"Sea Shepherd's goal as always is to Defend, Conserve and Protect the ocean. We use direct action to defend marine wildlife and protect their habitat in the world's oceans. Sea Shepherd's conservation actions aim to safeguard the biodiversity of our delicately-balanced marine ecosystems. We work to defend all marine wildlife, from whales and dolphins to sharks and rays, to fish and krill, without exception."
- Chris Storey, Sea Shepherd Partnerships Manager, 2024 (Personal Interview)
As a direct action organization, Sea Shepherd conducts active operations over the water. A large fleet (some of which is shown below) was gradually raised over several decades after its founding. With many divisions around the world, Sea Shepherd's overall mission is to end irresponsible marine practices.
"All around the world, our staff, crew and passionate volunteers continue to work tirelessly protecting our ocean and creating awareness... The fight to protect all life in the sea intensifies, but the rewards are unprecedented. The victories we have booked are proof that dedication and passion can save the ocean."
- Captain Alex Cornelissen, Chief Executive Officer of Sea Shepherd Global, 2023 (Sea Shepherd Global End of Year Report 2023)
The Age of Union. Courtesy of Sea Shepherd Conservation Society
The Bob Barker. Courtesy of Sea Shepherd Conservation Society
The Conrad. Courtesy of Sea Shepherd Conservation Society
The Emanuel Bronner. Courtesy of Sea Shepherd Conservation Society
Sea Shepherd Fleet
The Martin Sheen. Courtesy of Sea Shepherd Conservation Society
The Ocean Warrior. Courtesy of Sea Shepherd Conservation Society
The Sea Eagle. Courtesy of Sea Shepherd Conservation Society
The Seahorse. Courtesy of Sea Shepherd Conservation Society
IUU fishing is one of Sea Shepherd's primary focuses. Countless of their operations have sought to capture illegal vessels that have always been permitted to roam uninterrupted. Illegal fishers have seen a turning point away from nonchalant governance toward tightening security.
“The Thunder… it’s one of the biggest, most demonic illegal trawling vessels on the planet… responsible for the death of billions of fish. And it was doing so illegally, and it was making a heck of a lot of money for a heck of a lot of people. And Peter and his team basically chased the Thunder all the way across the world. And every time it went to slow down to do something, they would be there, ramming and getting in their way. And they chased them around the world until the Thunder, 100 days later, worked out that they were never going to lose them. And so actually, rather than letting the ship, the Thunder, go into police control, they sank it...”
- Paul Goodenough, Environmentalist, Founder of Rewriting Extinction, and Collaborator with Sea Shepherd, 2024 (Personal Interview)
Map of the Paths of Sea Shepherd's Vessels in the Chase After the Thunder, 2015. Image Courtesy of Maclean's
Sinking of the Thunder. Image Courtesy of Maclean's
Two of Sea Shepherd's Vessels in Pursuit of the Thunder. Image Courtesy of Maclean's
The Bob Barker Closing in on the Thunder. Image Courtesy of Maclean's
One of Sea Shepherd Global's current operations, Operation Antarctica Defense, is combatting the legal overfishing of krill in the Arctic Ocean. Primarily, Sea Shepherd's goal is to turn around the encroachment upon krill, hopefully recovering the krill population to maintain marine balance.
"Krill are mainly used as a dietary supplement, our mission is to show people that taking those supplements participates to the destruction of Antarctica ecosystem."
- Youenn Kerdavid, Media Specialist for Sea Shepherd Global Aboard Operation Antarctica Defense, 2023 (Personal Interview)
Images from the Allankay Ship on Operation Antarctica Defense, 2024. Images Courtesy of Sea Shepherd Global
"Most people assume that the Antarctic is fully protected from industrial fishing. But over a dozen supertrawlers - each one as large as two Olympic-sized swimming pools - are licensed to kill krill, a foundation species that whales, penguins, seals, and the entire ecosystem depends on for survival."
- Captain Peter Hammarstedt, Director of Campaigns for Sea Shepherd, Chairman of Sea Shepherd Australia, and Captain of Bob Barker, 2023
Sea Shepherd remains heavily involved in reversing the stress on the oceans from fishing debris.
"From May to October, the Baltic Sea Campaign deployed Sea Shepherd Germany’s new vessel Triton, instrumental in the recovery of over 11 tonnes of ghost nets, removal of an illegal gillnet, and documentation of numerous conservation law violations..."
- Excerpt from the Sea Shepherd Global End of Year Report 2023 Regarding the Baltic Sea Campaigns (2023)
Pictures of Sea Shepherd Removing Driftnets, Extracting Ghost Nets, and Untangling Marine Creatures During the Baltic Sea Campaign, 2023. Images Courtesy of Sea Shepherd Germany
Operation Siso saw the removal of massive amounts of abandoned gear. Sea Shepherd's actions also deterred seventy percent of illegal longline fishing off of Calabria.
“With Operation SISO, Sea Shepherd returns to the Mediterranean Sea to protect cetaceans. A sperm whale came to visit us during the patrol along with numerous dolphins and turtles, almost to show us the way to the FADs, and fighting with us against illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. Operation SISO has obtained the full support of the artisanal fishermen of Lipari who, in joining us to defend the law, make our activities more and more effective. I would like to thank the Aeolian Islands Preservation Fund for allowing us to navigate these waters together, and I am sure it is only the beginning of a lasting partnership. The most important weapon that makes the difference is the support of our donors combined with the passion of the volunteers that don’t turn the other way in the face of illegality and cruelty but fight it with direct action mile after mile. Neptune’s Navy will continue to fight relentlessly and consistently in the interests of life in the oceans, measuring our success in the numbers of lives saved.”
- Andrea Morello, Campaign Leader, Aeolian Preservation Foundation
Images from Operation Siso: Catch, Free, and Release of Marine Creatures, and the Removal of FADs. Images Courtesy of Sea Shepherd Germany and Sea Shepherd Global
Salmon Infested with Sea Lice in a Fish Farm. Image Courtesy of Sea Shepherd Conservation Society
Fish farming has been targeted by Sea Shepherd through missions such as Operation Virus Hunter II.
“I am here with these nations because the sea lice and viruses in these farms are the biggest industrial spill in the history of this coast. The shockingly low number of wild salmon returning to this area today should be a concern to DFO, but instead they threaten the very people trying to protect wild salmon."
- Alexandra Morton, Part of Operation Virus Hunter II, 2017
"Wild salmon and forage fish should be protected from the harmful effects caused by the disease, sea lice and chemicals leaching from these farms... the only long-term solution is for fish farms to be removed from the environment they are polluting."
- Captain Locky Maclean, Director of Marine Operations at Sea Shepherd, 2019
