Dear Friends,
Thank you for being part of a global movement to protect marine wildlife worldwide. Poachers don’t stop during pandemics, and the need to remain on the front line of ocean conservation is stronger than ever.
With your generous support, Sea Shepherd achieved many significant victories for the ocean during an exceptionally challenging year.
Today is the last day of our Matching Gift Challenge. We are sincerely grateful to all who have contributed thus far - these victories would not have been possible without you. If you have not yet joined the challenge, please consider helping us to meet our fundraising goal for the year. All donations received before midnight on December 31st will be doubled up to a maximum of $105,000.
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Sea Shepherd managed to successfully prevent the extinction of the world’s most endangered marine mammal during 2020. The Farley Mowat and the Sharpie are currently in the Upper Gulf of California, working with Mexican authorities to deter poaching and remove the illegal gillnets that threaten the survival of the species.
Despite its precariously small population size, the vaquita is still out there and needs our help to ensure its safety throughout 2021 and beyond. Scientists on board Sea Shepherd’s Farley Mowat sighted two vaquitas in November 2020, instilling both a sense of hope and a sense of urgency to the important work being undertaken by our crew members in Mexico. Illegal gillnets are responsible for the decline of this species, and eliminating these nets from their habitat is the only way to ensure that this rare animal, endemic to Mexico’s rich and biodiverse waters, continues to exist for years to come.
Sea Shepherd’s partnerships with several African nations have resulted in multiple arrests this year as we continue to collaborate with governments to prevent illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing in the coastal waters of West Africa. Most recently, Benin Navy sailors, working in collaboration with Sea Shepherd vessel Bob Barker, apprehended two illegal trawlers during a nighttime raid.
Sea Shepherd’s research collaborations brought us to the Guadalupe Island Biosphere Reserve, the Revillagigedo Archipelago, and the San Benito Islands in 2020. Working with renowned cetacean researchers, Sea Shepherd is contributing to the body of scientific knowledge needed to shape policy and enhance protections for cetaceans around the world. These partnerships also led to the possible discovery of a new species of beaked whale by scientists and Sea Shepherd crew members aboard the Martin Sheen in November 2020. Environmental DNA analysis is expected to confirm this finding early in 2021.
Shop Sustainably at our eStore! Thank you to everyone who has purchased official Sea Shepherd merchandise in 2020! Your support through our eStore has helped us raise vital funds for our marine conservation campaigns throughout this challenging year.
We would also like to thank the fantastic brands we partnered with this year to bring you new merchandise, including our sustainable sunglasses and our litter pickers made from recycled marine plastic! Pick up both products today at shop.seashepherd.org
We look forward to even more successes in 2021. The need to protect our ocean has never been greater, but neither has the strength and resolve of our global movement to defend marine life worldwide. Thank you for standing by our side on the front lines of ocean conservation.
Captain Paul Watson
Founder and Director
Sea Shepherd Conservation Society |
