Paul Watson Blames Japanese and Shark Mafia For His Troubles With Costa Rica

Paul Watson, the head of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society currently awaiting extradition to Costa Rica in Germany, told Voice of Russia in an exclusive interview, that the Japanese and the "shark mafia" are behind his arrest.



"It is very inconvenient and it doesn’t make any sense, because Costa Rica issued a warrant demand for my extradition", Watson said of his being sidelined in Germany and not being able to participate in Sea Shepherd activities.

Watson says his arrest in Germany came conveniently after Costa Rica's president with the Japanese prime minister and just recently as two weeks ago, Japan gave Costa Rica US$9 million dollars for a national park.

The Sea Shepherd head says his being picked up in Germany is still a mystery to him, especially because "Germany has no extradition treaty with Costa Rica".

If Germany does not decide to extradite, Watson is fee. But it it does, his only recourse would then be to appeal the decision to the European Court.

Watson also said that as it was said in the film "Sharkwater", the shark mafia has a lot of influence over the Costa Rican government, as his society's efforts would put a dent into the more than 30 tons of shark fins exported last year alone. "And that's a lot of money", Watson told the interviewer.

"The Shark Fin mafia – as we call them – had a $25,000 reward on my head ten years ago, which is probably bigger now. And I am very concerned about that.

"I don’t think they (Costa Rica) want a trial. I think they want an execution", said Watson in reference to his meeting with Costa Rican officials since his arrest. "Costa Rica's Foreign Minister has said: you don’t have to worry, we don’t have any corruption in our country, prisons are very safe and the proof for that is we have two foreign presidents in the prisons, who everybody hated, and they’re safe.”

The case of Watson goes back to 10 year ago. The version told by Watson on is "it was something that happened ten years ago where nobody was injured, no property was damaged, and all we did is stopped the illegal shark fin operation in Guatemala’s waters at the request of the Guatemalan government".

“Look, this is very simple to resolve. Simply drop the extradition charge and set a trial day. You set a trial day, I’ll come to Costa Rica with my film and my witnesses, and we’ll come to court. We have the evidence for the case and we’re not concerned about that. But when you extradite me, you bring me there in handcuffs; you can hold me for a year in your prison until you have a trial. And what is a better place to collect their reward and then kill me in prison?”, says Watson is what he pitched Costa Rica's Foreign Minister.