It was with great anticipation that our Remote Marine Debris Campaign team returned to the Yolŋu community of Galiwin’ku on Elcho Island for our second collaboration with the Gumurr Marthakal Rangers last October.
A second video about untrashing: Sea Shepherd together with aboriginal rangers
There, they were faced with a demanding mission, but immense results.
We extend our heartfelt thanks to the Gumurr Marthakal Rangers for their hospitality, guidance, and unwavering commitment to protecting these wild and sacred places.
A film by Matthew Cleaves for Sea Shepherd Australia.
Sea Shepherd is an international, non-profit marine conservation organization that engages in direct action campaigns to defend wildlife, and conserve and protect the world’s oceans from illegal exploitation and environmental destruction.
Learn more about us: https://www.seashepherd.org.au/
Support our efforts: https://www.seashepherd.org.au/donate/
Shop to support: https://shop.seashepherd.org.au
On a remote beach in North-East Arnhem Land, Gumurr Marthakal Rangers and Sea Shepherd volunteers stood shoulder to shoulder - facing down a staggering challenge. 💪
Last October, Sea Shepherd crew travelled to Australia Bay, an ecologically vital turtle nesting site, where we uncovered tonnes of industrial fishing waste tangled across the sand. Ghost nets choked both ends of the bay, endangering marine life and damaging sacred Country. 🐢
Working under the intense northern Australian sun, we removed 2.5 tonnes of ghost nets from just 190 metres of beach.
It’s impossible to know how long these massive ghost nets have been drifting through the ocean before washing up on this remote beach. Time and again, we’ve seen the harm they cause, including the remains of turtles that became entangled and
Volunteers and Indigenous rangers journey to a remote Australian bay facing a
massive environmental crisis.
Working together, they undertake a grueling, multi-day effort to remove tonnes
of plastic pollution and dangerous ghost nets from the shoreline.
For three years in a row, our crew has witnessed the damage caused by krill #supertrawlers in Antarctica. What should be some of the most intact waters on Earth are being turned into an industrial production line.
These vessels operate as floating factories. They vacuum up krill, process it onboard, and turn it into products that feed a destructive global market. The consequences for #marinelife are severe and they are unfolding right in front of us.
Later this month, we are returning to #Antarctica. Once again, we will document what is being ignored and keep sounding the alarm until real protection is in place.
We are also preparing something new to fully immerse you in this campaign. From the crew perspective to Antarctica itself. Stay close by subscribing to our newsletter and turn on your notifications
🚨Launching January 2026: Operation Antarctic Defence. 🚨
We thought the whales of the Southern Ocean were safe. We were wrong. 😓
Fourteen massive supertrawlers from six countries are working between the Antarctic Peninsula and the South Orkney Islands - competing directly with fin and humpback whales for krill, their primary food source. 🐟 Despite the availability of plant-based alternatives, krill is being stripped from Antarctic waters to produce Omega-3 supplements, farmed salmon feed, and even pet food.
When we returned to Antarctica in 2023, our crew witnessed supertrawlers plowing straight through a pod of over 200 whales actively feeding on krill.
The images we captured spread across the globe, sparking outrage and renewed calls to shut this industry down.
“Supertrawlers dragging nets large enough to swallow a jumbo jet are taking the food of whales, seals, and penguins from one of the world’s most vulnerable ecosystems — so it can be fed to dogs and cats at home,” — Peter Hammarstedt, Director of Campaigns, Sea Shepherd Global.
Sea Shepherd has stopped illegal whaling and dismantled criminal fishing operations in the Southern Ocean before. But this threat is different. The krill fishery is technically legal - lightly regulated, poorly protected, and expanding fast.
To protect Antarctic whales, we must change the laws, strengthen regional protections, and shift market demand. When whales are under threat - Sea Shepherd will be there, and that's why we are returning this January. 💪🌊🐋
👉 Stay up to date with Operation Antarctic Defence by subscribing to our email newsletters via the link in bio.
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