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HOW SEA SHEPHERD WORKS: Shepherding Global Marine Life

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Humans kill about 100 million sharks every year, or 11,000 per hour. According to the HowStuffWorks article How many sharks are killed recreationally each year — and why?, shark species face endangerment because of this high mortality rate, coupled with a low birth rate.

Sea Shepherd Conservation Society's mission doesn't stop with the whales. With offices dotted around four continent and 11 countries, Sea Shepherd's outreach has a global impact. Through alliances, direct-action tactics and media alerts, Sea Shepherd protects an assortment of marine wildlife while continually raising public awareness about the dire need for conservation.

Sea Shepherd's international campaigns include:

Challenging the annual harp seal hunt in Canada's Labrador Front.
Cutting and removing illegal fishing long lines.
Guarding marine reserves in the Galapagos Islands.
Stopping illegal shark finning.
Documenting dolphin hunting in Japan.

Whether people agree with Sea Shepherd's tactics or not, the precarious state of the world's waterways is very real. Piles of trash are routinely dumped into oceans and streams, littering the aquatic ecosystems. The Ocean Conservancy collected more than 7 million pounds of man-made debris during its 2008 cleanup. Underwater noise pollution from offshore oil drilling disrupts communication between species, hampering migration, mating and locating food.

Industrial fishing practices are also depleting aquatic species and resources at a rapid rate. For every 4 pounds (1.8 kilograms) of fish caught worldwide, 1 pound (.45 kilograms) of unwanted bycatch is tossed. Furthermore, about 40 percent of what the global fishing operations gobble up each year is bycatch. In response, some government agencies have taken steps to reduce the number of bottom trawlers, pelagic long lines and drift nets that are responsible for much of the wasted resources.

But until the last whaling boats are retired and the oceans are adequately protected, Paul Watson and his band of Sea Shepherds will be out there, sailing the globe on a mission. Like it or not.

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HOW SEA SHEPHERD WORKS: Shepherding Global Marine Life

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