Petition to the Canadian Government to boycott Danish and Japanese products this Christmas if Captain Paul Watson is extradited to Japan

A letter Hon Steven Guilbeault Minister of Environment and Climate Change. 

Captain Paul Watson, hero of the oceans, is currently imprisoned in Greenland reportedly arrested by 12 ‘heavy handed’ SWAT team members of the Danish federal police force on 21st July 2024. Paul and his crew were on a routine refuelling stop on their way to intercept Japan’s brand-new factory whaling vessel.

He was detained based on a 2012 Interpol red notice after Japan accused him of causing damage to one of its whaling ships and injuring a Japanese crew member in February 2010. While admitting to the stink bomb the injury to any crew is vehemently denied.

According to Locky MacLean, Ship Operations and Campaign Director of the Captain Paul Watson Foundation who was onboard at the time “Japan was supposed to be whaling under a ‘research permit’ so no commerce was meant to be involved in any case.”  

If he loses the case in Denmark and is extradited to Japan, Paul could be imprisoned for up to 15 years, essentially a life sentence, given his age, and he will be facing these charges in a country that has been wanting to silence him for many years. 

Just 10 days after Captain Paul’s arrest, Japanese whaling corporations began hunting Fin Whales for the first time in 50 years. The Japanese government announced that it will allow the catch and kill of up to 59 fin whales commercially, a move heavily opposed by conservation organisations and governments around the world. 

The Danish courts are deciding whether to extradite Paul to Japan to face these charges with the court scheduled to meet again on 5th September. That is the day when the judge will make the decision

If Captain Paul Watson is not released September 5th, 2024, we are calling on Governments around the world and especially the Canadian government to boycott Danish and Japanese products this Christmas.

We call upon Canada and other governments to show support for their environmental policies and take action to persuade that the Danish government to intervene and do the right thing for the whales and the environment by refusing extradition on these 12-year-old charges and freeing Captain Paul Watson.

What Captain Paul Watson stands for has been proven to be just when in 2014, the International Court of Justice ruled that Japan’s whaling operations in Antarctica were illegal. This was after Australia and New Zealand had already fined Japan millions of dollars for actively conducting commercial whaling in an official sanctuary.

Canada needs to send a clear message to the Danish and Japanese governments that the world will boycott Danish and Japanese brands in the lead up to Christmas if Captain Paul Watson is not freed at the next court appearance. 

Famous Danish brands that could be impacted are Lego (toys) Carlsberg (beer) Maersk (shipping and logistics) Rockwool (insulation) Pandora (jewellery) ECCO (footwear) Jysk (home furnishings) Tuborg (beer) Arla Foods (dairy) Coop (retail supermarkets)

Famous Japanese brands that could be impacted are Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Subaru, Mitsubishi (car manufactures) Sony, Panasonic, Canon (electronics) JAL (Commercial Airlines) Nintendo (video game company) 

Should Captain Paul Watson not be freed at his next court appearance, we ask the Canadian government to issue a boycott or sanction notice preventing the purchase of products from these Danish and Japanese brands to send a message to their government that the people of the world do NOT support the extradition of Captain Paul Watson to face criminal charges from 12 years ago for his environmental activism that has been so effective in stopping illegal Japanese whaling.

Boycotts have proven to be effective historically, so we believe this to be the best way to ensure Canada’s support for the environment is made clear is to persuade Denmark’s political powers do the right thing for the planet and the people.

Sign this petition now to ask the Canadian Government to advise the Danish and Japanese Government that there will be a boycott of their products from the 5th of September if Captain Paul Watson is extradited to Japan.