Who hasn't heard of Sea Shepherd? This NGO was founded by Paul Watson in
1977 after he was expelled from Greenpeace for being too "radical." The
organization quickly purchased a boat and began working to "protect
marine ecosystems." It was in the 2000s that the organization took on
new dimensions by taking action on the ground against Japanese whaling
in the Antarctic. The scenes, still filmed, of SS ships ramming Japanese
fishing vessels to "incapacitate" them are widely reported on
international news programs, and the number of members and supporters is
growing at the same time. We can be pleased (and indeed, we are) with
this type of action and its admittedly relative effectiveness, because
while Japan continues to hunt whales, this has drastically reduced the
number of catches per season.
The problems this organization poses for us are different:
The so-called "radical" stance of this organization actually attracts
many young people who are sensitive to environmentalist positions. But
this radicalism is merely a facade; the NGO is in reality deeply
involved in lobbying the powers that be and does not hesitate to consort
with political powers. For example, during the arrest of Paul Watson by
Greenlandic authorities in July 2024 at the request of Japanese
authorities, the great guru did not hesitate to ask Emmanuel Macron, a
president known and recognized for his work in favor of human rights and
environmental protection... for French nationality and presidential
protection from France. With a strong support group in France and living
in Marseille, Paul Watson, upon his release in December 2024, will be
received with great pomp by the socialist and environmentalist
municipality of Marseille, also known for his impeccable stance on
social and environmental issues...
A type of militaristic logo used by the NGO for its actions in
partnership with the Gabonese and Sao Tome & Principe authorities.
The ties with the authorities of the Sea Shepherd organization go much
further. For several years, the NGO has been present on the African
coasts with several vessels to combat illegal fishing, mainly industrial
fishing in areas reserved for coastal fishermen. Once again, why be
upset about it? On paper, this action is rather laudable, but once
again, it is the method that poses a problem. Indeed, the organization
does not hesitate to create partnerships with the military authorities
of various African countries to provide support in the fight against
poachers. Thus, Sea Shepherd readily intervenes alongside Gabonese,
Gambian, Beninese, and Namibian soldiers (to name a few) to arrest
illegal fishermen. Is this really the role of an environmental
association? In this region of the world, Sea Shepherd has effectively
become a backup to local armed forces, otherwise known for their perfect
respect for human rights... (1)
Finally, the very functioning of this organization is problematic.
Internally, decisions appear, from the outside, to be collective, but
the operation is actually very top-down and authoritarian. The
mythologizing of those in charge is rife, with first and foremost
"Commander Watson," to whom one would have to worship unwaveringly to be
a good environmental activist within the organization. This cult of
personality plays a significant role in the top-down mode of operation.
This cult is so dominant in certain national branches, led by the French
branch, that it was, among other things, over the question of
challenging P. Watson's methods that several national branches split
from the central organization at the international level in 2022. But in
practice, whether it be Sea Shepherd Global (the historical NGO) or Sea
Shepherd Origins (the NGO resulting from the split and to which the
French branch claims to belong), the ambiguity between these two
structures is such that no one sees any differences, either in methods
or in the positioning of the two visions of the split. Moreover, the
sources of funding are also very opaque, and when they are revealed, we
discover that a lot of money comes from the very reactionary Brigitte
Bardot Foundation, which became known for the protection of seals, but
also for its clearly anti-homosexual stance.
The oceans have been at the heart of many industrial issues for several
decades (wind power, fishing, mineral resources, etc.). The pressure on
this environment is growing and has reached unprecedented proportions in
recent years with industrial projects "finally" coming to fruition...
Public subsidies, like funding from private foundations, for the study
and protection of the marine environment remain significant, with
industrialists and governments eager to paint their polluting and
destructive projects blue (if not green). Moreover, NGOs like Sea
Shepherd are but a drop in the ocean compared to this capitalist
steamroller. The NGO, which in its early days could demonstrate a
semblance of effectiveness with clearly innovative, radical, and
ultimately relatively effective actions, no longer scares anyone,
especially not governments. As proof, the French government or the EU
have no problem negotiating with this type of organization, and Sea
Shepherd has never claimed a clearly anti-capitalist stance. While the
state of the oceans seems to have reached an extremely critical level,
challenging this state and the possible survival of this fragile
environment will never be the result (or even the objective) of this
type of media organization, which is overly conciliatory with capital...
Arturo, February 2025
http://oclibertaire.lautre.net/spip.php?article4392
_________________________________________
A - I N F O S N E W S S E R V I C E
By, For, and About Anarchists
Send news reports to A-infos-en mailing list
A-infos-en@ainfos.ca
1977 after he was expelled from Greenpeace for being too "radical." The
organization quickly purchased a boat and began working to "protect
marine ecosystems." It was in the 2000s that the organization took on
new dimensions by taking action on the ground against Japanese whaling
in the Antarctic. The scenes, still filmed, of SS ships ramming Japanese
fishing vessels to "incapacitate" them are widely reported on
international news programs, and the number of members and supporters is
growing at the same time. We can be pleased (and indeed, we are) with
this type of action and its admittedly relative effectiveness, because
while Japan continues to hunt whales, this has drastically reduced the
number of catches per season.
The problems this organization poses for us are different:
The so-called "radical" stance of this organization actually attracts
many young people who are sensitive to environmentalist positions. But
this radicalism is merely a facade; the NGO is in reality deeply
involved in lobbying the powers that be and does not hesitate to consort
with political powers. For example, during the arrest of Paul Watson by
Greenlandic authorities in July 2024 at the request of Japanese
authorities, the great guru did not hesitate to ask Emmanuel Macron, a
president known and recognized for his work in favor of human rights and
environmental protection... for French nationality and presidential
protection from France. With a strong support group in France and living
in Marseille, Paul Watson, upon his release in December 2024, will be
received with great pomp by the socialist and environmentalist
municipality of Marseille, also known for his impeccable stance on
social and environmental issues...
A type of militaristic logo used by the NGO for its actions in
partnership with the Gabonese and Sao Tome & Principe authorities.
The ties with the authorities of the Sea Shepherd organization go much
further. For several years, the NGO has been present on the African
coasts with several vessels to combat illegal fishing, mainly industrial
fishing in areas reserved for coastal fishermen. Once again, why be
upset about it? On paper, this action is rather laudable, but once
again, it is the method that poses a problem. Indeed, the organization
does not hesitate to create partnerships with the military authorities
of various African countries to provide support in the fight against
poachers. Thus, Sea Shepherd readily intervenes alongside Gabonese,
Gambian, Beninese, and Namibian soldiers (to name a few) to arrest
illegal fishermen. Is this really the role of an environmental
association? In this region of the world, Sea Shepherd has effectively
become a backup to local armed forces, otherwise known for their perfect
respect for human rights... (1)
Finally, the very functioning of this organization is problematic.
Internally, decisions appear, from the outside, to be collective, but
the operation is actually very top-down and authoritarian. The
mythologizing of those in charge is rife, with first and foremost
"Commander Watson," to whom one would have to worship unwaveringly to be
a good environmental activist within the organization. This cult of
personality plays a significant role in the top-down mode of operation.
This cult is so dominant in certain national branches, led by the French
branch, that it was, among other things, over the question of
challenging P. Watson's methods that several national branches split
from the central organization at the international level in 2022. But in
practice, whether it be Sea Shepherd Global (the historical NGO) or Sea
Shepherd Origins (the NGO resulting from the split and to which the
French branch claims to belong), the ambiguity between these two
structures is such that no one sees any differences, either in methods
or in the positioning of the two visions of the split. Moreover, the
sources of funding are also very opaque, and when they are revealed, we
discover that a lot of money comes from the very reactionary Brigitte
Bardot Foundation, which became known for the protection of seals, but
also for its clearly anti-homosexual stance.
The oceans have been at the heart of many industrial issues for several
decades (wind power, fishing, mineral resources, etc.). The pressure on
this environment is growing and has reached unprecedented proportions in
recent years with industrial projects "finally" coming to fruition...
Public subsidies, like funding from private foundations, for the study
and protection of the marine environment remain significant, with
industrialists and governments eager to paint their polluting and
destructive projects blue (if not green). Moreover, NGOs like Sea
Shepherd are but a drop in the ocean compared to this capitalist
steamroller. The NGO, which in its early days could demonstrate a
semblance of effectiveness with clearly innovative, radical, and
ultimately relatively effective actions, no longer scares anyone,
especially not governments. As proof, the French government or the EU
have no problem negotiating with this type of organization, and Sea
Shepherd has never claimed a clearly anti-capitalist stance. While the
state of the oceans seems to have reached an extremely critical level,
challenging this state and the possible survival of this fragile
environment will never be the result (or even the objective) of this
type of media organization, which is overly conciliatory with capital...
Arturo, February 2025
http://oclibertaire.lautre.net/spip.php?article4392
_________________________________________
A - I N F O S N E W S S E R V I C E
By, For, and About Anarchists
Send news reports to A-infos-en mailing list
A-infos-en@ainfos.ca
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