Anti-Whaling Activist Detained in Greenland Amid International Warrant

Paul Watson, the U.S.-Canadian founder of the Sea Shepherd activist group, has been detained in Greenland regarding an international arrest warrant issued by Japan for his efforts against their whaling practices. Greenlandic authorities are contemplating his extradition while his foundation calls the request politically motivated.

Paul Watson, a U.S.-Canadian anti-whaling activist, has been detained in Greenland and faces potential extradition to Japan, which issued an international warrant for his arrest. Watson, founder of the Sea Shepherd activist group and the Captain Paul Watson Foundation, was taken into custody when his ship docked at the port of Nuuk, according to Greenland's police.

Japan, which resumed commercial whaling in 2019, modernized its fleet, and expanded its catch list, defends its actions as cultural. This stance has faced significant opposition from conservationists. The Greenland police noted that the international arrest warrant prompted their action upon Watson's arrival.

Watson's foundation released a statement urging the Danish government to reject the extradition request, labeling it as politically motivated. Danish justice authorities will decide on the matter, though neither Japanese nor Danish officials provided immediate comments.

(With inputs from agencies.)