Anti-whaling campaigner Paul Watson arrested in Greenland

Paul Watson (Markus Schreiber/AP)

Police in Greenland say they have apprehended veteran environmental activist and anti-whaling campaigner Paul Watson on an international arrest warrant issued by Japan.

Watson, a 73-year-old Canadian-American citizen, is a former head of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society whose direct action tactics, including high-seas confrontations with whaling vessels, have drawn support from A-list celebrities and featured in reality television series Whale Wars.