Ever since news of the controversial arrest of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society founder Paul Watson by German authorities on an extradition request by Costa Rica, the social media sphere and news outlets have been quite busy commenting on the events. Mr. Watson’s arrest has been nothing short of a cause celebre for the Sea Shepherd Society, and the headline on a recent press release by that marine environmentalist organization seems to illustrate it:

Germany Considers Sending Whale Defender to What Will be a Death Sentence in Costa Rica

“[…] Should Captain Watson be extradited to Costa Rica, he will certainly not receive a fair trial and his safety cannot be guaranteed. The shark finning mafia, which operates illegally in Costa Rica, could try to harm Captain Watson and this reality has him fearing for his life.”

For the record, the laws of Costa Rica prohibit the death sentence, so perhaps Sea Shepherd alluded to it metaphorically. Paul Watson is looking at a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison, but there are no indications that his alleged actions would grant a maximum sentence. The press release above concludes with:

“[…] Your generous donation will help keep Captain Watson out of harm’s way, and will allow him to fulfill his mission: to protect marine creatures while there is still hope.”

If the above isn’t agitprop enough, Mr. Watson’s counsel in Germany -Oliver Wallasch- made the following comment on a late motion filed prosecutors in Frankfurt:

“Absolutely unusual – I never had this experience in all my practice in cross border cases – the fact that the public prosecutor stated, that the German Ministry of Justice and the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs have the power to stop the extradition procedure on political reasons.”

Over the last few days, the Sea Shepherd media and public relations arm  has managed to transform Mr. Watson from an environmentalist ship captain with a penchant for ramming vessels in the high seas to a casualty of an unknown political affair, as well as into a man wanted by fearsome criminal groups:

“The Taiwanese Shark Fin Mafia has had a $20,000 bounty on his head for years. We know the arm of the Taiwanese Shark Finning Mafia reaches not just to the illegal fishing industry in Costa Rica, but also to the prison system there. Sea Shepherd fears that not only would Captain Paul Watson not receive a fair trial in Costa Rica, but he would likely not survive jail long enough to see the inside of a court room.”

What is interesting about the statement above is that a Taiwanese captain was recently in court here in Costa Rica and received a monetary penalty for shark finning, but no jail time. That fine was around $124,000, considerably higher than the purported bounty that Sea Shepherd speaks of.

A Death Sentence for Tourism?

The press releases mentioned above are not the only media efforts applied by Sea Shepherd. As reported by France24, Mr. Watson and his organization enjoy the support of the glitterati:

“Despite its radical tactics, Sea Shepherd has garnered the support of Hollywood A-listers such as Sean Penn and French screen siren Brigitte Bardot along the way.

Benefactors include rock legend Mick Jagger, Red Hot Chili Peppers frontman Anthony Kiedis, surfing champion Kelly Slater, and actors Christian Bale and Edward Norton.”

The Red Hot Chili Peppers, who are currently on their “I’m With You” tour, have stepped up their support of Sea Shepherd and Mr. Watson, and to that extent the organization will follow the band with their own recreational vehicle (camper van) -as reported by online media site LAist.

The social media contingent from Sea Shepherd is also contributing with pressure against one of Costa Rica’s most cherished industries: ecotourism. In an article by Cesar Gonzalez of digital newspaper Costa Rica Hoy, a Tico representative of the organization Preserve Planet indicated that he is working along with attorneys and other groups that will defend Mr. Watson should he be extradited. The representative, Luis Diego Marin, also pointed out that the popular Facebook Timeline of the ICT (Costa Rica’s official board of tourism) is being assailed by social media netizens who are voicing their displeasure with the Watson affair.

The comments warn of a boycott on tourism activities in Costa Rica should Mr. Watson be extradited and put on trial. Mr. Marin provided the following opinion on the matter to Costa Rica Hoy:

“European tourists are evidently very demanding, and they are asking our country to practice what we preach.”

The ICT has been responding to the negative sentiments on their Facebook Timeline with a message that explains that Costa Rica is following a sovereign and democratic process, and that ICT is a government agency separate from the other powers that are carrying on the prosecution.

The social media counterattack by Sea Shepherd followers has also been displayed in comments left here on the pages of The Costa Rica Star. Environmentalist organizations often depend strongly on awareness and media attention, and it seems that Sea Shepherd has managed to greatly accomplish both in the wake of Mr. Watson’s arrest.

The sentences that Mr. Watson or the tourism industry of Costa Rica will receive as a result of the ongoing imbroglio are still to be determined, but unlike the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society posits, one can safely assume that no death sentences will be issued.