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President of Liberia Awards Sea Shepherd Highest Military Honor

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 12, 2019 On the 11th of February, Sea Shepherd was awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) by Liberian President Dr. George Manneh Weah at the 62nd anniversary celebration of Armed Forces Day in Monrovia.  The DSO is the highest military award given by the Ministry of National Defense and the Armed Forces of Liberia, recognizing exceptional service to the Republic of Liberia.  Captains Alex Cornelissen and Peter Hammarstedt, Sea Shepherd Global’s CEO and Director of Campaigns respectively, attended the conferment ceremony in Monrovia where

Sea Shepherd Assists Liberian Coast Guard with Arrest of Cargo Vessel for Illegal Fish Trade

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 2, 2019  Over Christmas, the Liberian Coast Guard, assisted by Sea Shepherd crew, arrested the Chinese-flagged (M/V) Hai Feng 823, a 74-meter refrigerated cargo vessel (or reefer), with a history of illegal fishing, as it attempted to offload a cargo of transshipped fish in the West African port of Monrovia. Transshipment is the act of transferring fish from one vessel to another - often done at sea between fishing vessels and reefers - sometimes done to obscure the origin of the illegally-caught fish. The M/V Hai Feng 823 has previously

Taiwanese Captain Sentenced 20 Years for Shark Finning in Tanzania

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 12 December 2018 The owner and captain of the Malaysian-flagged fishing vessel (F/V) Buah Naga 1  that was boarded and arrested by Tanzanian law enforcement agents as part of Operation Jodari, a joint partnership between Sea Shepherd, Fish-i Africa and the government of Tanzania to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, have pleaded guilty to the charge of Unlawful Possession of Shark Fins in a plea agreement with Tanzanian Prosecutors. The captain, Mr. Han Ming Chuan of a Taiwan, has been in custody since January 2018 when he was charged

Foreign Industrial Trawler Arrested as Sea Shepherd Launches Renewed Partnership with Liberia to Combat Illegal Fishing

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 21, 2018 In a joint operation with the Liberian Ministry of National Defense to tackle illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing in the Republic of Liberia, West Africa, Sea Shepherd assisted the Liberian Coast Guard in the arrest of a foreign-flagged industrial trawler caught plundering artisanal fishing waters. Despite great efforts to conceal its identity, the 32-meter trawler Bonheur was intercepted by the Liberian Coast Guard on the 7th of November after crossing into Liberian waters from neighboring Côte d'Ivoire with its fishing gear in

European commercial fishing vessel busted in Africa for shark finning: São Tomé and Príncipe Authorities Pursue Legal Action

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 26, 2018 A joint operation between local authorities and marine conservationists busts a shark finning operation by a European-owned fishing vessel off the coast of Central Africa. On September 22nd, local authorities from the Central African island state of São Tomé and Príncipe boarded the Senegalese-flagged, but Spanish-linked, long-line fishing vessel Vema in a joint operation with Sea Shepherd marine conservationists and Gabonese law enforcement officers called Operation Albacore III. Although the long-liner was licensed to fish for 'tuna and

Three Illegal Fishing Vessels Arrested: Sea Shepherd Returns to Gabon to Help Protect Africa’s Largest Marine Protected Area

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 10 July 2018 A year after Gabon’s President Ali Bongo Ondimba declared the creation of nine new national marine parks and 11 new aquatic reserves at the United Nations Ocean Conference in New York, the marine conservation group Sea Shepherd has returned to Gabon to assist the government in combatting illegal fishing in what is now Africa’s largest network of marine protected areas. Operation Albacore III is Sea Shepherd’s third campaign in partnership with the Gabonese government to tackle illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing in Central West

Successful Results Achieved in Sea Shepherd’s Second IUU Fishing Operation with Liberian Government

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 8 June 2018 After a total of twelve months of patrols and twelve arrests, Sea Shepherd Global’s second joint operation with the Liberian Ministry of National Defense to tackle illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing in the Republic of Liberia, West Africa, has resulted in a dramatic drop in incidents of illegal fishing and the return of fish populations in coastal waters formerly over-exploited by foreign trawlers. Before Operation Sola Stella commenced in early 2017, the artisanal fishing community of Harper, a Liberian town on the border with Cote

Hot Pursuit of Toothfish Poacher Ends with Arrest in Indonesia

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 9, 2018 On the morning of April 6th, an Indonesian Navy ship intercepted the F/V STS-50, a stateless toothfish poaching vessel that escaped custody from Maputo Bay, Mozambique on March 17th. The arrest marks the end of an incredible three-week-long trans-Indian Ocean chase, where the coordinated efforts of Interpol’s Project Scale, Fish-i Africa, the Fusion Centers in Madagascar and Singapore, Sea Shepherd, the United Republic of Tanzania, and the Republic of Indonesia finally brought this notorious poacher to justice. The F/V STS-50, a known Patagonian

Sea Shepherd Ship Intercepts Trawler as it Attempts to Flee Detention in Liberia

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 26 March 2018 A Guinean-flagged fishing trawler detained and under investigation by Liberian law enforcement authorities was arrested by the Liberian Coast Guard, with assistance from Sea Shepherd, as it attempted to evade justice by fleeing detention on March 15th, 2018. Taking advantage of a national holiday in Liberia, the F/V Benty 1 endeavored to slip away under the radar of authorities and make a break for international waters. A Liberian Coast Guard Boarding team on board the Sea Shepherd vessel M/Y Sam Simon intercepted the F/V Benty 1 just 7

Notorious Toothfish Poacher Arrested by Liberian Coast Guard, Assisted by Sea Shepherd

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 21 March 2018 A notorious Antarctic and Patagonian toothfish poaching vessel, famous for plundering the Antarctic, was arrested on March 13th in waters belonging to the West African state of Liberia by the Liberian Coast Guard, with assistance from the marine conservation group Sea Shepherd. The F/V Hai Lung, known to the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) by its previous name ‘Kily’, was transiting through Liberian waters when it was boarded and inspected by a Liberian Coast Guard team working alongside Sea Shepherd

Timber Smugglers Busted in Sea Shepherd’s Second Joint Patrol with Tanzania

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 15, 2018 A 20-day at-sea patrol undertaken by a coalition of Tanzanian law enforcement agencies, Fish-i Africa and Sea Shepherd crew, working on board the Sea Shepherd ship, M/Y Ocean Warrior, has resulted in the arrest of ten vessels, seven of which belong to a network of timber smugglers who are devastating mangrove forests in East Africa. Since the arrest of three fishing vessels for fisheries crimes and the levying of fines totaling 19 billion Tanzanian Shillings (6,865,160 EUR) against 19 other fishing vessels that fled Tanzania before submitting to

Tanzanian Authorities Issue Over €6 Million in Fines to Foreign Fishing Vessels Evading Inspections

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 28, 2018 Showing how serious they are about the recent crackdown on illegal activities taking place on fishing vessels within its waters, Tanzanian authorities have issued fines of over €6 million to a fleet of 19 foreign-registered fishing vessels which fled Tanzania without submitting to the required inspections. Weeks after a covert patrol by a coalition of Tanzanian law enforcement agencies, Fish-I Africa and Sea Shepherd crew on board the Sea Shepherd ship M/Y Ocean Warrior resulted in the arrest of three fishing vessels, the Tanzanian Ministry

Sea Shepherd Announces New Covert Operation with Tanzania, Arrest of Three Fishing Vessels

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 5, 2018 After completing a covert 20-day patrol resulting in the arrest of three vessels for fisheries crimes, the Sea Shepherd vessel M/Y Ocean Warrior has arrived in Dar es Salaam to officially launch Operation Jodari, a campaign in partnership with the government of the United Republic of Tanzania to tackle illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing in the Western Indian Ocean region. For the past three weeks, law enforcement agents with the Deep Sea Fishing Authority, Tanzanian Navy and the Multi-Agency Task Team (MATT) have been secretly

Liberia arrests high-tech poachers for illegal fishing and attempted bribery

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 18, 2018 On the 15thof January 2018, the Ghanaian-flagged Fishing Vessel (F/V) Panofi Fore Runner was arrested in waters belonging to the West African state of Liberia by the Liberian Coast Guard assisted by Sea Shepherd crew. The 71-meter long purse seine vessel was apprehended with nine fish aggregation devices (FADs) fishing in Liberian waters and without a Liberian Fishing License. FADs are essentially ‘fish magnets’ that attract fish and the ones deployed by the F/V Panofi Fore Runner are high-tech devices that alert the vessel to fish activity.

Nigeria Takes Action Against ‘Sustainably-Certified’ Shrimp Trawler Arrested in Liberian Waters

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 11, 2018 Taking charges of illegal fishing seriously, the Nigerian government recalled a “sustainably-certified” shrimping trawler arrested in Liberian waters in 2017 and held it in detention for three months until the vessel’s owner fired the captain and chief engineer. On March 13, 2017, the Liberian Coast Guard arrested the Nigerian-flagged Fishing Vessel (F/V) Star Shrimper XXV with the assistance of Sea Shepherd crew for committing several offenses .

Sea Shepherd Celebrates New Year with Arrest of Illegal Fishing Vessel in Liberia

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 5, 2018 On January 2nd, the Chinese-flagged fishing vessel (F/V) Guo Ji 809 was arrested by the Liberian Coast Guard -- with the assistance of the marine conservation organization Sea Shepherd -- for illegal fishing in waters belonging to the West African state of Liberia. Sea Shepherd’s vessel M/Y Sam Simon detected the fishing vessel by radar as it navigated Liberian waters at a speed indicating trawling activity. A Liberian Coast Guard Boarding Team quickly mobilized on board the M/Y Sam Simon and proceeded to the target where it was discovered that

Arrest of poaching vessel shows shark liver oil production could drive species to extinction

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 19, 2017 The arrest of the internationally-blacklisted fishing vessel ‘Labiko 2’ by the Liberian Coast Guard, assisted by Sea Shepherd, gives insight into the shadowy and largely unregulated shark liver oil industry. After being kicked out of European waters, these unscrupulous owners and operators, mostly based out of Spain, have set their sights on West Africa. In the mid-1990s, the largely Spanish-owned fleet of approximately 50 deep-water shark fishing boats wreaked havoc in the North East Atlantic Ocean. For almost ten years, these vessels

Sea Shepherd Assists Liberian Coast Guard in Arrest of Notorious Internationally-Blacklisted Vessel for Illegal Fishing

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Novembre 23, 2017 In a joint operation in partnership with the Liberian Ministry of National Defense to tackle illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing in the Republic of Liberia, West Africa, Sea Shepherd has assisted the Liberian Coast Guard in the arrest of a notorious fishing vessel that is on three different international blacklists. The F/V Labiko 2, a 54-meter fishing vessel provisionally registered to Liberia, was boarded by the Liberian Coast Guard with the assistance of the Sea Shepherd vessel M/Y Sam Simon on November 15th when it was

Large Fishing Trawler Arrested in Covert Operation by Sea Shepherd Global and the Liberian Authorities

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Novembre 9, 2017 In a joint operation with the Liberian Ministry of National Defense to tackle illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing in the Republic of Liberia, West Africa, Sea Shepherd Global has assisted the Liberian Coast Guard to arrest a St Kitts and Nevis-flagged trawler for fisheries crimes including fish smuggling and violations of tax and customs laws. The F/V Dzintars, a 56.11meter trawler, was boarded by the Liberian Coast Guard on the 28th of September, after the vessel shut down their Automatic Identification System (AIS) before

Sea Shepherd Concludes Operation to Combat Illegal Fishing in Central West Africa

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Novembre 8, 2017 With the arrival of the M/Y Bob Barker in Bremen, Germany for three months of repair work and maintenance, a joint operation between Sea Shepherd and the Gabonese government to tackle illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing in Central West Africa, has officially concluded. The campaign, Operation Albacore II, aimed to expand existing monitoring, control and surveillance measures to detect and deter IUU fishing activity, while also monitoring legal compliance by licensed fishing operators in the waters of the Republic of Gabon. During

Massive Spanish Shark Finning Operation Uncovered in São Tomé and Príncipe

São Toméan Authorities Pursue Legal Action in EUFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 17, 2017 On the 5th of September, the Spanish long-line fishing vessel Baz was boarded in waters belonging to the Central African island state of São Tomé and Príncipe by São Toméan authorities, assisted by marine conservationists from Sea Shepherd and law enforcement officers from Gabon during a joint operation called Operation Albacore. Although the long-liner was licensed to fish for 'tuna and similar species' inspections revealed that their fish holds were mostly filled with sharks, predominately blue

Sea Shepherd Helps Gabonese Authorities to Bust Fishing Vessel for Hiding Endangered Species’ Deaths

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 18, 2017 In 1990 the “Dolphin Safe” label was created after public outcry over the number of dolphins killed in tuna fishing nets. Over 25 years later, non-target and often endangered species are still being killed as “by-catch” in tuna nets around the world.  In Gabon, where yellow fin tuna is fished in the same waters teeming with dolphins, turtles, rays and sharks, by-catch is a common occurrence that is not only rarely avoided, but also often unreported by the industrial tuna fishing vessels. This summer, Gabonese fisheries enforcement officers

Sea Shepherd Assists Gabonese Navy and Fisheries Enforcement in the Arrest of Two Illegal Fishing Trawlers

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 14, 2017 One week after the announcement of Operation Albacore II, a joint operation between Sea Shepherd and the Gabonese government to tackle illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing in Central West Africa, the crew of the Sea Shepherd ship, Bob Barker, has assisted Gabonese authorities in the arrest of two illegal fishing trawlers. The two trawlers, Haixin 23 and Haixin 28, flagged to China, were intercepted when five fishing vessels were observed by radar crossing the border between the Republic of Gabon and the Republic of Congo under the

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