News
16 Years Protecting the Ocean: Thank you to Outgoing Director Laura Dakin
Friday, 16 Jul, 2021
Thank you to Laura Dakin for many years of service to Sea Shepherd and to the cause of protecting and defending life, diversity and interdependence in our ocean.
This week, Veteran Sea Shepherd Crewmember Laura Dakin has stepped down from her role as a Sea Shepherd Australia Director.
Laura has been a part of the Sea Shepherd movement since 2005. Her work protecting marine life as Chief Cook on Sea Shepherd vessels has been global; in the Atlantic, the Pacific, the Indian and Southern Ocean, in the waters off Australia, Europe, the Americas, Asia and Africa.
"Laura, your contribution to saving the lives of thousands was huge and will never be forgotten. You will always be a special part of Sea Shepherd’s history."
- Sea Shepherd Founder, Captain Paul Watson
"Although I am saddened to see Laura go, as she has such an in-depth knowledge of the history of the organisation that few people hold, I'm proud to have served on the same Board as Laura and I'm proud to have sailed with her for so many years. I truly hope that we'll have the opportunity to do both again in the future.”
- Sea Shepherd Global Director of Campaigns and Sea Shepherd Australia Director, Captain Peter Hammarstedt
"Sea Shepherd is a movement of people connected by a love of nature and a deep understanding of its ecological importance, in that we need nature, nature does not need us. Our movement is lean, effective and uncompromising on our ethics or values and relentless in our pursuits for delivering tangible results for marine life. These are the values that Laura has always held in spades. Her knowledge and wisdom goes back over a decade and she has been our even keel, on the ships or on our board, keeping us on track, connected and standing fast for what this movement is all about. Laura will be missed, however, Sea Shepherd is where we are today, because of the amazing courage and imagination of people like Laura. With great appreciation and respect, Laura, for all you have done and all that you are, always."
- Sea Shepherd Australia Managing Director, Jeff Hansen
"I'm sorry to hear that Laura is stepping down; however, I have cherished many campaigns on the frontline with Laura that go back to the days of the Farley Mowat vessel in Bermuda. From the Arctic to the Antarctic, from defending seals to whales, she has been there with a relentless, uncompromising vision for a kinder world."
- Sea Shepherd Global CEO, Captain Alex Cornellisen
To thank Laura for her devotion to protecting the ocean, Sea Shepherd Founder Captain Paul Watson has written the following poem:
Cooking up a Storm - A Poem by Captain Paul Watson
An absolute legend in the Galley was Laura,
The bane of all hominid thugs carnivora,
As ships ‘cook, fierce storms she weathered,
Serving the cause of the hooved, finned and feathered.
On ice floes in the South and the North
On campaign after campaign, she boldly set forth,
For Seals, for Dolphins, for Turtles and Whales,
On ships large and small, both with engines and sails.
From Chef to a Rock Star to rolling decks,
From the Chili Peppers to the crew – huge respects.
She fed the crowd in Vermont at the standing stones.
And sailed under our version of the skull and bones.
She tried to feed a wild moose in Maine,
Enroute to rejoin the Canadian campaign,
She’s completed her duties for life in the sea.
And now she has wee babies on her knee.
We salute and applaud her compassionate devotion,
For all those long hours upon the wild Ocean,
Laura has demonstrated that the cook runs the show
Through wind-blown tempests of rain, sleet and snow.