A Cruel Shepherd

The recent disaster in which four people, including two young children, were lost at sea has been turned into a media opportunity by a notoriously irresponsible anti-use NGO. Paul Watson, head of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, has once again offended many people with one of his outrageous statements to the press: Watson is quoted in the Anchorage Daily News (May 9, 2005 Joel Gay) as stating that the Mayor of Gambell and other adults on a whaling expedition "killed" the two children by allowing them to go along on a whaling expedition in which one bowhead was killed.

Of course, the village of Gambell and the other native residents of Alaska have reacted angrily to this claim. The grieving survivors in Gambell have demanded an apology, but Watson never apologizes for his behavior. He never tries to be a nice man, because he sees himself as different from ordinary, decent human beings. His "job" is to denounce the cultural worth of any societies that involve taking marine mammals, and certainly, any traditions that involve training the next generation to carry on age-old survival skills.

Although life jackets are not a part of the whaling culture in Alaska, some people there are now considering their use, even though they may be bulky and inconvenient. Yet, life jackets alone would not save a person immersed in the icy waters of the far North. Native whalers are well acquainted with the dangers that are a part of their hunt. They teach their youngsters that danger and hardship are a normal part of life for those who learn to live on the resources of both land and sea. The reward of the hunt is providing for the community, and the joys of knowing that once again, people have overcome obstacles through ancient skills.

Although Watson himself has rammed ships at sea in his quest for attention, he now declares that the Gambell expedition should have used life jackets and should have left the kids at home. We have not heard him comment on another tragedy involving kids and whales - recently a whale watch expedition in the Atlantic came to an end when at least one Boy Scout was lost overboard and drowned. The scouts on the vessel were not wearing life jackets, which is strange, since most of the whale watch industry is so protective of its welfare, and guards itself from lawsuits generated by carelessness.

Perhaps Watson was unaware of this latter tragedy, or perhaps he chose not to comment on it because the vessel was on a non-consumptive mission. We are of the opinion that this man has no compassion and that his behavior simply mirrors his empty soul. The best thing he could have done was to keep his mouth shut, instead of intensifying the grief of the people of Alaska.