Sea Shepherd Huffs and Puffs
But He's Just Blowing in the Wind

It's the slow season for seal hunt protesters. No ice, no seals. No media attention. Paul Watson had to be in court for violating Canadian seal hunt regulations. He and his ten American followers had approached sealers too closely and apparently, provoked them so obnoxiously that there was an altercation of some kind. The Mounties did not lay charges against the sealers, knowing that they had been severely provoked while legally doing their jobs. They apparently did charge the Sea Shepherds for photographing sealers killing seals. They had violated the "approaching the seal hunt too closely" restriction.

Now Watson claims to be challenging the Canadian constitution, specifically that part which gives Canadian authorities the legal right to oversee the hunt, sealers' conduct and the conditions under which seals may be taken. Canadian newspaper accounts of the lawsuit against Canada note that no specific information about this constitutionality question has been disclosed. Watson's attorney is mum. The judge in the case shall reserve some time late this year for the action to be considered. As usual, the charges against Watson and his gang of self-righteous thugs are given short shrift in the media accounts, compared to the precedent of a criminal challenging the constitutionality of the law under which he was charged.

In IWMC's opinion, this is just another ploy to attract media attention by this lack-luster small time bully. He is not going to change Canadian law, nor is he going to be responsible for ending the seal fishery. The annual hunt is a management plan necessary to restore ecological balance in the western Atlantic, now damaged since 1983 by a seal herd that has grown out of control, to the detriment of fish, birds, seals, whales, and maybe most of all, fishermen-sealers of the Maritimes. Our best wishes to them all. This too shall pass.