From the bridge of the Steve Irwin

I write this as my crew and I head north to New Zealand to ask for your help to refuel our flagship the Steve Irwin so that we can go back to the sanctuary and keep the illegal Japanese whaling operations shut down for the entire season.

Last year, we were able to save 528 whales, which is more than the whalers were able to kill, but this year we have almost completely shut them down. So far the Japanese kill figures are very close to zero. We intercepted and then tailed their refueling and resupply vessel for three weeks, thus cutting off their ability to extend their operations. As my crew and I head north, the Bob Barker and the Gojira remain in pursuit of the whaling fleet, keeping them on the move and preventing them from whaling.

Maintaining three ships, a helicopter, and 88 crewmembers in the Southern Ocean is enormously expensive. When you donate a dollar to Sea Shepherd, nearly all of it is used primarily to keep our ships and our crews in the field where they can make a difference. This approach keeps us small, but more importantly - it keeps us effective!

The Steve Irwin needs to purchase 240 tons of marine diesel fuel. It costs about USD$800 for a ton of fuel, so this means we need to raise over $192,000 to fill the tanks and enable us to return.

Whatever you can donate will make a difference! Reducing the kill quota to very close to zero is an enduring investment.

To start this off, I have donated $5000 towards this effort myself. Just as I would never ask any of my crew to do anything I would not do myself, I will not ask any of our supporters to donate without donating myself.

Your support in keeping our ships and crew at sea is the only guarantee that the whales have of survival and to be free from cruel slaughter by the ruthless killing machines from Japan. Your efforts will help us abolish whaling in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary. Please donate today to get us fueled-up!

Thank-you for investing in life, in our oceans, and in our efforts to police the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary.

Captain Paul Watson

Operation  No Compromise