Between 2002-2016, we conducted eleven Southern Ocean Whale Defence Campaigns, saving the lives of over 6000 whales from the whaling fleet's deadly harpoons.

With the Japanese government announcing that the whaling program in the Antarctic was finally over, this year was the first year that the Antarctic Whale Sanctuary was just that: a sanctuary. 

Read commentary from Captain Peter Hammarstedt about this massive victory for the whales of the Southern Ocean. 

Australia-based Karoon Gas decided to ditch its exploration permit located in the Great Australian Bight. During the company’s general meeting, Karoon's Chairman said the company had “listened to our broader stakeholder groups and have initiated actions to relinquish EPP46 in the Great Australian Bight.”

Karoon is the third oil-major to abandon its plans for the Bight, joining BP and Chevron.

Learn more about our ongoing work to defend the Great Australian Bight

We expanded our campaigns to combat illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing, now partnering with seven African coastal states . Through joint at-sea patrols, our ships and crew worked with national authorities and regional partners to defend marine wildlife in areas previously plundered by poachers. Read more

Passionate volunteers from our marine debris campaign facilitated an incredible 214 clean-ups, removing 27.6 tonnes of trash from Australia's beaches and waterways.

Learn more about out the campaign as well as how you can get involved. 

The Queensland Government lost a Federal Court appeal, which would have allowed authorities to continue to kill sharks caught on drum lines inside the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.

As apex predators, sharks play a vital role in keeping marine ecosystems healthy. For the protection of Australia's sharks, Sea Shepherd supports a movement towards scientifically-proven, non-lethal alternatives to shark bite mitigation. Learn more. 

The M/V Bob Barker and its crew removed over 4 tonnes of marine plastic pollution from the beaches of Cabo Verde: one of the world's largest nesting sites for vulnerable loggerhead sea turtles. Learn more

#Fightforthebight community protests became consistent and widespread. On a National Day of Action in November, thousands of Australians participated in 56 paddle-out events around the country.

Watch as some of Australia's surfing legends speak out for the protection of the Bight

Sea Shepherd’s long-term collaboration with the government of Gabon, a country along the coastline of Central Africa, has taken on a new dimension thanks to a € 1.98 Million Extra Project award from the Dutch Postcode Lottery. The generous award will help halt the demise of sharks and rays through the establishment of Africa’s first shark sanctuary. Read more

As part of our campaigns to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, Sea Shepherd worked with the Gambian law enforcement agents, the Department of Fisheries and The Gambia Navy worked to covertly apprehend and arrest ten  illegal fishing vessels in The Gambia in just one day.

Since Sea Shepherd commenced our unique ship rider partnerships with African coastal and island States, 50 vessels have been arrested. 

Sea Shepherd was presented with the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) by Liberia. The DSO is the highest military award given by the Ministry of National Defence and the Armed Forces of Liberia, recognising exceptional service to the Republic of Liberia. The award honoured Sea Shepherd for “the immense support and contribution in assisting the Liberian Coast Guard to fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing in Liberia”. Read more 

Since 2014,Sea Shepherd has been working in partnership with Liberian authorities on joint at-sea patrols that have resulted in the arrest of 15 fishing vessels for illegal fishing and other fisheries crimes.