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Captain Paul Watson: Interview With a Pirate
The behind-the-scenes true story of Paul Watson, the world's most famous eco-pirate and marine animal rights activist. Paul Watson became an animal rights activist at the young age of eleven, in 1962. When trappers killed a beaver that Paul had befriended, he systematically and efficiently located and destroyed their traps. This was the beginning of fifty years of animal rights activism. Among the international awards and recognition he has earned in that time, Time Magazine named Watson one of the top twenty environmental heroes of the 20th century. In 1969, when just eighteen, Watson co-founded Greenpeace. He was also the first man to intervene between a whale and a harpoon. Watson left Greenpeace to establish the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, which uses more aggressive direct-action strategies to combat threats to the world's ocean creatures. With a goal of protection and conservation of marine mammals, their first priority is ending the illegal hunting of seals and whales. In Antarctica, Japanese whalers kill hundreds of whales each year. To circumvent the moratorium on commercial whaling, Tokyo disguises their whaling under the cover of scientific programs. Yet the environmental movement got Japanese whalers, who intended to kill 850 minke whales, returned with only 507 whales in 2010. The International Court of Justice was asked to require Japan to end this whaling program, and the campaigns have included sinking ten illegal whaling ships, ramming more at sea, confiscating hundreds of long lines and drift nets and making more than 250 expeditions worldwide to save hundreds of thousands of marine animals. Captain Watson, though fighting for a good cause, is labeled by some as a "pirate" and an "eco-terrorist," including those running Greenpeace today. But for those who think that petitions and banners will not be enough to save the ocean, he is a hero. To all his detractors, Paul Watson responds, "Find us a whale that disapproves of our actions and we promise to give it up!" In this book, Paul Watson reveals to shipmate Lamya Essemlali his motivations, campaigns, dangers and successes. Watson was recently arrested in Germany on a Costa Rican warrant that claimed he endangered the crew of a fishing vessel a decade ago. The Sea Shepherd feels the arrest is politically motivated and that he may be extradited to answer charges related to obstructing Japanese whaling activities. Watson skipped bail in Germany for an unknown destination, and is currently on the open seas.
- GenresNonfictionEcologyAnimals
264 pages, Paperback
First published February 21, 2013
9 people are currently reading
200 people want to read
About the author
Paul Watson
25 books61 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Paul Watson is the Founder of Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and Co-Founding Director Greenpeace Foundation.
Paul Watson is the Founder of Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and Co-Founding Director Greenpeace Foundation.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
January 1, 2015
I appreciate all that Sea Shepherd and Paul Watson have accomplished and this book covers these deeds rather well. While there are far too many issues impacting the world's species on land and at sea to cover thoroughly, there was a good range of coverage by Watson and the interviewer. While I agree with the sentiments expressed in the book I feel as though it is likely more of a "preaching to the choir" sort of book rather than one that will appeal to a broad audience. I would love to think it would convert individuals to the environmental/non-human cause but humans are a selfish lot and I find it unlikely.
The actual content and message the book conveys is great, but I do have some grievances with the way in which it was put forth. First of all, the interview style made the subjects feel a bit forced. But my absolute biggest issue with the book was the editing or lack thereof. Due to the issues at hand there are many people and organizations seeking to discredit Sea Shepherd and especially Watson, therefore I feel they should have been more careful with their stats and statements. There are enough instances of conservationists being accused of exacerbating numbers to promote their cause, Watson does not want to add to it. I am referring to the bluefin tuna debate on page 222. The figures indicated are painfully mathematically incorrect. I find it difficult to understand how they were looked past by an editor, did no one with math skills look at this? They state that 12,900 tons of tuna is 1.29 million tuna based on an average of 100kg per fish (a shaky figure itself as Sea Shepherd's website even has the weight as 600lbs, not the 220 lbs used here). This is exponentially wrong, it is closer to 129,000 tuna not 1.29 million. The figures continue to be wrong the entire page and even their own math conflicts at times. I found this baffling and I wish they had been more careful so as to not discredit the push to stop bluefin tuna fishing/poaching.
p214 They wrongly indicate that decreased seal numbers increases cod numbers via predator fish elimination. They meant to convey that seals eliminate predator fish and help boost cod numbers, yet another painful editing error.
p55 "Our body consists of 1,012 cells, on average, and we live in symbiosis with 1,214 microorganisms. Therefore, there are one hundred times more bacteria than cells in our bodies."
I don't know if this is scientific lack of knowledge, yet another example of terrible math or just poor typing skills. There is no exact number for the cells found in our bodies but they are thought to be in the TRILLIONS. Also, bacteria outnumber our own cells by 10 to 1 not 100 to 1. I found errors like these to be quite painful, especially knowing how easily they could be used to discredit.
But to end on a good note, I loved the quote at the beginning:
"True human goodness, in all its purity and freedom, can come to the fore only when its recipient has no power. Mankind's true moral test, its fundamental test (which lies deeply buried from view), consists of its attitude towards those who are at its mercy: animals. And in this respect mankind has suffered a fundamental debacle, a debacle so fundamental that all others stem from it.”
― Milan Kundera, The Unbearable Lightness of Being
The actual content and message the book conveys is great, but I do have some grievances with the way in which it was put forth. First of all, the interview style made the subjects feel a bit forced. But my absolute biggest issue with the book was the editing or lack thereof. Due to the issues at hand there are many people and organizations seeking to discredit Sea Shepherd and especially Watson, therefore I feel they should have been more careful with their stats and statements. There are enough instances of conservationists being accused of exacerbating numbers to promote their cause, Watson does not want to add to it. I am referring to the bluefin tuna debate on page 222. The figures indicated are painfully mathematically incorrect. I find it difficult to understand how they were looked past by an editor, did no one with math skills look at this? They state that 12,900 tons of tuna is 1.29 million tuna based on an average of 100kg per fish (a shaky figure itself as Sea Shepherd's website even has the weight as 600lbs, not the 220 lbs used here). This is exponentially wrong, it is closer to 129,000 tuna not 1.29 million. The figures continue to be wrong the entire page and even their own math conflicts at times. I found this baffling and I wish they had been more careful so as to not discredit the push to stop bluefin tuna fishing/poaching.
p214 They wrongly indicate that decreased seal numbers increases cod numbers via predator fish elimination. They meant to convey that seals eliminate predator fish and help boost cod numbers, yet another painful editing error.
p55 "Our body consists of 1,012 cells, on average, and we live in symbiosis with 1,214 microorganisms. Therefore, there are one hundred times more bacteria than cells in our bodies."
I don't know if this is scientific lack of knowledge, yet another example of terrible math or just poor typing skills. There is no exact number for the cells found in our bodies but they are thought to be in the TRILLIONS. Also, bacteria outnumber our own cells by 10 to 1 not 100 to 1. I found errors like these to be quite painful, especially knowing how easily they could be used to discredit.
But to end on a good note, I loved the quote at the beginning:
"True human goodness, in all its purity and freedom, can come to the fore only when its recipient has no power. Mankind's true moral test, its fundamental test (which lies deeply buried from view), consists of its attitude towards those who are at its mercy: animals. And in this respect mankind has suffered a fundamental debacle, a debacle so fundamental that all others stem from it.”
― Milan Kundera, The Unbearable Lightness of Being
October 21, 2015
Inspiring, eye-opening and potentially life changing, this was a great read! I have changed my eating habits as a result of reading the Captains story and I honestly feel better about the world because of this man and his work. Despite all the terrible things happening to the very life support systems of our planet, the fact that there are people with such passion for the truth and who have the guts to do whatever is required to protect wildlife- I feel hopeful that all is not lost. I can make a difference too and I only believe that after reading the Captains words.
One minor complaint is that it was a little repetitive but that may just have encouraged me to fully realise what he was saying. We should ALL read this book or at least a chapter of it, to understand whats really being done to our oceans.
One minor complaint is that it was a little repetitive but that may just have encouraged me to fully realise what he was saying. We should ALL read this book or at least a chapter of it, to understand whats really being done to our oceans.
May 10, 2024
A REVEALING SERIES OF DIALOGUES WITH THE RADICAL ENVIRONMENTALIST
Paul Franklin Watson (born 1950) is a Canadian-American environmental activist, who was a co-founder of Greenpeace in 1972, but was ousted from its board in 1977; he then founded the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, a more radical anti-whaling project, which was the subject of a 6-season reality show, ‘Whale Wars.’ (Not surprisingly, he has had numerous clashes with the authorities of various countries.)
Author/Interviewer Lamya Esemlali is the chair of Sea Shepherd France. She wrote in the Introduction to this 2013 book, “Through spending time with Paul, I learned to love the human being behind the public persona… Paul is far from being the character described by his opponents. He does not even match up with the self-image that he projects. However, it does not surprise me that those who have confronted him in the media or at sea… find him arrogant… Paul’s irreverence is relevant; he is a forthright rebel. He is not afraid of calling into question the assumptions that pass for absolute truths in our anthropocentric societies… Add to that the fact that he makes no concessions for human overpopulation, and he is labeled a misanthropist…” (Pg. 12-13) She adds, “This book is a compilation of many conversations I had with Paul during our campaigns at sea, in Parisian bistros during his many trips to France, at conferences where I served as his interpreter, and as part of the interviews that I attended or took part in.” (Pg. 14)
Watson stated, “In 1986, we sank half of the Icelandic whaling fleet while the vessels were tied up at the dock. And we destroyed a meat-processing plant. That resulted in a loss of $10 million for the whaling industry, from which it took 17 years to recover… the executive director of Greenpeace… publicly took me to task. He said that what I had done was reprehensible, irresponsible, and a disgrace to the ecology movement. To which I replied… ‘I don’t give a damn. We didn’t sink those whaling ships for you, your Greenpeace or anybody else. We sank them for the whales.’” (Pg. 37)
Watson recounts an encounter with a bull whale his crew was attempting to save: “our eyes met again, his eye was right above my head; it was the size of my fist. What I saw in the eye of that sperm whale that day changed my life forever. He could have killed us; if he had just let himself fall toward us he would have crushed us. But, in his eyes I saw understanding. He understood what I was trying to do…. That’s how he died.” (Pg. 39)
He states, “We give minimal thought to the role played by lants, insects and fish, the species that make this planet livable for all the other ones, including ourselves. We cannot continue to ignore them and hope to survive. Therefore, in my opinion, non-human rights are as important, if nor more important, then human rights.” (Pg. 44)
He outlines, “If we want to survive on this planet, we are going to have to understand that we need to respect the laws of ecology: Law No. 1: The strength of any ecosystem is based on biodiversity. The decreased level of biodiversity on the planet today is out most serious problem, even more serious than global warming. Because… Law No. 2 is interdependence: all species are interdependent; they need each other. Law No. 3 is the law of finite resources: growth has a limit and there is a limit to the earth’s carrying capacity.” (Pg. 54)
He asserts, “Greenpeace has become one of the biggest players in the global good-conscience business. People join in order … to feel like they are a part of the solution… That’s what they are really selling: a clean conscience. But in reality Greenpeace is not doing much of anything that is concrete and I think it is a fraudulent organization… Greenpeace is a parasitic organization. Millions of dollars are literally being siphoned from the cause in order to perpetuate the bureaucratic machine. It has become a green machine for making money.” (Pg. 73-74) Later, he adds, “Greenpeace resents Sea Shepherd … because I exposed their ineffectiveness. In fact, Greenpeace is so angry with me that that posted a message on their website to specify that I was no longer considered to be a founding member.” (Pg. 80)
He continues, “We criticize Greenpeace because they accuse us of being violent and call us ecoterrorists, and also because they attribute some Sea Shepherd victories to their own organization… they [also] raise funds to combat problems without actually carrying out real campaigns to combat those problems… I write to Greenpeace once a year to suggest a conciliation that would allow us to join forces, and they reject my proposal each time… they have stopped sending their ships to oppose the whale hunt… Sea Shepherd and Greenpeace do not share a common goal. We are working toward eradicating the whale hunt, and they are not… There is an illusion that Greenpeace is achieving results. In some cases it is true, but in reality it looks good but achieves very little. It has become an organization made up of compromises.” (Pg. 83, 85)
He notes, “I would never entrust Sea Shepherd to professional donor recruiters… In terms of communications, we still have the advantage of having a television series that tells the story of our missions in Antarctica (‘Whale Wars’ on Animal Planet), and we have grown significantly as a result of the attention the television show has garnered for our activities.” (Pg. 99)
Lamya quotes Watson as saying, “‘Are you ready to risk your life to save a whale?’ There is no room aboard a Sea Shepherd vessel for anyone who answers that question with a ‘no.’ You are also criticized for that.” Watson replied, “People think that requiring volunteers to risk their lives to save an animal is asking too much. I have a hard time understanding that. We live in a world where we ask people to risk their lives, die and kill for oil and for control of geographically strategic areas, etc. I think it is much more noble to risk your life to protect a species or a habitat in peril. I cannot think of a better legacy than having contributed to saving a species or a natural habitat. It’s simply a matter of a scale of values.” (Pg. 101)
Watson asserts, “People are hairless primates who think they are a divine legend… We still cling to the idea that we are the center of the ecosystem what we live in, while in reality we are simply one part of it. And when we look at things more closely, we are not even the most important beings… All human religions, or at least the ones that I refer to as the ‘Divine Monkey religions,’ adore some kind of giant primate in the sky who tells us to ignore the rest of the natural world. I think that the birth of religion marked the beginning of our contempt for the natural world on which our very lives depend.” (Pg. 110)
He points out, “In reality, the ecology movement is the best example of a nonviolent movement in the global history of social movements. Not one person has been injured, not to mention killed, by an ecologist or a member of an environmental NGO. It simply has never happened. And yet, in the media, we are described as a militia, as ecoterrorists and as extremists. But ecologists have been assassinated…” (Pg. 133) Later, he adds, “In fact, Sea Shepherd is such a non-violent organization that neither fish nor meat not anything that was once a sentient being is served as food on our vessels.” (Pg. 135)
He acknowledges, “I sometimes get the sense that we should perhaps proudly proclaim that we are ‘ecoterrorists.’ After all, ecoterrorism is a trend-setting concept with a dark side that I quite like. So it would be just as well for us to embrace this so-called ecoterrorism inside us, this recalcitrant little green devil who can no longer bear to see our planet being divided up and sold to the highest bidder.” (Pg. 138)
He also argues, “We serve only vegan food on our vessels because I do not think that anyone who claims to be an ecologist should be eating meat. Veganism is the answer to many environmental problems. For example, an ecologist who drives a four-wheel-drive vehicle every day contributes fewer greenhouse emissions than an omnivore who rides a bicycle, because the meat industry produces more greenhouse gas emissions then a automobile industry.” (Pg. 199)
This very informative book will be “must reading” for anyone studying Watson and the Sea Shepherd Society, and radical environmentalism in general.
Paul Franklin Watson (born 1950) is a Canadian-American environmental activist, who was a co-founder of Greenpeace in 1972, but was ousted from its board in 1977; he then founded the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, a more radical anti-whaling project, which was the subject of a 6-season reality show, ‘Whale Wars.’ (Not surprisingly, he has had numerous clashes with the authorities of various countries.)
Author/Interviewer Lamya Esemlali is the chair of Sea Shepherd France. She wrote in the Introduction to this 2013 book, “Through spending time with Paul, I learned to love the human being behind the public persona… Paul is far from being the character described by his opponents. He does not even match up with the self-image that he projects. However, it does not surprise me that those who have confronted him in the media or at sea… find him arrogant… Paul’s irreverence is relevant; he is a forthright rebel. He is not afraid of calling into question the assumptions that pass for absolute truths in our anthropocentric societies… Add to that the fact that he makes no concessions for human overpopulation, and he is labeled a misanthropist…” (Pg. 12-13) She adds, “This book is a compilation of many conversations I had with Paul during our campaigns at sea, in Parisian bistros during his many trips to France, at conferences where I served as his interpreter, and as part of the interviews that I attended or took part in.” (Pg. 14)
Watson stated, “In 1986, we sank half of the Icelandic whaling fleet while the vessels were tied up at the dock. And we destroyed a meat-processing plant. That resulted in a loss of $10 million for the whaling industry, from which it took 17 years to recover… the executive director of Greenpeace… publicly took me to task. He said that what I had done was reprehensible, irresponsible, and a disgrace to the ecology movement. To which I replied… ‘I don’t give a damn. We didn’t sink those whaling ships for you, your Greenpeace or anybody else. We sank them for the whales.’” (Pg. 37)
Watson recounts an encounter with a bull whale his crew was attempting to save: “our eyes met again, his eye was right above my head; it was the size of my fist. What I saw in the eye of that sperm whale that day changed my life forever. He could have killed us; if he had just let himself fall toward us he would have crushed us. But, in his eyes I saw understanding. He understood what I was trying to do…. That’s how he died.” (Pg. 39)
He states, “We give minimal thought to the role played by lants, insects and fish, the species that make this planet livable for all the other ones, including ourselves. We cannot continue to ignore them and hope to survive. Therefore, in my opinion, non-human rights are as important, if nor more important, then human rights.” (Pg. 44)
He outlines, “If we want to survive on this planet, we are going to have to understand that we need to respect the laws of ecology: Law No. 1: The strength of any ecosystem is based on biodiversity. The decreased level of biodiversity on the planet today is out most serious problem, even more serious than global warming. Because… Law No. 2 is interdependence: all species are interdependent; they need each other. Law No. 3 is the law of finite resources: growth has a limit and there is a limit to the earth’s carrying capacity.” (Pg. 54)
He asserts, “Greenpeace has become one of the biggest players in the global good-conscience business. People join in order … to feel like they are a part of the solution… That’s what they are really selling: a clean conscience. But in reality Greenpeace is not doing much of anything that is concrete and I think it is a fraudulent organization… Greenpeace is a parasitic organization. Millions of dollars are literally being siphoned from the cause in order to perpetuate the bureaucratic machine. It has become a green machine for making money.” (Pg. 73-74) Later, he adds, “Greenpeace resents Sea Shepherd … because I exposed their ineffectiveness. In fact, Greenpeace is so angry with me that that posted a message on their website to specify that I was no longer considered to be a founding member.” (Pg. 80)
He continues, “We criticize Greenpeace because they accuse us of being violent and call us ecoterrorists, and also because they attribute some Sea Shepherd victories to their own organization… they [also] raise funds to combat problems without actually carrying out real campaigns to combat those problems… I write to Greenpeace once a year to suggest a conciliation that would allow us to join forces, and they reject my proposal each time… they have stopped sending their ships to oppose the whale hunt… Sea Shepherd and Greenpeace do not share a common goal. We are working toward eradicating the whale hunt, and they are not… There is an illusion that Greenpeace is achieving results. In some cases it is true, but in reality it looks good but achieves very little. It has become an organization made up of compromises.” (Pg. 83, 85)
He notes, “I would never entrust Sea Shepherd to professional donor recruiters… In terms of communications, we still have the advantage of having a television series that tells the story of our missions in Antarctica (‘Whale Wars’ on Animal Planet), and we have grown significantly as a result of the attention the television show has garnered for our activities.” (Pg. 99)
Lamya quotes Watson as saying, “‘Are you ready to risk your life to save a whale?’ There is no room aboard a Sea Shepherd vessel for anyone who answers that question with a ‘no.’ You are also criticized for that.” Watson replied, “People think that requiring volunteers to risk their lives to save an animal is asking too much. I have a hard time understanding that. We live in a world where we ask people to risk their lives, die and kill for oil and for control of geographically strategic areas, etc. I think it is much more noble to risk your life to protect a species or a habitat in peril. I cannot think of a better legacy than having contributed to saving a species or a natural habitat. It’s simply a matter of a scale of values.” (Pg. 101)
Watson asserts, “People are hairless primates who think they are a divine legend… We still cling to the idea that we are the center of the ecosystem what we live in, while in reality we are simply one part of it. And when we look at things more closely, we are not even the most important beings… All human religions, or at least the ones that I refer to as the ‘Divine Monkey religions,’ adore some kind of giant primate in the sky who tells us to ignore the rest of the natural world. I think that the birth of religion marked the beginning of our contempt for the natural world on which our very lives depend.” (Pg. 110)
He points out, “In reality, the ecology movement is the best example of a nonviolent movement in the global history of social movements. Not one person has been injured, not to mention killed, by an ecologist or a member of an environmental NGO. It simply has never happened. And yet, in the media, we are described as a militia, as ecoterrorists and as extremists. But ecologists have been assassinated…” (Pg. 133) Later, he adds, “In fact, Sea Shepherd is such a non-violent organization that neither fish nor meat not anything that was once a sentient being is served as food on our vessels.” (Pg. 135)
He acknowledges, “I sometimes get the sense that we should perhaps proudly proclaim that we are ‘ecoterrorists.’ After all, ecoterrorism is a trend-setting concept with a dark side that I quite like. So it would be just as well for us to embrace this so-called ecoterrorism inside us, this recalcitrant little green devil who can no longer bear to see our planet being divided up and sold to the highest bidder.” (Pg. 138)
He also argues, “We serve only vegan food on our vessels because I do not think that anyone who claims to be an ecologist should be eating meat. Veganism is the answer to many environmental problems. For example, an ecologist who drives a four-wheel-drive vehicle every day contributes fewer greenhouse emissions than an omnivore who rides a bicycle, because the meat industry produces more greenhouse gas emissions then a automobile industry.” (Pg. 199)
This very informative book will be “must reading” for anyone studying Watson and the Sea Shepherd Society, and radical environmentalism in general.
March 4, 2016
I HIGHLY recommend this read for environmentally aware and the curious alike. In the words of Lamya Essemlali, "Paul [Watson] didn't inspire me to make my commitment to nature, but he certainly provided another dimension for my commitment."
After years of frustration with groups like Greenpeace, I can really understand and connect with Paul. Paul has literally lived the live of an ecologist without the 'burnout' of just trying to be an activist, focusing his battles protecting marine life and doing it so strategically that noone has ever gotten seriously injured or killed is a testamount to his methods. By ensuring he is not breaking the law, Paul really brings a great way to deliver exceptional change to humans that are on a path to destruction if we don't take action, now.
After years of frustration with groups like Greenpeace, I can really understand and connect with Paul. Paul has literally lived the live of an ecologist without the 'burnout' of just trying to be an activist, focusing his battles protecting marine life and doing it so strategically that noone has ever gotten seriously injured or killed is a testamount to his methods. By ensuring he is not breaking the law, Paul really brings a great way to deliver exceptional change to humans that are on a path to destruction if we don't take action, now.
June 22, 2013
If only people had the desire to open their eyes and truly see what's happening to our oceans and to our planet, this guy would not be exiled in the middle of the oceans because the mafias of half the world want to get rid of him and of all the good he is doing.
A must read.
A must read.
January 23, 2015
Would definitely recommend!! only downfall is the repetitiveness after awhile which could have just been edited out. eye opening!!
July 28, 2016
A lire pour tous ceux qui veulent ouvrir les yeux sur ce qu'on fait à notre planète ...
March 6, 2018
I was slightly surprised by this book; It was a real eye-opener. It just goes to show you how media skews the truth and only chooses certain bits of information to deceive the public. I had watched Whale Wars when it was on TV and I was outraged at what was happening. After reading this book I realized that there are things that are happening right in our own backyard that are being covered up. There is corruption everywhere and it's disgusting.
I wasn't as much of a fan of how the book was laid out. The writing style of it was different but I would have preferred more stories told in depth rather than an interview style for the majority of the book.
I wasn't as much of a fan of how the book was laid out. The writing style of it was different but I would have preferred more stories told in depth rather than an interview style for the majority of the book.
October 25, 2020
If you are interested in a little more detail from the mind of Captain Paul Watson of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society painted one flattering detail, look no further. I enjoyed it and I am a longtime financial supporter of the organization but this is objectively largely fluff even if I did enjoy it.
It’s funny that a section of the book is devoted to blasting the media and how people consume information whilst holding a piece of propaganda because that’s what this book is.
As vital a voice as Watson has in this day and age, there is no cohesion to the collection and it comes of non linear and rambling as a whole hence my review of four stars.
It’s funny that a section of the book is devoted to blasting the media and how people consume information whilst holding a piece of propaganda because that’s what this book is.
As vital a voice as Watson has in this day and age, there is no cohesion to the collection and it comes of non linear and rambling as a whole hence my review of four stars.
July 14, 2021
I have mostly moved to StoryGraph but this book deserves a 5 star rating in both places. I would honestly give this more stars if I could.
Paul Watson is one of the most incredible humans who will ever exist in our world. This book helps get to know him better but also learn more about what he does and the threats our oceans face because of us. There are SO many good quotes in this book.. I’ll need a re-read just to go back and mark them.
Paul Watson is one of the most incredible humans who will ever exist in our world. This book helps get to know him better but also learn more about what he does and the threats our oceans face because of us. There are SO many good quotes in this book.. I’ll need a re-read just to go back and mark them.
May 25, 2020
I enjoyed this interview styled book about Sea Shepherds -the voice that fight fire with fire in the war to save the animals and the ocean. A must read if you want the back story on he Green Peace movement.
April 13, 2023
An interesting character. But too much writing from Lamya Essemlali - some of the questions are almost as long as the - not insubstantial - answers. Also, there is almost as much griping about Greenpeace as there is content about Sea Shepherd, which is a shame.
July 28, 2025
As a passionate defender of our oceans and not having had the opportunity to hear Captain Paul Watson in person, I really enjoyed this in-depth interview. His background is amazing, and he is a true ocean hero!
September 5, 2017
It's time for the truth. Captain Paul Watson explains why whaling is despicable, why we must save the oceans, and why he fights for marine life.
This is a must read.
This is a must read.
June 21, 2018
Ce livre nous rappelle a quel point il est urgent de protéger l'environnement et les océans au risque de disparaitre nous même
March 11, 2020
On apprend énormément de choses sur l'état des océans, Sea Sheperd et Greenpeace. Je recommande.
April 21, 2018
I imagine everyone who reads this book is already sympathetic to the cause and the book will only deepen their appreciation for the iconoclastic Captain. His ideas about the Sea Shepherd movement can likely be generalized to other movements as well.
June 26, 2015
Quand j'étais petite, j'adorais Long John Silver dans l'Île au trésor, et je pense que c'est un peu grâce à ces mythes enfantins, aux histoires de vieux loups de mer, que tant de personnes aiment Paul Watson.
Watson, c'est un mélange entre un pirate de Stevenson, ton grand-père qui te fait des confitures et des grands discours, et la dernière star de télé réalité. Et chez moi, franchement, ça marche, j'adhère : une telle dévotion, et un tel charisme aussi (il faut le dire), au service d'intérêts qui me tiennent à cœur, ça ne peut que gagner mon admiration, et ça fait déjà quelques années que je suis les actualités de Sea Sheperd, que je regarde leurs mélodrames télévisuels (je suis une proie facile), et que je donne de l'argent de temps à autre.
Maintenant : le livre.
D'abord, et comme le disait un autre reviewer plus haut, les entretiens qui le composent sont un prêche aux convaincus : il me paraît assez peu facile d'accès, non pas en raison du langage qu'il met en œuvre, mais plutôt parce qu'il n'est pas en mesure d'intéresser celui qui ne s'est jamais posé de question avant d'ouvrir une boîte de sardines, ou d'accompagner tonton Jacques à la pêche.
Deuxième point : la forme de l'interview est relativement ennuyeuse, d'autant que Lamya Essemlali, qui pose les questions, est évidemment, elle aussi, acquise à la cause. On en retire une impression d'artificialité.
Enfin, gros point faible sur l'édition. Certaines questions se suivent mais ne se ressemblent pas, et à ce moment franchement, on se croirait dans une interview de magazines d'adolescents (exemple : une question sur les enfants, suivie d'une question sur les études en linguistique de Paul) ; les répétitions s'enchaînent d'un chapitre à l'autre, parfois avec des chiffres différents (sur le pourcentage de la population japonaise qui consomme de la viande de baleines, notamment) ; et le style est relativement faible.
Vous me direz : ce n'est pas l'objectif du bouquin, oui je sais ! Mais franchement, avec un peu de verve, la vie de Paul Watson, ça devient un roman de John Le Carré ! J'ai pas raison ?
Et surtout : les idées.
Je l'ai dit, je suis acquise à la cause de Sea Sheperd depuis longtemps, et je suis prête à supporter les dérives misanthropes de Paul Watson, parce qu'elles ne le sont pas tant que ça : je veux bien comprendre que la surpopulation soit un danger écologique.
Maintenant, là où je ne le suis plus, c'est dans ses dangereux délires concernant le lien entre pauvreté et danger écologique. Y a-t-il un lien ? Oui, bien sûr, mais pour les autres classes sociales aussi. Il faut donc, tenez-vous bien, non pas mener un travail d'éducation envers ces populations défavorisées, mais... les éradiquer, arrêter leur progression.
Bon, c'est irréalisable, c'est aussi complètement con (il y aura toujours plus pauvre ou plus riche que soi, oui), mais attendez un peu d'entendre l'argument suggéré : passer un permis pour avoir des enfants. En gros, si tu es pauvre, ou que tu n'es pas assez intelligent au goût du capitaine, hop, pas de mioche.
Alors, je comprends ces passages qui justifient le fait qu'il n'y ait pas de démocratie à bord d'un bateau : il y a une hiérarchie, on obéit au capitaine, bien sûr, c'est sensé. Mais quand on fait ça à l'échelle d'un état, qu'on suggère des mesures eugénistes et autres, c'est quand même beaucoup moins acceptable. En fait, ça s'appelle même une dictature.
Ce genre de dérives est présent de manière récurrente dans le livre, il n'est pas justifié, simplement décrété, et il montre, selon moi, un manque de compréhension profond du problème social.
C'est dommage, parce que j'ai de plus en plus de mal à défendre Watson et Sea Sheperd, quand on me cite ce genre de phrases.
Mais, histoire de finir sur une note positive, tout de même : je continuerais à soutenir, à aider Sea Sheperd.
J'aurais juste aimé un meilleur bouquin à ce sujet.
Watson, c'est un mélange entre un pirate de Stevenson, ton grand-père qui te fait des confitures et des grands discours, et la dernière star de télé réalité. Et chez moi, franchement, ça marche, j'adhère : une telle dévotion, et un tel charisme aussi (il faut le dire), au service d'intérêts qui me tiennent à cœur, ça ne peut que gagner mon admiration, et ça fait déjà quelques années que je suis les actualités de Sea Sheperd, que je regarde leurs mélodrames télévisuels (je suis une proie facile), et que je donne de l'argent de temps à autre.
Maintenant : le livre.
D'abord, et comme le disait un autre reviewer plus haut, les entretiens qui le composent sont un prêche aux convaincus : il me paraît assez peu facile d'accès, non pas en raison du langage qu'il met en œuvre, mais plutôt parce qu'il n'est pas en mesure d'intéresser celui qui ne s'est jamais posé de question avant d'ouvrir une boîte de sardines, ou d'accompagner tonton Jacques à la pêche.
Deuxième point : la forme de l'interview est relativement ennuyeuse, d'autant que Lamya Essemlali, qui pose les questions, est évidemment, elle aussi, acquise à la cause. On en retire une impression d'artificialité.
Enfin, gros point faible sur l'édition. Certaines questions se suivent mais ne se ressemblent pas, et à ce moment franchement, on se croirait dans une interview de magazines d'adolescents (exemple : une question sur les enfants, suivie d'une question sur les études en linguistique de Paul) ; les répétitions s'enchaînent d'un chapitre à l'autre, parfois avec des chiffres différents (sur le pourcentage de la population japonaise qui consomme de la viande de baleines, notamment) ; et le style est relativement faible.
Vous me direz : ce n'est pas l'objectif du bouquin, oui je sais ! Mais franchement, avec un peu de verve, la vie de Paul Watson, ça devient un roman de John Le Carré ! J'ai pas raison ?
Et surtout : les idées.
Je l'ai dit, je suis acquise à la cause de Sea Sheperd depuis longtemps, et je suis prête à supporter les dérives misanthropes de Paul Watson, parce qu'elles ne le sont pas tant que ça : je veux bien comprendre que la surpopulation soit un danger écologique.
Maintenant, là où je ne le suis plus, c'est dans ses dangereux délires concernant le lien entre pauvreté et danger écologique. Y a-t-il un lien ? Oui, bien sûr, mais pour les autres classes sociales aussi. Il faut donc, tenez-vous bien, non pas mener un travail d'éducation envers ces populations défavorisées, mais... les éradiquer, arrêter leur progression.
Bon, c'est irréalisable, c'est aussi complètement con (il y aura toujours plus pauvre ou plus riche que soi, oui), mais attendez un peu d'entendre l'argument suggéré : passer un permis pour avoir des enfants. En gros, si tu es pauvre, ou que tu n'es pas assez intelligent au goût du capitaine, hop, pas de mioche.
Alors, je comprends ces passages qui justifient le fait qu'il n'y ait pas de démocratie à bord d'un bateau : il y a une hiérarchie, on obéit au capitaine, bien sûr, c'est sensé. Mais quand on fait ça à l'échelle d'un état, qu'on suggère des mesures eugénistes et autres, c'est quand même beaucoup moins acceptable. En fait, ça s'appelle même une dictature.
Ce genre de dérives est présent de manière récurrente dans le livre, il n'est pas justifié, simplement décrété, et il montre, selon moi, un manque de compréhension profond du problème social.
C'est dommage, parce que j'ai de plus en plus de mal à défendre Watson et Sea Sheperd, quand on me cite ce genre de phrases.
Mais, histoire de finir sur une note positive, tout de même : je continuerais à soutenir, à aider Sea Sheperd.
J'aurais juste aimé un meilleur bouquin à ce sujet.
December 13, 2013
Watson was one of the founders of Greenpeace but left because of a difference in opinion on how to combat pouching and environmental crimes by large corporations who are essentially above the law and out of control of any government. His more aggressive approach has meant that he must stay at sea or be arrested as he is wanted in most countries for his protests which have cost many corporations millions of dollars in damaged equipment and loss of profits. Watson has paid for his dedication to saving the oceans, divorce and loss of friends and his liberty in many countries are just a few of his sacrifices. It's a good read if you are interested in environmental activism and the challenges that go with it.
He is a vegetarian and does not eat any fish or seafood!
He is a vegetarian and does not eat any fish or seafood!
December 19, 2013
I knew who Cpt. Paul Watson was. I had seen the CNN interviews when he charged the Sierra. I have seen him on the news relative to court appearances and interviews opposite Greenpeace since, but I have to say I had never looked at him personally.
Essemlali has compiled an interview style conversation comprised of personal questions, questions of moral philosophy and practical timekeeping/historical sequence questions which trace Watson's career. The writing is simple and clean and like him or not; agree with his philosophy or not, the reader will understand Watson's motivations and his true love of marine biology over the human race clearly.
Essemlali has compiled an interview style conversation comprised of personal questions, questions of moral philosophy and practical timekeeping/historical sequence questions which trace Watson's career. The writing is simple and clean and like him or not; agree with his philosophy or not, the reader will understand Watson's motivations and his true love of marine biology over the human race clearly.
Read
January 18, 2014If You're Interested in a Healthy Planet..
.. this is a must read.
Paul Watson is a passionate, compassionate and courageous soul. He also is very articulate. I totally agree with almost every thing he says. I have thought for a very long time that we are eating our oceans to death. He does an outstanding job of articulating my fears. And yet, somehow he remains optimistic and focused.
I was afraid this book would be dry and depressing, but it is not. On the contrary, it is inspirational.
.. this is a must read.
Paul Watson is a passionate, compassionate and courageous soul. He also is very articulate. I totally agree with almost every thing he says. I have thought for a very long time that we are eating our oceans to death. He does an outstanding job of articulating my fears. And yet, somehow he remains optimistic and focused.
I was afraid this book would be dry and depressing, but it is not. On the contrary, it is inspirational.
August 20, 2013
I wish everyone would read this. Paul Watson doesn't pull any punches, telling it like it is and speaking his mind with no concern for political correctness or what anyone else thinks. And he does this in such a reasoned, knowledgeable and eloquent way that it will impress even those skeptical of his message. He presents a dire portrait of the state of our world, but in the end, his passion is infectious, his humility impressive and his example is inspiring.
June 17, 2015
I love the interview style of writing in this book. I also admire the Captain and appreciate his honesty. This book would be an excellent eye-opener for people who are unaware of the war against nature, the oceans in particular.
October 31, 2013
It is written in an interview style, which is quite annoying, and is obviously quite passionately ecologically focused, but it's an engaging and thought provoking read.
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