By: David Torres
The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society is a non-profit, marine conservation organization that is dedicated to protecting and preserving ocean wildlife from invasive fishing and other harmful acts. Their base is located in Friday Harbor on San Juan Island, Washington, in the United States.
Their Mission
Defend Ocean Wildlife. Since their creation, they’ve made it their main priority to protect all marine life species living in our oceans, from the gentle giants of the sea to its smallest creatures.
Protect Marine Habitat. Sea Shepherd opposes the pollution of the fragile ecosystem of the ocean. They put every effort into challenging any loss of coastal nesting sites from commercial development as well as any off-shore drilling and invasive fisheries.
Uphold International Laws & Agreements. They work with international law enforcement agencies to help bring poachers to justice, and partners with national governments around the world to stop illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing in their sovereign waters.
Their History
Sea Shepherd was founded in 1977 in Vancouver, Canada by Captain Paul Watson, a former board member of Greenpeace.
Paul Watson left the board of Greenpeace over disagreements over his direct action activism which clashed with their pacifist nature. In 1978 Watson convinced Cleveland Amory, head of the Fund for Animals, to fund Watson’s first vessel, aptly named Sea Shepherd.
Today the movement has independent entities in over 20 countries working together on direct-action campaigns around the world.
From their inception in 1977, with no funding or equipment, Sea Shepherd has grown to become a global movement operating all around the planet.
Their Domain
The Sea Shepherd organization has successfully stopped poachers and habitat destruction all over the world, including; Ecuador, Indonesia, Italy, Liberia, Mexico, and multiple other countries.
There has been some controversy with other nations who habitually over fish the oceans, namely Japan. This tension has forced other ally nations of that country to prohibit or limit accessibility for the Sea Shepard organization.
Their Fleet
Today, their international fleet includes twelve ships and several smaller boats used in various ocean conservation campaigns. They call their fleet Neptunes Navy.
Five of these ships are owned and managed by Sea Shepherd Global: M/Y Steve Irwin, M/Y Ocean Warrior, M/Y Bob Barker, M/Y Sam Simon and M/Y Brigitte Bardot.
Their Tactics
The Sea Sheperd Society has facilitated hundreds of arrests, the seizure of dozens of poaching vessels, and the confiscation of thousands of illegal nets.
Their tactics, however, have gotten them in some trouble with various countries. They implement direct action activism when it comes to protecting ocean wildlife. They have been known to directly attack fishing boats they view as illegally fishing and have even been labeled Eco-terrorists by some countries.
They have also received several awards for their efforts, including the Distinguished Service Medal from Liberia and the Amazon Peace Prize from Ecuador, among others.
To learn about the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society you can visit their website at: https://www.seashepherd.org
