As you probably know by now, Paul Watson is not a hero of mine. I have an exceedingly low opinion of this man for a variety of sound and healthy reasons. There are those out there who would take exception with this viewpoint, either out of ignorance or out of despair.
Let me explain something to those of you uninitiated with things nautical and/or of the sea. There is a very old saying that would have it that: "there are none so wise as the newly educated". Like all good sayings, it is one which has stood the test of time, because it is as valid today as it ever was. Some folks believe that the knowledge that our ocean produces a huge amount of the oxygen created on earth, is news. Some folks believe that 15 minutes after discovering something on a website somewhere, they're qualified to teach and lecture people who have actually forgotten more than they'll ever learn. These are probably the same people who are startled to learn that our oceans are a major mitigating factor in the weather patterns around the entire globe. Suffice it to say, that the importance of the oceans to the survival of all life on earth, not just our own, is neither lost on nor is it news to me. It may come as a revelation to some dewey-eyed 20 year-old out there, but I've been around long enough to be able to sort wheat from chaff.
We can likewise all agree that the balance of life within these oceans is also a critical factor. Balance being an important word here. Just as there are no "bad" or "good" animals, there are no "ugly" or "cute" animals. These are strictly warped and dysfunctional human attributes that we try to foist on various species, because too many humans are incapable of accepting themselves or others for what they really are. So they do the same thing to animals. They try to humanize them and the manner in which we interact with them. They want to treat everything as a "pet", because they cannot relate in any other way to something which is not human. Animals are animals and humans are humans. Yet all of us, from whatever class of life on Earth we stem from, are not immune to the Laws of Nature. You'll find no greater champion for the sea or the species which inhabit it, than yours truly.
My concerns span the gamut from commercial whaling, bottom-trawling, longlining to shark finning. Yet this concern comes not with an absolute brainless amount of zeal, but an understanding that in all things, there must be balance. There is a right way and a wrong way to do anything. The very same applies to the welfare and preservation of animals and their use on this planet. That's right... I said "use". I don't give a rat's ass what you happen to think of yourself, but when it comes to humans, you're going to have to accept the fact that we are nothing short of apex predators. Of every domain. Land, sea and air. Problem is, we're also supposed to be gifted with 'intelligence'. I don't know of any other creature that would willfully destroy it's own habitat, it's environment or it's food source. Well... no other creature than ourselves, that is. We just can't seem to find that balance. Our own overpopulation will guarantee our demise.
For as much as there are bonafide animal-orientated organizations out there, and associations which truly champion the cause of marine and other animal welfare, there are others who operate under the banner of 'animal rights' organizations. And these have absolutely nothing to do with animal welfare as most intelligent people know and understand it. You can certainly add PETA and the HSUS amongst these hypocritical organizations.
Greenpeace itself has shunned Paul Watson, as they recognize that he is a liability to any serious, dedicated ecological group. And this with good reason. Paul Watson has no interest in the causes he apparently takes on. To him they are only a vehicle upon which he may continue to build his own legend. All Paul Watson is after if fame and notoriety. It does not matter what he has to do to get it, or what risks he exposes his young witless followers to. Paul Watson is a wandering clusterfuck, an accident waiting for a place to happen and a danger to all those around him. You'll notice that even his involvement with the cast and crew of the movie "Sharkwater" was limited and that he booked when things got hot, citing an 'emergency whaling intervention' as his excuse. I have actually had people tell me that Paul Watson was responsible for bringing the plight of sharks to the world's attention... Seriously?
For you socially retarded individuals out there, the man who made the movie is Rob Stewart. Not that raving fucking egomaniac Paul Watson. Talk about spitting in a man's face... Rob Stewart is the man who showcased the tragedy of shark finning and how rampant it has become as an industry. I would never make the mistake of lumping those two men into the same camp... ever.
There are many people out there who are concerned about our world, our oceans and the living entities we share this planet with. There are many who give freely of their time, their experience and their efforts, to advance the welfare of all of these. Paul Watson is not amongst them.
Let me explain something to those of you uninitiated with things nautical and/or of the sea. There is a very old saying that would have it that: "there are none so wise as the newly educated". Like all good sayings, it is one which has stood the test of time, because it is as valid today as it ever was. Some folks believe that the knowledge that our ocean produces a huge amount of the oxygen created on earth, is news. Some folks believe that 15 minutes after discovering something on a website somewhere, they're qualified to teach and lecture people who have actually forgotten more than they'll ever learn. These are probably the same people who are startled to learn that our oceans are a major mitigating factor in the weather patterns around the entire globe. Suffice it to say, that the importance of the oceans to the survival of all life on earth, not just our own, is neither lost on nor is it news to me. It may come as a revelation to some dewey-eyed 20 year-old out there, but I've been around long enough to be able to sort wheat from chaff.
We can likewise all agree that the balance of life within these oceans is also a critical factor. Balance being an important word here. Just as there are no "bad" or "good" animals, there are no "ugly" or "cute" animals. These are strictly warped and dysfunctional human attributes that we try to foist on various species, because too many humans are incapable of accepting themselves or others for what they really are. So they do the same thing to animals. They try to humanize them and the manner in which we interact with them. They want to treat everything as a "pet", because they cannot relate in any other way to something which is not human. Animals are animals and humans are humans. Yet all of us, from whatever class of life on Earth we stem from, are not immune to the Laws of Nature. You'll find no greater champion for the sea or the species which inhabit it, than yours truly.
My concerns span the gamut from commercial whaling, bottom-trawling, longlining to shark finning. Yet this concern comes not with an absolute brainless amount of zeal, but an understanding that in all things, there must be balance. There is a right way and a wrong way to do anything. The very same applies to the welfare and preservation of animals and their use on this planet. That's right... I said "use". I don't give a rat's ass what you happen to think of yourself, but when it comes to humans, you're going to have to accept the fact that we are nothing short of apex predators. Of every domain. Land, sea and air. Problem is, we're also supposed to be gifted with 'intelligence'. I don't know of any other creature that would willfully destroy it's own habitat, it's environment or it's food source. Well... no other creature than ourselves, that is. We just can't seem to find that balance. Our own overpopulation will guarantee our demise.
For as much as there are bonafide animal-orientated organizations out there, and associations which truly champion the cause of marine and other animal welfare, there are others who operate under the banner of 'animal rights' organizations. And these have absolutely nothing to do with animal welfare as most intelligent people know and understand it. You can certainly add PETA and the HSUS amongst these hypocritical organizations.
Greenpeace itself has shunned Paul Watson, as they recognize that he is a liability to any serious, dedicated ecological group. And this with good reason. Paul Watson has no interest in the causes he apparently takes on. To him they are only a vehicle upon which he may continue to build his own legend. All Paul Watson is after if fame and notoriety. It does not matter what he has to do to get it, or what risks he exposes his young witless followers to. Paul Watson is a wandering clusterfuck, an accident waiting for a place to happen and a danger to all those around him. You'll notice that even his involvement with the cast and crew of the movie "Sharkwater" was limited and that he booked when things got hot, citing an 'emergency whaling intervention' as his excuse. I have actually had people tell me that Paul Watson was responsible for bringing the plight of sharks to the world's attention... Seriously?
For you socially retarded individuals out there, the man who made the movie is Rob Stewart. Not that raving fucking egomaniac Paul Watson. Talk about spitting in a man's face... Rob Stewart is the man who showcased the tragedy of shark finning and how rampant it has become as an industry. I would never make the mistake of lumping those two men into the same camp... ever.
There are many people out there who are concerned about our world, our oceans and the living entities we share this planet with. There are many who give freely of their time, their experience and their efforts, to advance the welfare of all of these. Paul Watson is not amongst them.
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