Iceland Whaling Tensions
Icelandic Authorities Seize Paul Watson-Linked Anti-Whaling Ship, Detain 21 Crew
Anonymous
Key Points
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Bandero arrived Reykjavik on Friday, and Icelandic police took over the investigation into the seizure and detentions.
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In 2024, Paul Watson was jailed in Greenland for five months after being arrested on a Japanese warrant, illustrating his ongoing legal troubles linked to anti-whaling campaigns.
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Watson left the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society in 2022 to set up his own foundation, the Captain Paul Watson Foundation.
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Watson’s anti-whaling activism has been widely publicized, including coverage of his campaigns on the reality series Whale Wars and broader celebrity support.
Icelandic authorities seized the anti-whaling vessel Bandero and detained its 21 crew members late at night after the ship ignored orders to leave Icelandic waters and stop its engines, according to The Globe and Mail. The Bandero is operated by the Captain Paul Watson Foundation, the group founded by Canadian-born activist Paul Watson, who was not aboard during the incident.
The Viking Squad — Iceland's special police unit — and coast guard officers boarded the Bandero around midnight. The crew of the whaling ship Hvalur 9 had asked for help, saying they feared for their safety, according to CT Post. Icelandic police have since taken over the investigation, and authorities are expected to pursue deportation and a ban on reentry for all detained crew members.
Whaling Ship Crew Triggered the Midnight Raid
The Hvalur 9 is one of Iceland's active commercial whaling ships. Its crew reported that the Bandero posed a safety threat, prompting an emergency call to the Icelandic Coast Guard, according to The Hour. The Bandero had arrived in Reykjavik on Friday before the confrontation escalated overnight.
After boarding, authorities held the 21 crew members aboard the Bandero without access to their phones, the Captain Paul Watson Foundation confirmed. Icelandic police then took over from the coast guard and began a formal investigation into the seizure and detentions, according to Head Topics.
Paul Watson's Long Fight Against Whaling Ships
Paul Watson co-founded Sea Shepherd and spent decades staging dramatic confrontations with whaling fleets. His campaigns were featured on the reality TV series Whale Wars and drew wide celebrity support. He left Sea Shepherd in 2022 and started the Captain Paul Watson Foundation to continue his anti-whaling work.
Watson's activism has come with serious legal consequences. In 2024, he was jailed in Greenland for five months after Denmark arrested him on a Japanese warrant tied to a 2010 incident involving a Japanese whaling vessel. He was released after Japan declined to pursue extradition, according to The Globe and Mail.
Iceland Still Hunts Whales Despite Falling Demand
Iceland is one of only three countries — along with Norway and Japan — that still practice commercial whaling. Iceland sets quotas for both fin whales and minke whales each season. Most of the whale meat has historically been exported to Japan, according to CT Post.
But demand in Japan has dropped sharply since 2019, leaving Iceland's whaling industry under growing economic pressure. Iceland's whaling program already faces heavy international criticism. The Bandero seizure is the latest flashpoint in a long-running battle between Icelandic whalers and environmental activists.
Foundation Vows to Keep Fighting After Crew's Arrest
The Captain Paul Watson Foundation confirmed the seizure publicly and said its crew was being held without phones. The Foundation has not announced whether it plans legal action to challenge the detentions or the expected deportation orders, according to Head Topics.
Watson himself remains free and was not on the Bandero during the raid. His Foundation has built a pattern of direct confrontation with whaling vessels. The Bandero incident signals that these clashes are growing more intense — and more legally risky — for activist crews operating in Icelandic waters.
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