May 22, 2023

Bob Barker – Scrapped disgracefully

John Paul DeJoria I – Scrapped disgracefully

Sharpie – Scrapped disgracefully

Farley Mowat II – Scrapped disgracefully

White Holly – Scrapped disgracefully

Brigitte Bardot – Sold disgracefully

What did they all have in common? All of them were found, purchased and refitted by Captain Paul Watson. They were his legacy, and they were seized and destroyed – not by the enemies of life in the seas, BUT by those who betrayed the principles of the organization founded and built by Captain Paul Watson over 45 years.

Six ships gone. Each ship represented thousands of hours of volunteer labor. Each ship represented hundreds of thousands of donations. 

No explanations. No communications. No transparency.

Captain Watson never scrapped a ship. He voted to retire the Steve Irwin to be used as a museum and educational Vessel in Australia. The Canadian government seized the Sea Shepxxherd II in 1992 and the Farley Mowat in 2008 in campaigns where Captain Watson orchestrated the seizure and confiscation of the vessels during high profile campaigns to destroy drift nets in 1992,  and to protect seals 2008. The same could have been done for the Bob Barker in the Faroes.

Captain Watson is building a new fleet with this promise. No ship will ever be scrapped. If a ship needs to be retired at a future date it will go down heroically, controversially and effectively. It will go down fighting.

Photo: Bob Barker – scrapped disgracefully in Turkey when it could have been used in a dramatic and high profile effective campaign.