Le gouvernement réclame la démission de PAUL WATSON

[Caro18 0]

Le gouvernement du Canada réclame que Paul Watson, président de la Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, soit relevé de ses fonctions

OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - 8 déc. 2008) - Par ses propos sur les narvals emprisonnés dans les glaces près de Pond Inlet, au Nunavut, que les Inuits ont abattus par compassion, Paul Watson, président de la Sea Shepherd Conservation Society (SSCS), est allé beaucoup trop loin. Ce sont des propos qui dépassent le simple désaccord.

Les remarques désobligeantes que M. Watson a écrites assimilent cette récolte sans cruauté à la mort de civils pendant la guerre du Vietnam. Elles sont des invectives contre les Inuits, qui n'ont rien à voir avec les principes de protection de la nature. Ces remarques profondément blessantes révèlent un extrémisme inacceptable au sein de notre société, et nous exigeons des excuses immédiates et une rétractation. La Sea Shepherd Conservation Society devrait à l'instant relever M. Watson de ses fonctions de président.

Les Inuits vivent en liaison étroite avec leur environnement, et ce depuis des centaines d'années, et ils continueront de suivre les pratiques de leur grande culture. Les Inuits croient fermement que les animaux doivent être respectés et qu'ils ne doivent jamais souffrir, comme dans le cas dont nous parlons. Les commentaires de M. Watson montrent une profonde ignorance de la société des Inuits et visent à diaboliser leur culture et leurs traditions. Ses commentaires outranciers jettent le discrédit sur la Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, dont il est le représentant. Ce sont des propos profondément blessants pour les Inuits et pour tous les Canadiens.

En considérant les commentaires irresponsables de Paul Watson, il ne fait plus aucun doute que son mandat à titre de président d'une organisation de protection de la nature devrait être révoqué immédiatement.

Gail Shea, ministre des Pêches et des Océans

Leona Aglukkaq, ministre de la Santé



Renseignements :

Pêches et Océans Canada, Ottawa
Phil Jenkins
Relations avec les médias
613-990-7537

ou

Pêches et Océans Canada, Ottawa
Cabinet de la ministre
Ann Matejicka
Directrice des communications
613-992-3474
http://www.marketwire.com/mw/release.do?id=928017&lang=F5

[Cath10 0]

C'est vrai, dans ce cas, si la prochaine fois des Inuits tombent et sont enfermés dans une crevasse, on les abbateras par compassion.

[Animal 0]

Je n'ai pas lu les propos de Watson, mais la première chose qui m'est venue à l'idée lorsque j'ai lu que des Inuits allaient abattre ces 560 baleines, c'est de me demander pourquoi aucune tentative n'a été entreprise pour au moins tenter de les libérer; utiliser un brise-glace par exemple ! Ils ont plutôt choisi de les abattre: une solution cruelle qui n'a rien à voir avec la compassion.
Comme tu le mentionne Cath, si ça avait été des hommes prisonniers des glaces plutôt que des baleines, tout aurait été tenté pour les sortir de là !

[Animal 0]

Voici la réponse du capitaine



This is Captain Paul Watson's response.

I have absolutely no intention of apologizing for or retracting my criticisms of the cruel and unnecessary massacre of 560 defenseless Narwhals by Inuit riflemen on the orders of the Canadian government. I also have no intention of resigning.

The slaughter of these Narwhals did not need to take place. The Humane Society offered to employ Inuit to keep the breathing holes open until a Canadian government icebreaker could arrive to break them out. The Canadian government refused to dispatch an icebreaker stating that the noise of the icebreaker would "stress" the whales.

There was nothing humane about the slaughter that followed as Inuit riflemen opened fired on the frightened whales. The "stress" of an icebreaker would have been minimal compared to the horrific trauma of having family members torn apart by bullets around them. There is no humane way to shoot a whale. For the DFO to describe this slaughter as "humane" is ludicrous but then again not unexpected from a government that describes the skinning of a baby harp seal alive as "humane."

The use of the word "harvest" also illustrates the callousness and insensitivity of the DFO. These whales were not "harvested", they were shot in cold blood like fish in a barrel. These are endangered species and the responsibility of the government of Canada should have been to do everything possible with the resources available to them to save these animals. They did not.

This is the same DFO that spends millions of dollars each year providing icebreakers to the Canadian sealers to break paths through the ice to kill seal pups. There is no excuse for their refusal to break these Narwhales out of the ice.

I said nothing hateful about Inuit culture. My criticism was for the behavior of those individuals who slaughtered 560 Narwhals when it was possible to rescue them. I maintain that the slaughter was barbaric, cruel and unnecessary. I make no apologies for that. I could not care less what race or culture these men belonged to - it was their behaviour that I condemned and I maintain that it was a viciously cruel way to execute the orders of the government of Canada.

Our clients are whales and other marine wildlife. We represent their interests and not the interests of people of any culture, of any race, of any belief. We do not discriminate on our criticisms of human culture. The defense of life, diversity and the ecological health of this planet takes precedence over any culture. I am frankly sickened by the continued use of culture to justify everything from bullfights to fox hunts, to polar bear hunting to whaling to cutting down the rainforest.

My empathy is for hellish horrific pain, suffering and loss borne by the Narwhals. They are after all the First Nations. They were there before any of us and humankind has waged bloody war on the First Nations for far too long.

And in this war between our species and the others, (non-human sentient citizens of the planet) I side most passionately with them against us, a proud traitor to my species and every whale I can save from the clutches of death at human hands is a victory.

As for my comments being offensive to ALL Canadians, that is certainly not true. I am a Canadian and I know hundreds of others Canadians who were not offended, who in fact supported my comments and most importantly my comments were not offensive to the memory of the 560 Canadian Narwhals who died under a hail of bullets.

The Canadian government could have rescued those whales, if they had the political will to do so. They did not, so they let Inuit riflemen act as the executioners of their cold-hearted bureaucratic decision.

I fault the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans first, the riflemen second and the Inuit culture not at all. This was a crime perpetuated by individuals with the consent of government and in this case my comparison with the slaughter of civilians at MyLai, Vietnam does differ. The slaughter at MyLai in 1968 under the orders of Lt. William. Calley was not done with the consent of the U.S. government.

I grieve for those whales and it is I who demand the resignation of Gail Shea for so cold bloodedly ordering the execution of these whales. The blood is on her hands and her government. It is she who should apologize and it is she who should resign. Not I.

[Cath10 0]