“The Sea Shepherd crew is doing what governments should be doing, but refuse to do themselves, because of the threats of trade retaliation from Japan.”

Canadian-American environmental, conservation and animal rights activist

Paul Franklin Watson is a Canadian-American environmental, conservation and animal rights activist. He is best known for founding the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and the Captain Paul Watson Foundation, both of which focus on marine conservation activism. His work centers on anti-poaching and direct action at sea. The tactics used by Sea Shepherd have drawn criticism, and both the Japanese government and Greenpeace have accused the group of eco-terrorism.