should be assured a reliable and factual basis from which to form his or her views on the place of the pilot whale drive in Faroese society today.

Captain Paul Watson: Sea Shepherd will continue to oppose the cruel and unnecessary unlawful slaughter of cetaceans by anyone for any reason, anywhere. We will continue to do so lawfully and within the boundaries of tractability

I did an interview with Faroese television on December 4th as to Sea Shepherd’s position on a law apparently passed by the Faroese Parliament that will outlaw Sea Shepherd from entering the Faroese in 2015. Not sure how this will be enforceable if the Faroes wish to remain a democratic and free society as they insist they are. The people opposing the slaughter are from around the world including Europe and Denmark. They are volunteers and thus free citizens. They are not employees of Sea Shepherd. Will the Faroese police interrogate every tourist they suspect might be a Sea Shepherd activist? Will they outlaw Sea Shepherd shirts, flags and jackets?

Whatever they decide to do will be interesting and will pose new challenges to all those who wish to put an end to the brutality, barbarity and illegality of this mass murder of cetaceans.

Sea Shepherd has actively opposed the slaughter for more than three decades and will continue to oppose the slaughter for another three decades if need be but Sea Shepherd is not an organization that can be easily stopped by intimidation or force. Sea Shepherd is a movement and a movement has no head to cut off and thus is unstoppable.

The horrific evil of the Grindadrap (literally translated as the “murder of whales”) will always be opposed by people of compassion worldwide. Empathy has no borders and is a force that inspires both courage and imagination.

The Prime Minister has the unfortunate position of having to defend the evil of the cruelty and death inflicted upon these gentle beings by his countrymen and for that we truly feel sorry for him.
As for us we have the joy of knowing that in defending life and defying cruelty we are doing the work of the angels.
If the Faroese believe that God gave the Faroese the whales and dolphins to kill, we can also believe that his angels disagree, and in defending life in the name of kindness that we are doing the work of the angels, for the wings of angels are never stained with blood whereas the demons of Satan wallow in blood and gore for the sheer pleasure of doing so.

We have seen the blood lust on the faces of the whalers. We have seen them wallow in steaming filth with blood smeared on the hands and faces. We have heard them laugh with pleasure as the air was shattered with the screams of dying whales and for those of us who have witnessed such barbarity, we have felt the nauseating shudder of disgust vibrate to the very core of our soul, inflaming a passion that will never die for as long as this bloody crime against these magnificent beings continue.

Mr. Prime Minister, to ask that we forsake these creatures would be akin to have asked anti-slavers to forsake the victims of enslavement.

The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals was founded by the same man who championed the cause to end slavery – William Wilberforce.

For what both causes had in common was a universal respect for the rights of man and of animals, most importantly the rights to freedom, life and a life without suffering.

These rights take precedence over any tradition or culture based on slaughter and cruelty.

The Grindadrap has no place in the 21st Century and the movement to end it will only become stronger and more determined with every obstacle the Faroese throw up to defend it.
http://www.mfa.fo/Default.aspx?ID=11741

The Prime Minister

Kaj Leo Holm Johannesen was elected Prime Minister on the 26th of September 2008. In addition to leading the Cabinet of Government Ministers the Prime Minister’s responsibilities include constitutional matters and foreign affairs.