Sea Shepherd Conservation Society Operations

The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society engages in various demonstrations, campaigns, and tactical operations at sea and elsewhere, including conventional protests and direct actions to protect marine wildlife. Sea Shepherd operations have included interdiction against commercial fishing, shark poaching and finning, seal hunting and whaling. Many of their activities have been called piracy or terrorism by their targets and by the ICRW. Sea Shepherd says that they have taken more than 4,000 volunteers on operations over a period of 30 years.

Fishing (1987–present)

Anti-driftnet campaigns (1987–present)

Sea Shepherd engaged in a multi-year campaign against driftnetting practices, which it calls a way of strip mining the ocean's wildlife.

Sea Shepherd's ''Divine Wind'' vessel investigated suspected driftnet fleets and collected ghost nets in 1987 along the coast of southern Alaska.

In 1990, Sea Shepherd consulted with a physicist and found a successful way of sinking driftnets without causing ecological damage.

In 1990, Sea Shepherd travelled to the North Pacific with the intent of bringing driftnetting to public attention. While there, they found two Taiwanese driftnetters, which they filmed catching seabirds and dolphins in their nets. They rammed the power blocks, used to retrieve the nets. The ships were forced to head home, and no charges were brought against Sea Shepherd for the incident.

In 1991, Sea Shepherd learned that driftnetters were destroying the seabird and fish populations off of the coasts of Trinidad and Tobago. They travelled there and patrolled the area near the mouth of the Amazon. They encountered a driftnetting ship and threw stink bombs on its deck. The ship rammed the ''Sea Shepherd II,'' and they rammed the driftnetter back, leading to a confrontation that severely damaged both ships. Back in Trinidad, Sea Shepherd revealed that corrupt officials were taking bribes to turn a blind eye to driftnetting in the area, and the corrupt officials were removed from office. Sea Shepherd later donated four assault rifles to help the Coast Guard chase driftnetters.

In 1992, Sea Shepherd returned to fight driftnetters in the North Pacific. They encountered a fleet of Japanese driftnetters. They chased one away, and fired air cannons and fire crackers at another to slow it down. However, no ramming took place because the fishermen on deck would not move. They did manage to retrieve a cargo hold of driftnet and create an international incident.

In 1992, Sea Shepherd agent Dwight Worker covertly entered Taiwan. While there, he sank the driftnetting ship ''Jiang Hai'' in harbor. He also documented thousands of miles of driftnet being added to 43 driftnetting vessels, despite a ban on ships being outfitted with new net.

Shepherd only reduced their campaign activities after the United Nations in 1992 banned driftnetting, but they did not stop their campaigns.

In 1995, Sea Shepherd convinced the government of Ireland to disallow driftnetting in their territorial waters.

In 1997, Sea Shepherd announced a campaign to fight driftnetting in the Mediterranean. Italy's driftnetters, the primary suspects, immediately halted the practice.

Sea Shepherd in 2006 noted that drift netting had again gained prominence, due to the reduction of fish stocks tempting commercial fisheries to again use the method to keep up their catch volumes.

In March 2016, Sea Shepherd announced the launch of ''Operation Driftnet,'' to combat illegal fishing in the Indian Ocean and subsequently employ direct-action techniques to shut-down their operations. They found and engaged a fleet of 6 driftnetters, and 3 of the ships were arrested for illegal fishing.

Tuna boat killing of dolphins (1988–1989, 1991–1992)

In 1988, Sea Shepherd released footage of dolphins being killed by an American-owned tuna seiner. The film was edited by Peter Brown. The footage scandalized the tuna industry and led to a ban on dolphin killing by U.S. tuna companies.

In 1989, Sea Shepherd travelled to Costa Rica to ram a tuna seiner and bring the issue to public attention. They found a tuna seiner called the ''Pan Pacific'', which they confirmed had been illegally killing dolphins. The ramming was eventually called off due to a dispute between Paul Watson and Scott Trimmingham. Scott said that ramming would upset his negotiations to have tuna fishing banned in Costa Rica, to which Watson replied that they created international incidents—they didn't negotiate. In the end, they boarded the ''Pan Pacific'' and inspected the logbook, which revealed locations where dolphins were being killed. Using the information, they travelled along the Mexican coast and stopped several tuna seiners from various Latin American countries from killing dolphins.

In February 1991, representatives of a tuna boat in the Pacific south of Mexico said that they had been rammed by ''Sea Shepherd II''. Sea Shepherd accused it of catching and killing dolphins in its tuna nets and confirmed its ship had dealt the tuna boat a "glancing blow." They had originally planned to destroy the fishermen's small boat used to lay nets, but called the plan off because the fishermen were too close. They also turned a fire hose on the fishermen's helicopter (used to herd the dolphins) in order to ensure costly repairs.

In 1992, Sea Shepherd launched another campaign to stop tuna seiners from killing dolphins. They stopped in Mexico to repair their ship, ''Sea Shepherd II.'' Despite warnings from the Mexican navy that they would be arrested due to the incident the previous year, they entered the country and covertly did repairs with no incident. They later stopped a tuna seiner from killing a pod of dolphins off of Mexico.

Cooperation with Costa Rica (2002)

In April 2002, the government of Costa Rica invited Sea Shepherd to assist in patrolling for poachers around Cocos Island. The group and Costa Rica had negotiated an agreement for this work which was due to be finalised on April 30, 2002. On April 22, the ''Farley Mowat'' (formerly the ''Ocean Warrior''), captained by Paul Watson, was en route to the island when it came across the ''Varadero I'' which the group alleges was poaching sharks. The authorities were contacted and Sea Shepherd was told to bring the ship in. The ''Farley Mowat'' forced the other vessel into a nearby Guatemalan port with the use of pressure hoses, and in the altercation, the two vessels collided, causing some damage to the ''Varadero I''.

Subsequently, Watson was charged with attempted shipwrecking and murder by the fishermen. These charges were dropped on April 29 by the prosecutor when footage of the incident taken by a documentary team aboard the ''Farley Mowat'' was shown. Footage of the event can be seen in the film ''Sharkwater''. The prosecutor was reported to have found no evidence of any wrongdoing. A new prosecutor was later appointed to repursue the charges and Watson's lawyer advised he leave the country. Local environmental groups argue that fishing interests opposed to marine conservation were behind the legal proceedings. After subsequent litigation against the judges and prosecutors in Costa Rica, the criminal charges were dismissed in 2019.

Sea Shepherd had previously worked to protect Cocos Island. In 1992, they chased over a dozen poachers out of the marine reserve with flares, water cannons, pie cannons, stink bombs, paintball guns, and air from a Civil War-Era cannon. Footage of the poachers was sent to the Costa Rican authorities, and several of the poachers were later arrested. In 2001, Sea Shepherd captured the poacher ''San José 1.'' The vessel was arrested and later confiscated.

Southern Pacific/Galápagos Islands (2000–present)

The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society has operated in the Galápagos marine reserve to protect marine wildlife. The reserve was declared in 1986, with an increased area declared in 1998, and despite government attempts to limit catches, fishing continued in the waters around the Galápagos Islands. The Galápagos National Park Directorate lacked the manpower to adequately manage the marine park, and fishing laws were regularly flouted. The largest fisheries were for spiny lobster, sea cucumbers, and shark fins, mainly for export to Asian markets. Longline fishing and illegal nets also cause a bycatch of seals, turtles, sharks, boobies and other marine animals.

In December 2000, the Sea Shepherd ship, ''Sirenian'', was sent to the Galápagos to assist in patrolling the 130,000 square kilometre marine reserve around the Islands. Sea Shepherd had signed a five-year agreement with the Galápagos National Park Directorate to provide the ''Sirenian'', with some crew, as a patrol vessel. Under the agreement, the ''Sirenian'' had an Ecuadorian captain, engineer, and carries Park Service officers. The ''Sirenian'' is a 95-foot former United States Coast Guard Cutter and is now permanently stationed in the Galápagos.

In November 2000, the fishers reacted to new catch limits on lobster by ransacking the Park Service offices, the facilities of the Darwin Research Centre and trashing the park director's home, burning his possessions in the street. The ''Sirenian'' carried a cargo of new computers, cameras, and communications equipment to replace what was destroyed by the fishers. The ''Sirenian'' captured four illegal boats in the first three weeks of March, 2001.

In September 2001, the Ecuadorian Navy detained the ''Ocean Warrior''. This occurred after the Park Service captured seven illegal shark fishing boats at sea and Sea Shepherd criticized the Ecuadorian Navy for not enforcing the law. The Sea Shepherd Ecuadorian representative, Sean O'Hearn-Giminez, was arrested onboard and threatened with deportation.

In June 2004, a Sea Shepherd crew-member, Cathy Davies, along with at least six other Sea Shepherd members, was taken hostage during protests by fishers who were protesting recently enacted quotas on sea cucumber (Holothuroidea). Armed with clubs, pipes, and Molotov cocktails, the fishers had seized Park Service offices and tourist locations. Sea Shepherd crew joined Park Services officers at the barricades erected by fishers around the buildings. Another team of Sea Shepherd crew were dispatched to guard Lonesome George, one of the Galápagos Islands' most famous turtles, as the fishers had threatened to kill him if the quota on sea cucumber was not lifted. About 100 residents of San Cristóbal Island marched in protest against the fishers actions. In July, the High Court of Ecuador upheld the Park Service limits on the take of sea cucumber. The Park Service banned the catch of sea cucumber for 2005 and 2006 to allow for the populations to recover from over-fishing. Watson called this a "great victory for conservation in the Galápagos." In an agreement with the World Wildlife Fund, Sea Shepherd donated the ''Sirenian'' to the Galápagos National Park Service. The WWF refurbished the boat, which now operates as the ''Yoshka''.

In May 2007, the president of Ecuador, Rafael Correa, relaxed an International ban on shark finning by legalizing the sale of fins from sharks caught accidentally. Sea Shepherd's Ecuadorian representative, Sean O'Hearn-Giminez, accompanied a police raid that found two tons of sharks fins caught before a Presidential decree. Fifteen people were arrested in the raid at Manta. However, a prosecutor ordered them released and the shark fins were returned to the fishers. O'Hearn-Giminez was arrested and ordered to be deported. This order was revoked later that day at the request of President Correa. The reason given was that O'Hearn-Giminez had a valid visa, as his wife is Ecuadorian.

In June 2007, O'Hearn-Giminez participated in a raid on a house in Libertad that was being used for illegally processing sea cucumbers. At least 40,000 sea cucumbers were seized and two men arrested. Later that month, Sea Shepherd staff and operatives from the Ecuadorian Environmental Police seized 18,673 shark fins and arrested four men. Sean O'Hearn-Giminez said that "This successful sting is the result of several months working covertly with the co-operation of General Bolivar Cisneros, Chief Commander of the Ecuadorian National Police. Sea Shepherd traced potential exit points in the illegal shark fin trade in the Galápagos and Ecuador."

Paul Watson was awarded the Amazon Peace Prize for his and Sea Shepherd's work on behalf of the environment and marine species in Latin America. The award was given in July 2007 by the Latin American Association for Human Rights and the Ecuadorian vice-President. Watson also signed two agreements at this time, one for Sea Shepherd's involvement in the protection of the Amazon river dolphin and the Amazonian manatee; the other with the Ecuadorian Police to work with them to detect and destroy illegal fishing boats.

In 2008, US Federal agent Scott West resigned his position and joined Sea Shepherd to work in its intelligence and investigations department. West will work in partnership with the Ecuadorian National Police and the Galápagos National Park to oppose illegal fishing in the marine reserve.

In early 2010, Sea Shepherd announced that the Dutch Post Code Lottery was giving them an annual €500,000 grant, and an additional €1 million for their conservation programs in the Galápagos.

Mediterranean bluefin tuna anti-poaching (2010, 2011)

In 2010, Sea Shepherd launched Operation Blue Rage to protect bluefin tuna in the Mediterranean Sea. They found a ship after the fishing season with a net full of 800 bluefin tuna. They cut the net, freeing all of the tuna. Sea Shepherd later faced a lawsuit from Fish And FIsh, the company that owned the vessel. The lawsuit was settled in March 2015 in favor of Sea Shepherd.

In 2011, Sea Shepherd launched "Operation Blue Rage 2011." They found a fleet of fishing boats containing thousands of illegally caught bluefin tuna. They attempted to cut the nets, but several Sea Shepherd crew members were injured when a fisherman threw a steel chain at one of the delta boats. A French naval jet flew over to document the incident. Eventually, a plane from ICCAT, the group responsible for bluefin management, ordered Sea Shepherd to leave.

Both incidents appeared on the Whale Wars special called Operation Bluefin.

Operation Icefish (2014–2016)

From December 2014 to April 2015 two Sea Shepherd vessels, The Bob Barker and the Sam Simon, as part of "Operation Icefish", pursued the renegade trawler ''Thunder'' for 10,000 miles from Antarctic waters where it was illegally fishing for Patagonian toothfish to where ''Thunder'' was scuttled in the waters of São Tomé and Príncipe at . The ship was first intercepted on December 17, 2014, at , inside the CCAMLR (Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources) region of management while deploying illegal gillnets.

Several other ships fishing illegally for toothfish were also put out of action by Operation Icefish. The ships were part of the group of toothfish poachers known as the " Bandit 6". Actions by Sea Shepherd and national governments led to the detention or sinking of all six ships. The last of these was captured toothfish poacher ''Viking'', which was sunken by the Indonesian government in 2016.

African IUU fishing (2017–present)

In 2017, established at the United Nations Ocean Conference, Sea Shepherd Global's ''Voluntary Commitment for the Ocean'' to eradicate Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing founded ''Operation Sola Stella'', to partner with Liberia and other west African Coastal States, ''Operation Albacore'', in Gabon, and São Tomé, and Príncipe, and ''Operation Jodari'', in Tanzania.

Sealing (1979–2015)

Canadian sealing (1979–2008)

The first direct action undertaken by Sea Shepherd was against Canadian seal hunting in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. In March 1979, 32 crew aboard the ''Sea Shepherd'' protested the hunt and eight members were arrested after going on the ice to spray the pups with colored organic dye so as to render the pelts worthless to traders. About 1,000 seals were sprayed with the dye.

In 1980, Sea Shepherd severely damaged the sealing ship ''Martin Karlsen'' in port, smashing its navigational equipment. They attempted to sink it, but were unsuccessful as the owners arrived before the vessel went underwater. The incident is featured in Paul Watson's book ''Seal Wars''.

In 1981, so as to avoid easy detection, Sea Shepherd travelled to the Canadian ice floes in ocean kayaks instead of a ship. They were protesting the announcement of the Canadian government to have a hunt occur at Prince Edward Island, because inexperienced sealers would mean more cruelty for the seals. They managed to spray hundreds of seals with organic blue dye before being arrested. The Canadian government was furious, as they had promised to not allow the Sea Shepherds to return to the ice. Sea Shepherd did not face any major jail time over the incident.

Sea Shepherd protested a Canadian seal hunt in the Gulf of St. Lawrence off the north coast of Nova Scotia in March 1983. The arrival of the group led to a one-day suspension of the hunt. On March 25, the ''Sea Shepherd II'' was ordered back by Canadian authorities after the vessel came within one half-mile of seal hunters. Watson promised to scuttle the ship if they attempted to board it. While in St. John's, Newfoundland, they blockaded a dozen sealing ships in harbor, threatening to ram any ship that left. The ''Sea Shepherd II'' was fortified with barbed wire and a water cannon. Sea Shepherd began to harass sealers by chasing half a dozen sealing ships out of the area. On March 27, the vessel was stuck in ice and Watson and three others walked across the ice to Chéticamp where they were later arrested for viewing the seal hunt without a permit. 15 officers boarded the ship from a Canadian Coast Guard vessel with the use of tear gas and smoke bombs. The crew was arrested without any resistance or injuries. They were charged with conspiracy to commit mischief and conspiracy to commit extortion. Watson was bailed out by actor Mike Farrell and was acquitted upon appeal of the charges. The campaign saved the lives of 76,000 seals.

In March 1995, the group protested the seal hunt in the Magdalen Islands. While staying in the town of Cap-aux-Meules, witnesses reported that 200 club-wielding fishermen stormed the hotel where the group was staying. The group, including Martin Sheen, was escorted to the airport under a heavy police guard. The attackers trashed the room in a two-hour rampage while Watson and Sheen caught a flight to another island.

In 1996, Sea Shepherd proposed brushing the fur off of molting seals instead of killing them. Using a research permit, they discovered that seals enjoyed having molting fur brushed off of them, and that the fur could be used to make filling, as for mattresses. A mattress company in Germany had expressed interest in cruelty-free seal products, and about 70 bags of seal fur were collected.

In 1998, Sea Shepherd warded sealers from the main seal nursing grounds by bringing celebrities on the ice to take photos with the seals. Celebrities included Farley Mowat, John Paul Dejoria, and Pierce Brosnan. While on the ice, the Sea Shepherds were under constant watch by the Canadian Coast Guard, whom Paul Watson criticized after Sea Shepherd documented the icebreakers running down seal pups. While there, the government set up a trap to get the Sea Shepherd ship arrested by sending a fake sealing ship to daw in the Sea Shepherds. They did not fall for the trap, and the incident brought the seal hunt to public attention.

In March 2003, Captain Paul Watson led a helicopter investigation of escalated sealing activities on the ice floes of eastern Canada.

In 2005, Sea Shepherd campaigned against that year's seal hunt in Canada, which includes a boycott of Canadian seafood products. Sea Shepherd crew went onto the ice to document the sealing and noted they were soon confronted by a group of sealers who verbally abused and punched the group of crew, as well as threatened them with spiked clubs called hakapiks. Ten of the protestors were arrested for being too close to sealing without a permit. Sea Shepherd recorded the incident and sent the video to police, but say the sealers were not charged.

The MV ''Farley Mowat'' operated during Canadian seal hunting in March and April 2008. The group contends it was in international waters observing Canada's seal hunt, while Canadian authorities allege the vessel was harassing the seal hunters. On March 29, 2008, the MV ''Farley Mowat'' and a Canadian Coast Guard ship collided. The coast guard icebreaker had put itself between the ''Farley Mowat'' and a smaller seal hunter's boat. The group says their vessel was rammed while the Canadian Fisheries and Oceans department says the coast guard ship was grazed by the ''Farley Mowat''. The captain and first officer were arrested for bringing their vessel to within one-half nautical mile of seal hunters on March 30, April 11, and April 12. The location of the ship at the time of the seizure is disputed. Sea Shepherd claims the boat was seized illegally in international waters,. On July 2, 2008, they entered a plea of not guilty. The lawyer set to defend the Captain and First Mate withdrew from the case. They did not want to be represented by a Sydney lawyer and were not represented during their four-day trial. On June 30, they were convicted of endangering lives by bringing the ''Farley Mowat'' to within one-half nautical mile from sealing activities without an official permit. The judge found that they had been warned to back away from the sealers but ignored the radioed commands. The ''Farley Mowat'' was forfeited and eventually sold by the Canadian government to Green Ship LLC. According to Paul Watson, the arrests were intentional, as the media coverage in Europe would get citizens to support a ban on seal products. Seal products were banned in the European Union in 2009.

British Isles sealing (1982, 2014–2015)

In 1982, Sea Shepherd interfered with the hunting of grey seals in Ireland. They prevented boats from landing and took clubs and rifles away from the sealers. The media attention garnered from the campaign led to Ireland banning sealing in October of that year.

In 1982, Sea Shepherd interfered with the hunting of grey seals in the Scottish Orkney Islands. They once again snatched rifles and stopped boats, and also slept among the seals. Later that year, the Sea Shepherd Islands Trust was set up and purchased the Orkney Island of Little Green Holm as a Seal Sanctuary.

In 2014, Sea Shepherd once again worked to end the slaughter of seals in Scotland, this time by salmon farming companies who claimed the seals ate their fish. They filmed violations by fishermen shooting seals who ate fish. The violations included shooting seals not considered threatening, dumping trash, and burying dead seabirds. Sea Shepherd volunteers were assaulted, and both sides were arrested. Scotland gave the seals full protection in 2015, the end of Sea Shepherd's second year there.

Pribilof Islands sealing (1987)

In 1987, while returning from anti-driftnetting activity in the North Pacific, Sea Shepherd documented the state of the northern fur seal, requesting that the commercial harvest of them be stopped.

Namibia sealing (2011, 2012)

In 2011, Sea Shepherd launched Operation Desert Seal to oppose the Namibian seal cull. Their safety was violated when their house was broken into. They relocated and found that the Namibian navy was guarding the culling. Sea Shepherd suspected police involvement, and were forced to flee the country when a raid was about to take place. They managed to capture footage of dead seals being unloaded for processing. The footage was used in the Whale Wars special Seal Wars.

In 2012, Sea Shepherd launched Operation Desert Seal II. Using a drone, they managed to film the cull for around 15 minutes, and have stated that the wish to return to Namibia.

South African sealing (2000)

In 2000, Sea Shepherd donated an inflatable zodiac to the group Seal Alert South Africa to assist in the rescue and rehabilitation of fur seals shot illegally by fishermen in South Africa.

Whaling (1979–present)

Sea Shepherd has protested against whaling throughout the world. Some of its first actions were against whalers. The group has also acted against whaling by countries who they feel have not followed the 1986 internationally recognized nonbinding moratorium on commercial whaling. Dr. Sidney Holt, formerly of the International Whaling Commission and a chief architect of the moratorium, has called Watson's involvement in anti-whaling an "absolute disaster" for the cause. He referenced "blowback" for those who want to see an end to whaling by "playing piracy on the ocean. Dr. Sidney Holt joined the Sea Shepherd Advisory Board in 2012 and served on the Board until his death in 2018.

Spain and Portugal-area whaling (1979–1980)

Sea Shepherd spent part of 1979 hunting for the whaling ship ''Sierra'' which was notorious for having undetermined ownership, ignoring whaling agreements, hunting indiscriminately, and using non-explosive harpoons. To increase the effect of a ramming, the bow of the ''Sea Shepherd'' was filled with approximately 100 tonnes of cement. In July, the ''Sierra'' was found off the port of Oporto, Portugal. Sea Shepherd put non-essential crew ashore and manned by three crew (Paul Watson, Peter Woof, and Jerry Doran), returned to ram and cripple the ''Sierra''. The ''Sea Shepherd'' then attempted to reach the United Kingdom, but was intercepted by the Portuguese Navy and escorted back to Oporto. The ship and crew were not arrested but the ship was held for what was called an "informal inquiry." The ''Sierra'' was able to make it back to port for extensive repairs. In Oporto, Watson learned that one of the ''Sea Shepherd'' crew, Richard Morrison, had been beaten and left severely concussed by members of the ''Sierra'' crew. In December, Watson and Peter Woof returned to Portugal intending to steal the seized ship. They found the ship had been stripped of equipment and the Portuguese police advised them to leave, as they could not guarantee their safety. Watson decided to scuttle the ship rather than have it be sold for scrap and potentially used to compensate the owners of the ''Sierra''.

While in Lisbon in February 1980, the ''Sierra'' was sunk with limpet mines. The ''Sierra's'' chief engineer, Luis Mendes, told reporters that he believed "the blast was set by crew members of the Sea Shepherd." In a 2004 interview Paul Watson said, "Meanwhile, the Sierra had been repaired and was ready to return to sea. It never did so: on February 6, 1980, my crew blew the bottom out of her and permanently ended her career. We traded a ship for a ship, but it was a great trade because we also traded our ship for the lives of hundreds of whales."

In April 1980, explosives were used to sink the whalers ''Isba I'' and ''Isba II'' in Vigo, Spain. Watson said that the boats were "victims of magnetic mines, one of them homemade, which had been planted by the same trio that destroyed the ''Sierra''." Sea Shepherd does show these vessels on the tally of vessels "sunk" on the side of the ''Farley Mowat'' and the back of some Sea Shepherd shirts. The whalers ''Susan'' and ''Theresa ''are also shown on these tallies. No one was injured during the attacks.

In 1980, Sea Shepherd agent Al Johnson posted a $25,000 reward for the sinking of the pirate whaler ''Astrid'' in the Spanish Canary Islands. The whaler was unable to trust his own crew and retired the ship.

Soviet Union-fleet whaling (1981–1982)

In July 1981, The ''Sea Shepherd II'' sailed for the Bering Sea with the intention of harassing the Soviet whaler ''Sevetny''. The IWC had authorized a Soviet take of 179 migrating whales off the Siberian coast. On August 10, the group photographed what they considered an illegal whaling operation at an onshore packing plant. The ''Sea Shepherd II'' was pursued towards American waters by Soviet helicopter gunships and a frigate. The Soviets signaled for the Sea Shepherd vessel to stop, dropped flares on the deck, and attempted to foul its propeller. The ''Sea Shepherd II'' remained in the area for several days despite the Soviet warning of "decisive action" and potential espionage charges.

In the summer of 1982, Watson offered a reporter an exclusive story on the group's plan to ram a Soviet vessel. The reporter informed authorities and the ramming did not take place. On September 13, 1982, Watson dropped paint filled light bulbs from an airplane onto a Soviet vessel to protest the country's whaling. The ship was positioned off the coast of Washington state's Cape Flattery and believed to have been monitoring a nearby submarine base. Watson and Sea Shepherd were charged with violations of Canada's Aeronautics Act. The charges were dismissed by a provincial court judge because they did not specify where the act had occurred.

Norwegian whaling (1992, 1994)

In late December 1992, O.R.C.A Force (Sea Shepherd) sabotaged the whaler ''Nybraena'' in response to Norway's decision to resume commercial whaling of minke whales in 1993. Police found the vessel's engine room nearly full of water at her moorings in the Lofoten Islands but were able to keep it afloat. The crew was at a Christmas party during the attempted sinking, which Watson described as a "Christmas gift to the Atlantic and to the children of the world, so that they can have whales in the future." Watson and Lisa Distefano were charged with gross destruction of property. Five years later Norway sentenced Watson and DiStefano, ''in absentia'', to four months in prison. Watson was held in the Netherlands on a Norwegian-issued Interpol extradition notice, but after 80 days in detention the notice was denied.

In July 1994, Sea Shepherd operated the ship ''Whales Forever'' off the coast of Norway to protest the renewed commercial whaling of minke whales. The ship was intercepted by the Norwegian Coast Guard patrol ship ''Andenes''. The ''Whales Forever'' and the ''Andenes'', collided in disputed circumstances. The ''Andenes'' fired two warning shots, claimed to be non-explosive. The Norwegian Coast Guard warned that they would follow the Sea Shepherd vessel to the Shetland Islands if necessary to arrest the activists. The next day, the Foreign Ministry issued a communique calling Watson a "terrorist." Sea Shepherd claimed the vessel was attacked and rammed in international waters while the Coast Guard claimed that ''Whales Forever'' had rammed their vessel in the Vestfjorden. Both ships were slightly damaged but injuries were not reported. (The ''Whales Forever'' was later sold due to the extensive repair costs.)

In 1994, the Sea Shepherd unsuccessfully attempted to scuttle another Norwegian whaling vessel called the ''Senet'' at its wharf in Gressvik.

Faroe Islands whaling (1985–1986, 2000, 2010–2011, 2014–2015)

The slaughter of pilot whales in the Faroe Islands is allowed and has been practiced for providing food for free to the local communities of the Faroe Islands as far back as 1298, as regulations for slaughtering of whales was mentioned in the Sheep Letter.

In 1985, Sea Shepherd diverted several pods of pilot whales away from the hunting grounds. The authorities told Sea Shepherd that the killing would be halted for the remainder of the season if Sea Shepherd left, saving 500 pilot whales.

In 1986, Sea Shepherd went to document and obstruct whaling in the Faroe Islands. In a hunt known as the Grindadráp, islanders drive pilot whales ashore and kill them with knives. The Faroese Coast Guard claim the vessel defied orders to leave territorial waters. The Faroese Coast Guard claimed that they were fired upon with pistols while attempting to board, while Sea Shepherd claimed that they had been repelled by cannons firing chocolate and banana cream pie. The police responded with tear gas canisters. A spokesman for the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society said they were driven away when the police fired machine guns and tear gas, and denied that there were any weapons on board.Police Thwart Anti-Whaling Protesters
nbsp;– ''Los Angeles Times'', July 13, 1986. Accessed 090805

In 2000, Sea Shepherd put pressure on the Faroe Islands to stop the hunting of pilot whales by patrolling the Faroe Islands for 3 weeks and convincing food giants Unilever and Aldi to boycott Faroese fish products.

In 2010, Sea Shepherd member Peter Hammarstedt posed as a film student in order to film the pilot whale hunt. He counted 236 dead whales before fearing recognition and fleeing. Hammarstedt released the graphic images that documented the nature of the event.

In 2011, Sea Shepherd sailed to the Faroe Islands to stop the whaling there. The Steve Irwin and the Brigitte Bardot took part in the "Operation Ferocious Isles" and claimed to have stopped the harvest as long as they were there. This was publicized in the TV show "Whale Wars: Viking Shores".

In 2014, Sea Shepherd launched a campaign which they call GrindStop 2014. Several of their members travelled to the Faroe Island, where they keep watch near all the bays around the islands which are approved for whale killing by the Faroese authorities. There are 23 bays in the Faroes which are approved for whale killing (grindadráp), Around 500 Sea Shepherd members keep watch and they say that they will prevent Faroese people from killing whales as long as they are there. They have said that they will be in the islands from mid June 2014 until October 2014. On 1 August the American actress and animal activist Pamela Anderson arrived to the Faroe Islands to show her support to Sea Shepherd. At noon local Faroese time she attended a press conference on Hotel Føroyar in Tórshavn together with other Sea Shepherd members. Other well known people who took part in the GrindStop campaign in 2014 include the French sailor Florence Arthaud, and the ballet dancer Sylvie Guillem also from France.

In 2015, Sea Shepherd launched the "Sleppið Grindini 2015" campaign in the Faroe Islands. The organization made videos and photos during a whale hunt, drive and slaughtering of 111 pilot whales in the village Bøur

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