Defending and Protecting the Oceans

Sea Shepherd's mission is to fight the destruction of marine life and habitat as a whole. Since 1977, we have used innovative direct action strategies to defend, conserve and protect the fragile biodiversity of our seas and oceans, and to enforce international conservation laws that are too often flouted.

Protecting the marine habitat

The ocean is an ecosystem with a complex and fragile balance, it is the first producer of oxygen, before the forests, and it is the first climate regulation machine. Wherever we are on the planet, our survival is directly linked to the proper functioning of the marine ecosystem. It is marine life, as a whole and in its interdependence, that allows this vital mechanism to function. Marine animals are the backbone of the world's first lung.

To survive and thrive, these animals need sanctuaries where they can feed, mate, and raise their young free from pollution, overfishing, and heavy shipping traffic. Sea Shepherd is fighting on multiple fronts to protect the ocean from the destruction caused by exploration and drilling, illegal and industrial fishing, the destruction of coral reefs, and the pollution of the rivers and streams that connect to the ocean