Monday, April 1, 2013

Paul Watson 'enclosure' plans in Japan 'flawed and misguided'



By Andrew Tafferty, Staff Writer, The Age 

A Japanese underwater cameraman's plans to capture eco fugitive Paul Watson so tourists can throw rotten butter at him in Japan has infuriated conservationists, who said claims the scheme would create peace and harmony around the world "do not add up".

Daito Suzuki, a camera  operator for Ninkei One, wants to build a 20,000 square foot enclosure in Taiji, Japan that includes an exact replica of the Steve Irwin for Watson to inhabit.

Visitors would pay £65 each to gain access, and an additional £65 to throw rotten butter at Watson just like his television series Whale Wars. The money would be used to fund real conservation organizations like PEW Trusts.

But a group of conservationists and wildlife charities, including Save Captain Crunch in Britain, called Mr Suzuki's plans "flawed and deeply misguided" and have urged authorities in Japan to halt it.

The scheme's opponents deny Mr Suzuki's claims that Paul Watson is an insufferable media loon who would best be kept in long term enclosures like the one being proposed in Taiji, where his daily rantings and crazy antics could be watched by paying clients for their amusement.

"The conservation arguments for this project do not add up," said David Ottley, Japans coordinator for Sea Shepherd.

"You cannot tell me that Paul Watson who is known to enjoy lavish Hollywood fund raising parties with $75.00 sustainable appetizers, can be happily confined to a 20,000 foot enclosure with an exact replica of the Steve Irwin, with no possible escape from tourist stress, no ability to feed naturally, nor seek out the natural conditions that suit him at different times of the year, nor have Internet access."

The enclosure, south of Higashimuro District, Wakayama, Japan and close to popular tourist beaches, would double as a marine rescue and rehabilitation centre, Mr Suzki said.

"This is not some hoodlum misthought project, my opponents are misinformed," he told The Age.

"We have been working on this for more than ten years, since Paul Watson first started to try and shut down Japan's scientific whaling, it's a million-dollar investment and we have the support of some of Japans leading conservationists and the JWA."

Some proceeds from the profits of money earned from tourists would also pay for displaced Sea Shepherd crews to process cashew nut shells into oil at factories in Japan.

Mr Suzuki is waiting for final approvals from  Japans National Environmental Management Authority, which is expected to decide whether the project should go ahead next week.

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13 comments:

Anonymous said...

I always sort of figured that Paul Watson lived in some kind of fantasy land but hadn't given much thought before to "Watson World" as an amusement park. It has definite possibilities for aspiring activists that can't get on Sea Shepherd boats. Bumper boat rides for kids who hope someday to pretend to be captains like Watson, bullet proof badges at the concession stand, ...

Sea Shepherd Tazmania said...

This is an OUTRAGE!!! WE WILL NEVER LET OUR CAPTAIN BE CAGED!!!!! LONG LOVE SEA SHEPHERDS!!!

save whales now said...

Go go go Sea Shepherd Guardians forver!!!!

Sea Shepherd Brazil said...

Free Captain Watson Now!!!

Petition site:

http://www.change.org/petitions/free-captain-paul-watson

Anonymous said...

OMG!!!! NEVER WILL WE ALLOW SEA SHEPHERD TO MAKE OIL FROM SHELLS!

SAVE THE OCEAN!!!

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
We Are Paul Wason said...

Sign the petition to keep Paul Watson our of cages in Japan now, keep the pressure on the Taiji killers, we can do this together!

Petition site:

http://www.change.org/petitions/free-captain-paul-watson

Unknown said...

This is near perfect punishment for the Criminal watson! Make the watson earn a living for once, and in doing so Repay the people of Taiji and Japan for his crimes against them!

Anonymous said...

lmao! this is the best april fools article I've read yet! <3

Martin Graf said...

April fools? Really? Dang! Would be great if it was real ;)

Jamie McC said...

You should be ashamed of yourself, that's no way to treat rotten butter have you no humanity? even rotten butter deserves more respect than that. Chicken poo would be more appropriate, same same.

Horizon Charters Guadalupe Cage Diving said...

To all of those who got our Paul Watson April Fools Joke, thanks for the emails and phone calls, we apologize in advance for the spilled coffees.

To the rest?

Anonymous said...

I had always considered the Japanese whaling situation as a bunch of clueless crusty old guys who are too stubborn to consider that we need to respect our planet and introduce protective measures for all species that have suffered mass slaughter. I HAD thought that this was a small self-appointed 'elitist' group who consider themselves more important than the rest of the world. Frankly I had been waiting (and, sad to say, HOPING) for these guys to die off so that the younger Japanese can take over & take a more global, responsible position on whaling. This proposition (the 'Paul Watson' enclosure) suggests to me that the attitude of the younger Japanese is in line with the government position on whaling. It's sad to see. I think it's a disgrace to their nation. Go ahead, go & eat your dolphin meat & make yourselves sick on it. If you don't care about the rest of the world, we don't care about you.