Red Hot Chili Peppers to honor Sea Shepherd during jams

Rock group will educate the crowds at Australia's massive Big Day Out festival on the conservation org's initiatives.

Thu, Jan 17 2013 at 10:57 AM

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Activism, Music, Oceans

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The Red Hot Chili Peppers have long been huge supporters of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society (lead singer Anthony sits on the group's Board of Directors) - and starting this week, they'll use their music to help drive more awareness for the organization's initiatives.

The Peppers are the headlining act for Australia's massive Big Day Out festival that plays over five days in five difference Australian cities. According to sources, they're planning on dedicating all of their shows to the Sea Shepherd, and will also incorporate digital art from the group's Australia charter into the video backdrop on stage.

“The Red Hot Chili Peppers are longtime supporters of Sea Shepherd, Captain Watson and the wonderful work they do to save our ocean and protecting marine wildlife globally,” the band wrote last year in urging the German authorities to stop the extradition of Captain Paul Watson to Costa Rica.

While Watson eventually skipped bail and fled the country, effectively making him a fugitive, he has managed to elude authorities by remaining in international waters. The 62-year-old founder and president of the org made headlines last week after announcing that he was resigning from the U.S. and Australia chapters; adding that he will “hold no paid position with Sea Shepherd anywhere Sea Shepherd is registered and operates as a non-profit organization in any nation.”

“I have also stepped down as campaign leader for Operation Zero Tolerance,” he added. “Former Greens Party leader and former Australian Senator, Bob Brown of Tasmania will now hold this position.”

Watson’s decision comes on the heels of a US appeals court decision to temporary block the SSCS from attacking the whalers or coming within 450 metres of their ships in the Antarctic.

“As a United States citizen, I will respect and comply with the ruling of the United States 9th District Court and will not violate the temporary injunction granted to the Institute for Cetacean Research,” he says in a statement. “I will participate as an observer within the boundaries established by the 9th Circuit Court of the United States.”

It’s a shrewd move – and one that was likely calculated by the group and its clever lawyers in the event of the injunction happening. With Watson removing himself and the US chapter (Sea Shepherd Conservation Society) named specifically in the ruling, the organization’s other international chapters are free to continue business as usual. The US does not have jurisdiction over charities based elsewhere.

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