Please sign the petitions, send mails and share at facebook to help to free Captain Paul Watson! He is helping the oceans for many years, now he needs our help!
In shocking news, German officials have decided to proceed with the extradition of Captain Watson to Costa Rica. Our last hope of saving Captain Watson from extradition is to convince German officials at the Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Foreign Affairs to step in and overturn their decision. Show your support for Captain Watson by contacting Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger, the Federal Minister of Justice in Berlin, Germany. Let her know that the warrant for Captain Watson's arrest is politically motivated and thus should be ignored by the German government. With international support we can set Captain Watson free, and keep him from the possibility of facing an unfair trial in Costa Rica.
Please contact: (Please be respectful in your communications)
Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger
Federal Minister of Justice
Deutscher Bundestag
Platz der Republik
11011 Berlin
Telephone 0049 30 227 751 62
Fax 0049 30 227 764 02
E-Mail: sabine.leutheusser-schnarrenberger@bundestag.de
Please comment on her facebookside: https://www.facebook.com/BMJustiz
Federal Ministry of Justice
Mohrenstrasse 37
10117 Berlin, Germany
Telephone: +49 30 18 580-0
Telefax: +49 30 18 580-9525
Dr. Guido Westerwelle
Minister of Foreign Affairs
FDP-Bundestagsfraktion
Platz der Republik 1
11011 Berlin
Tel.: 0049 30 22771636
Fax: 0049 30 22776562
E-Mail: guido.westerwelle@bundestag.de
Please comment on his facebookside: http://www.facebook.com/westerwelle?ref=ts
Bundespräsident Joachim Gauck:
E-Mail: bundespraesidialamt@bpra.bund.de
Permalink Reply by pradtf on laney, these posts may help bring you up to scratch:
http://www.30bananasaday.com/xn/detail/2684079:Comment:2563918
http://www.30bananasaday.com/xn/detail/2684079:Comment:2572259
and of course there is the sscs site:
in friendship,
prad
Permalink Reply by Brian on Signed one of the petitions and send an e-mail. Sea Shephard has my support!
Permalink Reply by pradtf on below is the latest entry from sscs from paul himself:
http://www.seashepherd.org/news-and-media/2012/05/22/our-voices-for...
in friendship,
prad
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Shark living wild and free. Photo: Nicolas VeraMuch has been happening since I have been arrested in Germany. Captain Alex Cornelissen and our legal team in Costa Rica have been meeting with officials in Costa Rica. Our excellent German legal team working with Captain Peter Hammarstedt, Sea Shepherd Director of Investigations Scott West, and myself has been working with officials, judges, police, and the media in Germany. Sea Shepherd volunteers around the world have been passionately working to assist in every way possible. It has been an incredibly positive response to not just my arrest but to the realization that this is about something more than just my freedom. This is about protecting life in our oceans and it is about the courage, initiative, and imagination to see possibilities instead of conflict, to see where positive change can be brought about in place of conflict.
Tomorrow is an international day of protest on my behalf and it is important that we direct our energies in a positive manner.
We do not want to attack the President or the government of Costa Rica. We would like to approach the Costa Rican government in a positive manner, not simply to resolve this legal issue but more importantly to find a way to work cooperatively with Costa Rica to end the illegal practice of shark finning and to protect the fragile marine eco-systems surrounding Cocos Island.
Ten years ago when this conflict first arose there was a different government and a far stronger shark finning operation. In fact, we felt at the time that the entire affair was orchestrated to prevent Sea Shepherd and the Costa Rican Ministry of the Environment from working cooperatively to protect the Cocos Island National Park. That, unfortunately, is exactly what occurred and whereas we have spent the last 12 years working in positive cooperation with the rangers of the Galapagos and the Ecuadorian Federal Police, we have been denied the opportunity to work with the rangers of Cocos and the government of Costa Rica.
We believe we can accomplish a great deal more here than simply dropping charges against me. I believe we can address these charges and more importantly I believe we just may be able to directly initiate a relationship with Costa Rica that will positively benefit the sharks and other marine species of the Cocos Island National Park. I am willing to risk that the new government of Costa Rica is more enlightened and much more concerned with protecting sharks and marine life than the government we dealt with a decade ago.
Towards this end I am willing to address the judicial demands, but more importantly I do not want to lose the opportunity of actually being able to work- hands on- with Costa Rica to do what we are most passionate about – the preservation of the shark and marine species of Cocos Island National Park.
 Dead sharks from an illegal shark finning operation |
 Finned sharks from an illegal fishing operation. Photo: Mavis Bullard |
I think we can reach an understanding with Costa Rica and I am willing to risk whatever it takes to realize the possibility that Sea Shepherd can once again partner with our ranger friends on Cocos Island.
The demonstrations tomorrow should not focus on Costa Rica. We should focus on Germany. Germany has the power to politically set me free. The red list arrest warrant issued to Interpol was voided as politically motivated and dismissed practically everywhere in the world except for Germany.
I unfortunately landed in Germany- the one nation where Interpol’s decisions are disregarded.
I have found since I have arrived in Germany that the German people are incredibly supportive from the judges to the prison guards, to the police, to the taxi drivers, to the people on the streets and in the shops. The German people are very conservation minded and they get it.
Our task is to convince the government of Germany that conservation is about being active about taking risks and that the environment must be put before politics. Therefore let us focus our energies on May 23rd towards politely appealing to German Justice Minister Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger to drop this extradition demand.
In return I will make this promise – that I will initiate a cooperative relationship with Costa Rica to protect Cocos Island National Park and the sharks. Costa Rica will have my word on this and the entire world will be on notice that I have made this pledge.
I feel it is better to move forward positively than to waste so much time in conflict and dispute, when there is a real possibility here to create something positive and effective in addressing the real issue and that is the protection and conservation of the marine eco-systems of Costa Rica.
So please everyone – tomorrow, be polite yet firm in requesting that the extradition be dropped. Tomorrow is the opportunity to speak to the German government. The Minister has the power to drop this extradition demand.
All of you participating have my deepest appreciation for taking the time to speak on behalf of securing my freedom and especially thank you for your passionate concern for the defense of life in our oceans.
Let us make history and take the lessons of Nelson Mandela to mind that we can work together because just as the strength of an eco-system is determined by diversity, the strength of an effective movement is determined by the diversity of imagination, resourcefulness, skills, and passions of a community of caring people.
We are a force for positive change and the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society is proud of our record of saving lives without causing injury to life. We hold out our hand to Costa Rica and we respectfully request that Germany allow us to resolve this issue with integrity and a cooperative spirit.
Sincerely
Captain Paul Watson
Permalink Reply by ednshell on We believe we can accomplish a great deal more here than simply dropping charges against me. I believe we can address these charges and more importantly I believe we just may be able to directly initiate a relationship with Costa Rica that will positively benefit the sharks and other marine species of the Cocos Island National Park. I am willing to risk that the new government of Costa Rica is more enlightened and much more concerned with protecting sharks and marine life than the government we dealt with a decade ago.
Beautiful!!!
I have found since I have arrived in Germany that the German people are incredibly supportive from the judges to the prison guards, to the police, to the taxi drivers, to the people on the streets and in the shops. The German people are very conservation minded and they get it.
Our task is to convince the government of Germany that conservation is about being active about taking risks and that the environment must be put before politics. Therefore let us focus our energies on May 23rd towards politely appealing to German Justice Minister Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger to drop this extradition demand.
And Beautiful!!!
Permalink Reply by pradtf on now that's taking lemons and making lemonade!!
that's why he's "master and commander"!
in friendship,
prad
Permalink Reply by pradtf on here's the latest!
Captain Paul Watson Meets with the Foreign Minister of Costa Rica E...
key item:
“The meeting was positive and Mr. Castillo was very open to finding a solution to both the situation regarding my arrest and to the possibility of working with Sea Shepherd to protect sharks and the integrity of the Cocos Island Marine Reserve.” Said Captain Paul Watson.
full text copied below.
in friendship,
prad
====
Sea Shepherd supporters in Venice, Italy rally to support Captain WatsonCaptain Paul Watson and Sea Shepherd Director of Investigations Scott West took a quick train trip to Stuttgard, Germany today to meet with the Costa Rican Foreign Minister Enrique Castillo. “The meeting was positive and Mr. Castillo was very open to finding a solution to both the situation regarding my arrest and to the possibility of working with Sea Shepherd to protect sharks and the integrity of the Cocos Island Marine Reserve.” Said Captain Paul Watson.
The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society is working towards turning this controversy into something positive, first by focusing worldwide attention on the horrific practice of finning sharks and secondly to extend efforts to Costa Rica to assist the rangers and the Coast Guard in putting an end to poaching and shark finning. Sea Shepherd has made great progress over the last twelve years in the Galapagos National Park and Marine Reserve and would like the opportunity to assist Costa Rica in protecting Cocos Island. In 2001, Sea Shepherd supplied equipment and supplies to the Cocos Island National Park rangers and that same year, Captain Watson seized the Ecuadorian long liner San Jose in the marine reserve. He turned the vessel over to the Costa Rican rangers and the San Jose became the first poaching vessel confiscated by the Costa Rican courts. The evidence Sea Shepherd gathered helped considerably with the conviction.
In 2002, just two days before Sea Shepherd was scheduled to sign an agreement with Costa Rica to work closely with the rangers the same way Sea Shepherd works with the rangers and the police of Ecuador in the Galapagos, the incident occurred between the Sea Shepherd crew and the Costa Rican fishermen, who Sea Shepherd caught poaching sharks. The accusations from the crew of the Varadero I, a vessel that Captain Watson caught shark finning in Guatemalan territorial waters, brought an end to the cooperation between Sea Shepherd and Costa Rica.
The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society considers Cocos Island to be one of the most treasured marine eco-systems in the world. The Society would like to resume where we were forced to leave off in 2002, with a cooperative effort between Sea Shepherd and Costa Rica to work together to defend, protect, and conserve the ecological integrity of Cocos Island National Park.
Sea Shepherd supporters gather in Paris, France for S.O.S. Day“If Costa Rica believes that there is a need to put me on trial over the absurd accusations of these fishermen we caught poaching sharks then I am prepared to cooperate with the judicial system to present our video evidence, our logbooks, and our crew as witnesses to those events. Costa Rica needs only to assign a date for a trial and I will appear before the Costa Rican Court voluntarily, if given assurances that my safety will be guaranteed. There is no need for an extradition. All Costa Rica needs to do is make a request to appear.” Said Captain Watson.
The objective of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society is to work with Costa Rica to defend sharks and other marine species. Captain Watson believes that this situation offers some very positive opportunities to reestablish Sea Shepherd as a cooperative partner with the rangers of Cocos Island.
Germany can make the decision to end the extradition proceedings. Costa Rica can also make the decision to withdraw the extradition.
Captain Watson is deeply touched by the enormous demonstrations of support from all over the world. “More and more people are becoming concerned and involved with the protection of life in the ocean and it is very encouraging to see so many people rally to this cause” he said from Frankfurt where he remains restricted to Germany for the time being.
Click here to see the article and video from the Costa Rican media.
Permalink Reply by ednshell on Really great news!!!! Let's keep the pressure on!
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."
-- Margaret Mead
Permalink Reply by lille mango on Pamela Anderson for Sea Shepherd
http://www.seashepherd.org/news-and-media/2012/05/24/captain-paul-w...
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