|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
FCUSA COMMENTARY, NOVEMBER 1997
Should Conflict Generation Be Rewarded by Non-Profit Benefits?
By Teresa Platt, Executive Director, Fur Commission USA
(The author wishes to thank the High North Alliance for much of the research in this article.)
Generating Conflict for Dollars
In order to raise money, many non-profit groups in the U.S. specialize in generating conflict, not consensus, on issues of the environment and animal use. In November, the fishing vessel "Morild," which also has an unused whaling permit, sank at the quay in Brønnøysund, Norway. The vessel, which belongs to Steinar Bastesen, Norwegian Parliament member and former chairman of the Norwegian Whalers' Union, was raised to the surface. Four valves were found open.
On Norwegian television, Paul Watson, of the U.S. non-profit Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, stated that "there'll probably be more attacks on whaling vessels in the near future."
U.S.-Based Terrorists?
"These terrorists issue their threats from bases in the United States. Therefore, the U.S. government has a special responsibility to bring this activity to a halt," states Rune Frøvik. secretary of the Norwegian-based High North Alliance. Sea Shepherd has tax-exempt status in the U.S., allowing supporters to deduct contributions from their taxes. "In this way, the U.S. government is taking part in the funding of terrorist activities, and is at the same time legitimating hostile activities directed towards individuals conducting completely legal and sustainable minke whaling operations. Sea Shepherd can in no way be said to fulfill the criteria required for a charitable organization. This status must therefore be revoked immediately," says Frøvik.
Although Watson does not claim responsibility for the scuttling of "Morild," he boasts intimate knowledge of what happened. He says that anti-whalers were behind the attack and claims a group calling itself "Agenda 21" attempted to scuttle the vessel "Elin-Toril" in the Lofoten Islands on October 30. Earlier in 1997, Agenda 21 claimed responsibility for setting fire to the "Senet," a fishing and minke whaling boat.
"Animal rights terrorism has now gained a foothold in Norway," says secretary Frøvik, calling attention to, among other things, cases of arson directed towards an abattoir earlier this year, the devastation of a central egg depot, and extensive attacks on furrier's stores. The radical Animal Liberation Front (ALF) has claimed responsibility for these actions and five people have been charged. The same five were also active in the animal rights organization known as NOAH giving the impression that members are working for NOAH during the day and ALF at night. ALF is classified as a terrorist group by Scotland Yard and the U.S. FBI.
U.S. Congress Battles Terrorists
A 1993 report to the U.S. Congress on "Animal Enterprise Terrorism" notes that underground direct-action groups such as the ALF maintain "connections with legitimate, above-ground animal rights advocacy groups." These "legitimate" organizations romanticize and publicize the attacks since underground groups have obvious problems about appearing in the media. (See "Report to Congress on the Extent and Effects of Domestic and International Terrorism on Animal Enterprises".)
According to Frøvik, "There is a strong symbiosis between the acts of terror carried out by the underground groups and the above-ground animal rights advocacy groups." The motive for the sabotage, says Frøvik, is to "force the government to change its policies."
Raising Funds in America, Havoc Abroad
The 1992 "Animal Enterprise Protection Act" was passed to combat acts of animal rights terrorism in the United States. However, Paul Watson raises funds in America while engaging in sabotage abroad. Watson was sentenced to 120 days by Norwegian authorities for his attempt to scuttle the combined fishing and whaling vessel "Nybræna" in 1992, a sentence which he served in the Netherlands earlier this year.
There are several recorded incidents of harassment by Watson and crew against fishermen fishing legally on the high seas, in Costa Rican and Mexican waters. In 1986, Sea Shepherd claimed responsibility for scuttling two Icelandic whaling vessels and Rodney Coronado, now serving a lengthy U.S. prison term for setting fire to a U.S. scientific lab, was one of the admitted culprits.
"This shows that the U.S. implements effective initiatives against animal rights terrorism in cases where American interests are at stake, but at the same time it allows organizations that conduct such terrorism to maintain their bases in the U.S. - as long as their actions only effect other countries," says Frøvik of the High North Alliance.
Sea Shepherd Says
According to a November '97 Sea Shepherd press release: "This arrogance in ignoring the moratorium is being rewarded by a campaign of attacks on Norwegian whalers meant to keep insurance premiums high and to increase security costs for the purpose of impacting the outlaw whaling industry economically."
Earlier this year, the Norwegian government stated that protest against Norwegian whaling is dead and that the international public was accepting the whaling activities. "I think that the conservation answer to this arrogant pronouncement has been delivered," said Captain Paul Watson.
"Bastesen's vessel has always been the primary target for anti-whaling activists. The leader of the outlaw whalers has at last been hit. It is a great victory for the whales."
What do YOU think?
- Is sabotage, as celebrated by Sea Shepherd, the "conservation answer?"
- How far should legal, peaceful protests go?
- Does the end justify the means? Should groups supporting the end ignore the means?
- Should groups generating conflict be rewarded with non-profit status and subsidized by taxpayers?
- Does giving non-profit status to conflict groups advance societal change or foster terrorism?
And should we care?
- Should we repeal non-profit status for groups promoting conflict?
We'd like to hear your opinion. E-mail us at furfarmers@aol.com
See also:
Putting Our Money Where Their Mouths Are : How WTO's Detractors Are Demonstrating on the Taxpayer's Dime By Tom McClusky. National Taxpayers Union Foundation, Issue Brief 123 (April 14, 2000; Outside link)