Dear John,
For the first time, Sea Shepherd forces have embedded full time on the Navy base in San Felipe. While the Seahorse is in port for repairs, this team has continued to monitor the ZTA, drag for nets, and has installed a net shredding machine you can see in action HERE. Since its installation, over 150 nets have been shredded, ridding the world of more than 15 kilometers of lethal and illegal fishing nets while the Seahorse undergoes a number of upgrades to better protect the precious few Vaquita and their calves still hanging on.
The Seahorse has been hauled out so we can analyze our rudder system, sandblast the decks, install new sophisticated protections on the engines, install a new CO2 fire suppression system in the engine room, and change out all the old piping. Check out this VIDEO about how two crews worked in tandem; one repairing the Seahorse, the other maintaining vigilance over the ZTA and protecting the Vaquita.
It is important to remember that these are Mexican sovereign waters, and as an NGOs working on the water, we must be respectful of their constantly evolving process. The Navy and the sailors within are passionate about doing this work. We are honored to work alongside them sharing what we know, and learning from them.
Al Jazeera
The big media clip of the month for our campaigns was this detailed, cinematic piece done by Al Jazeera HERE after embedding on our ship.
