Canadian anti-whaling activist Paul Watson will stay in detention in Greenland

Anti-whaling activist Paul Watson, founder of the Oregon-based Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, is sworn in before testifying during a contempt of court hearing in federal court, on Nov. 6, 2013, in Seattle. (Karen Ducey/Pool Photo via AP, File)

COPENHAGEN, Denmark — A court in Greenland on Wednesday once again decided to extend the custody of anti-whaling campaigner Paul Watson till Nov. 13 while Denmark considers a Japanese extradition request.

It was unclear when Denmark will decide whether or not to send him to Japan, which does not have an extradition treaty with the Scandinavian country.

Watson, a 73-year-old Canadian-American citizen, is a former head of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. Its direct action tactics, including high-seas confrontations with whaling vessels, have drawn support from A-list celebrities and were featured in the reality television series “Whale Wars.”

Watson was arrested on July 21 when his ship docked in Nuuk, Greenland’s capital and a Greenland court repeatedly has approved his detention while Danish authorities look into his possible extradition to Japan, where he faces up to 15 years in prison, according to the Captain Paul Watson Foundation.

Greenland is an autonomous territory of Denmark and handles police and justice matters.

Japan’s coast guard sought his arrest over an encounter with a Japanese whaling research ship in 2010. He was accused of obstructing the crew’s official duties by ordering the captain of his ship to throw explosives at the whaling ship.

Prosecutor Mariam Khalil said that there still was a flight risk and an extension of the custody was needed, the Greenland newspaper Sermitsiaq said.

A lawyer with Watson's defence team, Finn Meinel, told The Associated Press from Nuuk that “it is of course disappointing that someone is being kept for such a long time.”

Last week, Sea Shepherd France said Watson had asked France’s president for political asylum. It said a letter from Watson had been delivered to President Emmanuel Macron, who previously expressed his support for Watson and emphasized the importance of the case to environmental advocacy and human rights.

Whale meat is an element of Japanese food culture, and the Japanese government says it supports the sustainable use of whales.

Watson, who left Sea Shepherd in 2022, was also a leading member of Greenpeace, but left in 1977 amid disagreements over his aggressive tactics and set up the more action-oriented organization. The group has waged aggressive campaigns to protect whales, dolphins and other marine animals.