Photo: Animal Planet

Captain Paul Watson recently sat down to talk about the food served to his crew.  The entire crew eats vegan while out at sea with meals served up by chef, Laura Dakin.  He has this to say about his choice:

“I run my ship as a vegan vessel. It’s not for animal rights reasons but to set an example and to try and get people to think about the connection between what they eat and what we’re doing to the oceans, because it’s quite simple, really. I personally feel that it’s the most important cause on the planet; more important than anything else for the simple reason as this – if the oceans die then we all die. And we’ve removed 90% of the fish from the oceans.”

Alright, I’m confused.  On one hand, he wants you to make the connection to what you are putting in your mouth to what we are doing to the oceans.  But on the other hand they don’t eat vegan for animal rights reasons.  I would think that eating fish is not much different than eating a cow.  Both are animals that their habitats and lives have changed because of human intervention.  They are both exploited.  To say that you are a conservation group that eats vegan to make a point – but you draw the line at being called an animal rights group – is really an oxymoron.  Animal rights and conservation efforts are really in line with each other, or at least they should be.  You can’t conserve resources without thinking of the impact of factory farming, whether that farm is on land or in the middle of the ocean.

And Watson was very clear that his missions are about conservation and not animal rights.  I believe that he felt the need to make this distinction because he didn’t want to be grouped with organizations that the public view as “crazy”.  It’s very possible that he may loose public interest or donations by being associated with animal rights groups.  And that would hurt what he is trying to accomplish.  The more people he can get to support him, the bigger a success he will be.  So, lets look at Watson’s use of the term “wacky animal-rights group”.  The idea that all animal rights groups are “wacky” is, of course, absurd.  But the idea that we are all wacky comes from, I guarantee it, a certain large animal rights organization that uses the outrageous to make a point.  And let me clarify that even further, I am speaking specifically about PETA.  Oh, I’m not blaming the whole world’s negative perception about animal rights on PETA, but I am saying that PETA has made a large impact on the animal rights movement and it’s not all good.  In fact, most people I speak to have a very limited knowledge about animal rights, and what they do know they got from a ridiculous PETA campaign.  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard “PETA believes that humans should die, animals should take over the world – they even protest buildings being built because they don’t want to kill the worms”.  I spend quite a bit of time talking about the misconceptions, making less time that I can talk about what really needs to be said.  It’s the very reason that all vegans should be aware that they are advocating veganism every time you speak.  It’s important, so important, to advocate intelligently and with respect.  Otherwise people are going to feel like you’re just another freak.

I haven’t decided how I feel about Whale Wars just yet.  Yes, something needs to be done to save our ocean life from disappearing.  Whether you agree with his methods or not, he’s out there saving lives and I can respect that.  And kudos for the vegan meals on board.  I wish, however, that his view of life and subsequently the example he’s setting, extends beyond the ocean onto our factory farms on land.  That, in my opinion, would be true conservation.

via latimesblogs.latimes.com