Wednesday, 08 August 2018 

Sea Shepherd's flagship vessel M/Y Stsve Irwin on Operation Reef Defence (Photo Credit: Tara Lambourne / Sea Shepherd).

Jeff Hansen, Managing Director, Sea Shepherd Australia stated: “The M/Y Steve Irwin is a former Scottish Fisheries patrol vessel, built in 1975 built and as the Illegal and Unregulated and Unreported fishing vessels that we facilitate the arrests of around the world, use fuel, we do also, to keep up with them. 

"Up to 40% of the world's seafood is caught illegally and its Sea Shepherd's ultimate goal that one day we don’t need to exist. However, the burning of fossil fuels also threaten the health of our oceans, humanities primary life support system.

"These comments by Mr. Macfarlane clearly show how out of touch and disconnected he is, because the reality is, Sea Shepherd does not want to even be here, our crew and myself would much rather be at home with our families, however when we have projects like the Adani coal mine that put at risk an Australian icon, the Great Barrier Reef, and threaten the very existence of all life on our planet, we have to make a stand. 

"Sea Shepherd’s work in protecting our oceans, our primary life support system is critical right now at this point in history, however our ultimate goal is that one day Sea Shepherd does not need to even exist.

“Most of the air we breath come from our oceans from phytoplankton, and we are missing 40% mainly due to the burning of fossil fuels. Coal kills not only coral and our Great Barrier Reef, but also causes black lung disease, which many Australian families have been tragically effected by.

"These comments from Mr. Macfarlane shows that he is completely disconnected and shows no respect at all for the 64,000 jobs the reef support, no respect for the Queensland farmers and their families whose water will be stolen by Adani, and no respect for the global fight for any chance in a liveable climate for our children. Sea Shepherds mission represents all life on out planet, from the farmers of Queensland, to the miners and their families, to our reefs and our children, the ramifications of this Adani Coal mine will impact us all.

“Each year around five to six trillion dollars a year globally is used to subsidise the fossil fuel industry, so if we take away these massive subsidies and with the price of renewables more affordable, plus the advances in battery storage, its a natural progression and you don’t transition out of fossil fuels by building one of the worlds biggest coal mines. 

"Sea Shepherd is appealing to Mr. Macfarlane and the Queensland Resources Council to work towards an renewable and sustainable future for all life on our planet, this makes sound economic sense for sustainable jobs and a real future for our children. Given the current state of humanities failing natural life support systems, its the only way forward for all humanity."

Statement by QRC Chief Executive Ian Macfarlane here: https://www.qrc.org.au/media-releases/sea-shepherd-supported-by-coal-and-diesel/