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Paul Watson

Paul Watson Quotes

Activist

Paul Watson is a Canadian-born environmental activist, author, and marine conservationist born on December 2, 1950. He is best known as the founder of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, established in 1977, which is renowned for its direct-action approach to combating whaling and illegal fishing worldwide. Watson was an early member of Greenpeace before his expulsion, after which he pursued more aggressive tactics in environmental protection. He has led numerous sea voyages to intercept Japanese whaling operations in the Antarctic, becoming one of the most controversial yet influential figures in the global environmental movement. Watson has authored several books on marine conservation and ocean protection.

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Famous Paul Watson Quotes

“If you don't know an answer, a fact, a statistic - make it up on the spot.”

Ifs Knows Facts Answers Spots

Author:Paul Watson

“We need to radically and intelligently reduce human populations to fewer than one billion. We need to eliminate nationalism and tribalism and become Earthlings. And as Earthlings, we need to recognize that all the other species that live on this planet are also fellow citizens and also Earthlings. This is a planet of incredible diversity of life-forms; it is not a planet of one species as many of us believe.”

Needs Believe Humans Form Planets Citizens Diversity Fellows Species Incredibles Population Billions Nationalism Fewer Tribalism Human Population Diversity Of Life

Author:Paul Watson

“The Ady Gil, a Sea Shepherd vessel, it's a fast patrol boat, was sitting still in the water when the Shonan Maru #2 came by, deliberately turned into it, rammed it, cut it in half, sunk it and destroyed it.”

Stills Water Half Cutting Sea Sitting Boat Destroyed Vessel Shepherds Sitting Still

Author:Paul Watson

“All of the great whales are endangered.”

Author:Paul Watson

“They [Japanese whalers] haven't produced a single peer-reviewed international scientific paper in 23 years.”

Years Havens Paper International Peers

Author:Paul Watson

“The fact is I have never been convicted of a crime.”

Author:Paul Watson

“I got the impression that instead of going out to shoot birds, I should go out and shoot the kids who shoot birds.”

Should Kids Bird Impression Going Out

Author:Paul Watson

“It doesn't matter what is true; it only matters what people believe is true... You are what the media define you to be. [Greenpeace] became a myth and a myth-generating machine.”

People Believe Matter Media Machines Myth True You Define You Greenpeace

Author:Paul Watson

“I reject the idea that humans are superior to other life forms. . . Man is just an ape with an overly developed sense of superiority.”

Men Humans Ideas Form Superiors Rejects Superiority Apes

Author:Paul Watson

“In the great scheme of things, what matters is not how long you live but why you live, what you stand for and what you are willing to die for.”

Long Matter Dies Willing Schemes What Matters Willing To Die

Author:Paul Watson

“I have been honored to serve the whales, dolphins, seals - and all the other creatures on this Earth. Their beauty, intelligence, strength, and spirit have inspired me. These beings have spoken to me, touched me, and I have been rewarded by friendship with many members of different species. If the whales survive and flourish, if the seals continue to live and give birth, and if I can contribute to ensuring their future prosperity, I will be forever happy.”

Ifs Giving Has Beens I Can Different Earth Spirit Forever Birth Creatures Members Species Inspired Prosperity Touched Honored Whales Seals Dolphins Future Prosperity

Author:Paul Watson

“Unless we stop the degradation of our oceans, marine ecological systems will begin collapsing and when enough of them fail, the oceans will die. And if the oceans die, then civilization collapses and we all die”

Ifs Enough Dies Failing Civilization Ocean Collapse Marine Degradation Ecological

Author:Paul Watson

“North American cats eat more fish than all the world's seals put together, yet we lay the blame on the seals for the declining fish stocks.”

World Together Animal Cat Blame Lays Fishes Animal Rights Seals

Author:Paul Watson

“Back in 1980, whale watching surpassed whaling as an industry. Now it's worth about four times as much. Whale watching provides far, far more jobs to people than whaling ever did. Whale watching has become an ally in the fight to end whaling.”

People Ends Jobs Fighting Animal Four Industry Allies Animal Rights Whales

Author:Paul Watson

“This isn't a hunt that's going to kill just four or five gray whales. The repercussions of this will have an effect on tens of thousands of whales that will be killed by the Japanese and Norwegians.”

Animal Five Four Effects Gray Animal Rights Hunts Whales Repercussions Norwegians

Author:Paul Watson

“I can assure you no whales are going to be killed today.”

I Can Today Animal Animal Rights Whales

Author:Paul Watson

“Unlike aboriginal hunters, commercial seal hunters leave the carcasses on the ice to rot.”

Animal Ice Animal Rights Hunters Seals Aboriginal

Author:Paul Watson

“Atlantic puffins starve to death so that Danish chickens can feast on their fish.”

Animal Fishes Chickens Animal Rights Danish Puffins

Author:Paul Watson

“We don't give a damn what you or anybody else on this planet thinks. We didn't sink those ships for you. We did it for the whales.”

Thinking Giving Animal Planets Ships Damn Animal Rights Whales Don't Give A Damn

Author:Paul Watson

“Pigs eat more tuna than all the planet's sharks combined.”

Animal Planets Animal Rights Pigs Sharks Tuna

Author:Paul Watson

“They [Greenpeace] forgot their original purpose and turned into a big, rich bureaucracy, more interested in fund-raising than in saving lives, so I got fed up and quit... they're a bunch of wimps.”

Bigs Purpose Animal Rich Originals Quitting Bunch Saving Fund Feds Animal Rights Bureaucracy Fed Up Save A Life Wimps Greenpeace

Author:Paul Watson

“Once we get three more directors elected, the Sierra Club will no longer be pro-hunting and pro-trapping and we can use the resources of the $95-million-a-year budget to address some of these issues.”

Years Use Three Animal Millions Issues Directors Resources Clubs Budgets Addresses Animal Rights Hunting Sierra

Author:Paul Watson

“Intelligence is the ability of a species to live in harmony with its environment.”

Ability Animal Environment Harmony Species Animal Rights

Author:Paul Watson

“A vegan riding a hummer contributes less to greenhouse gas emissions than a meat eater riding a bicycle.”

Meat Gas Vegan Riding Bicycle Emissions Greenhouses Greenhouse Gases Riding A Bicycle

Author:Paul Watson

“You can't love nature with a gun”

Gun Nature Love

Author:Paul Watson

“Almost all theological thought is anthropocentric and I just cannot buy into the anthropocentric ideology. Basically we're a bunch of conceited apes.”

Religion Bunch Ideology Apes Theological Conceited

Author:Paul Watson

“Social change comes through people.”

People Social Social Change

Author:Paul Watson

“WE CAN NOT LIVE ON THIS PLANET WITH DEAD OCEANS. IF OUR OCEANS DIE, WE DIE.”

Ifs Dies Planets Ocean Can Not

Author:Paul Watson

About the Author

Born: December 2, 1950
Known for: Activist
Quotes: 78

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