News blog

Shooting claim in whaling fight

080307_Paul_Watson_immediately_after_he_was_shot.jpgWe were pretty critical of the Sea Shepherd conservation group this week after their chemical attack on the Japanese whaling ship Nisshin Maru.

Now Paul Watson, captain of the Sea Shepherd ship Steve Irwin, is claiming the Japanese shot him. The bullet, he says, was stopped by a protective vest he was wearing (BBC, CNN, press release).

Japan’s Institute of Cetacean Research has denied anyone fired at a man it calls “Sea Shepherd cult leader Paul Watson”. It says member of the Japanese coast guard threw thunderflashes in response to escalating violence from the anti-whaling protesters.


A press release from Sea Shepherd states:

A single bullet was fired by what must have been an expert marksman at Paul’s chest, which embedded in his Kevlar vest and also damaged a metal badge worn behind the vest. … The ships’ doctor was emphatic that without protection, the shot would have been lethal.

“No-one shot at Paul Watson,” says ICR director general Minoru Morimoto (press release). “His claim that we shot at him and he has the bullet that was stopped by his bullet-proof vest is more fiction for articles for the Australian media.”

Sea Shepherd claims the Australian embassy has confirmed that warning shots were fired from the Nisshin Maru. The group also says, “The Japanese Coast Guard and the Japanese Fisheries Agency have stated to the media that the devices were flash grenades and that warning shots were fired. Only the Institute for Cetacean Research is denying that warning shots were fired and describing the flash grenades as ‘warning balls’.”

We will ask the Australians and the Japanese what went on and get back to you.

Image: Sea Shepherd

Comments

  1. Report this comment

    Joanna said:

    “Now Paul Watson, captain of the Sea Shepherd ship Steve Irwin, is claiming the Japanese shot him.” You make it sound like he’s making unreasonable or unbelievable claims. Are you unaware of his biography? (At least check out his listing in the Guardian Newspaper’s expert panel’s “50 people who could save the planet” feature.) Assassination is an occupational hazard for highly successful wildlife conservationists, and Paul Watson is one of the most accomplished wildlife conservationists in history. Part of his mystique is that he has dodged death so many times.

    “We were pretty critical of the Sea Shepherd conservation group this week after their chemical attack on the Japanese whaling ship Nisshin Maru.”

    I expect more in-depth science journalism from Nature, than a condemnation of wildlife conservationists based on some “butyric acid: molecule of the day” quotations. Hey, that’s reductionist science journalism! The nauseating smell is from butyric acid. Most people know from experience that rancid butter has a highly nauseating smell, like sewerage, whilst not being irritating on the airways or harmful to the skin.

    You don’t seem to know the concentration of butyric acid in the bottles… Sea Shepherd states what they put in the bottles is “non-corrosive” and “rotten butter”. So why not contact Sea Shepherd and ask them to confirm exactly what is in the bottles? Or look for evidence for the whalers’ claims: If Sea Shepherd were reckless, then the whalers would presumably have plenty of video footage of this to publish.

    An interesting moral question might be “Are you using rancid cow’s butter whilst the ship runs a purely vegan galley for conservation reasons?” Or “Why is the Australian government doing nothing to protect endangered wildlife-conservationists in what it claims as its Antarctic Territory?”

    By comparison, Sea Shepherd has an official working relationship with the Environmental Police in Ecuador. Last year, when Sea Shepherd Galapagos director, Sean O’Hearn-Gimenez, assisted them with busting the shark fin mafia, and a price was put on his head, he was put under continuous armed guard by the Ecuadorian National Police.

    Australians are dismayed that their sycophantic government has not sent their navy down to the Southern Ocean!

  2. Report this comment

    rocketman said:

    I am a lifelong rifle target shooter and held a US federal firearms license for over 10 years.

    I can assure you that if Captain Watson was shot with a bullet as the video suggests, he would have been knocked to the deck and would not be able to act in the calm manner shown in the video.

    When a kevlar vest stops a bullet, the energy of the bullet (mass and velocity) is distributed across the local area of the vest into the bode behind it.

    With a pistol bullet one typically sees large bruising and possibly a broken bone or two.

    A rifle bullet, with the correspondingly higher weight and velocity, typically pierces the vest unless equipped with a metal or ceramic trauma plate.

    In either instance, the person being shot suffers from the energy release in that they typically get pushed as if they would by a punch from a large man.

    I have no doubt that if there was indeed a large contusion on Captain Watson’s chest, his naked torso would have been paraded around for all to see.

    The absence of any evidence of a bruise nor evidence of Captain Watson picking himself up off of the deck nor his breathing hard due to the impact clearly rule out any sort of bullet shot at Captain Watson.

    My years of experience with guns tells me that the incident was staged.

  3. Report this comment

    pasttherbink said:

    Thank you rocketman. Finally someone speaks out against this eco-terrorist. I am also an experienced shooter and would like to just point out that no shooter on earth would attempt a shot like that from one moving vessel to another. With the yawing of the ships and the wind I dont think that anyone could make that shot, not even Carlos Hathcock.

  4. Report this comment

    Mike Lowry said:

    I have seen videos released by both ICRwhale.org and the Animal planet doc made abord the Steve Irwin.

    Both vessles are WELL within range of a bullet for an expert. (10 – 15 meters)

    The shrapnel pulled from Watson’s vest does not appear to be consistant with a ‘standard’ bullet. However, the fact remains that if it were not for his kevlar this projectile would have killed him in minutes (according to the ships doctor)

    Consider for a moment if Watson was not wearing protection. This incident could have been blamed on “stray flash bang shrapnel” and no one is held responsible for the “accident”. In addition the Sea Sherpherd organization looses it’s founder and possibly it’s drive.

    Considering the fact that ICR has over 1 billion dollars at stake when the Steve Irwin aquires any of thier ships, does it not stand to reason that someone or organization may decide to take shal we say more strategic measures? I mean if Tom Clancy can IMAGINE ice bullets then cant a machinist or military invent and manufacture a short-range bullet that unravles midflight?!?

    Food for thought. cheers

  5. Report this comment

    Mike Lowry said:

    oh yes,

    with mad respect to the marksmen who weighed in prior to my arrival, this would have been an INCREDIBLY difficult shot to accomplish.

    However consider for a moment a few factors. Watson is a high profile target. Politically and visually (orange mustang suit). Obviously very intelligent to fabricate such a scenario. If he were to go to all the trouble to plant a bullet in his vest and “shattered” badge under his shirt, would it not stand to reason that he’s also bruise himself to appear consistent with a projectile striking him at 400mph?

Comments are closed.