Nature charity ship uses Dublin as base from which to disrupt Icelandic whalers
More than 230 pilot whales have been reported killed in this year's annual event in the Faroe Islands. Photo: Getty
Captain Paul Watson of the Watson Federation on board the anti-whaling vessel John Paul Dejoria docked along Sir John Rogerson's Quay on the Liffey. Photo: Gerry Mooney
Dublin has become the launch pad for a new whale rescue mission as a charity dedicated to stopping whaling sets up a base in Ireland.
The Captain Paul Watson Foundation has docked its ship at Sir John Rogerson’s Quay in the city in response to Iceland’s controversial decision to grant a fresh licence to that country’s last whaler.
The foundation says its crew can sail to Icelandic waters quickly from Dublin if they get word that the killing is to begin.
Alex Neubauer, head of the foundation’s Irish chapter, said a delay in the issuing of the licence to a company owned by millionaire businessman Kristjan Loftsson after a legal battle meant it was unlikely his fleet would take to sea this season.
“He has publicly said it is too late (for this season) but the reason we are in Dublin is that we don’t trust him,” Mr Neubauer said.
The foundation uses “direct non-aggressive action” tactics to disrupt whaling, sailing into the path of whaling boats, preventing loading of equipment and blocking refuelling.
The foundation is a relatively new and small operation, it was set up after Paul Watson’s departure from the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society which he founded.
It retains ties with Sea Shepherd France, however, and the two have monitored the movements of supertrawlers in Irish waters as part of their campaign against overfishing.
The ship in Dublin is the John Paul DeJoria, named after the US businessman who supports its work, and is open to the public from 10am to 5pm today and tomorrow. Mr Neubauer said everyone was welcome on board to hear more about the foundation’s work.
It currently has volunteers in the Faroe Islands monitoring the islands’ “grind” – the killing of hundreds of whales that takes place annually.
“They say it is part of the heritage but in the the old days they hunted whales for food. Now it’s for fun,” Mr Neubauer said.
“They also used simple boats but now they have jet skis and fast boats.
“That’s not heritage. It’s a massacre.
“To have these highly intelligent animals who have big social bonds coming out of the water watching their family being killed on the beach is unbelievably cruel.”
More than 230 pilot whales have been reported killed in the current grind.
Iceland attempted to ban whaling this year but Mr Loftsson’s company threatened legal action against the move.
