Sea Shepherd: defending the globe’s primary life support

Phytoplankton near the surface of the ocean provide most of Earth’s oxygen, making the oceans our planet's primary life support system.  Illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing (IUU) threatens the biodiversity in our oceans and their capacity to maintain life on the planet.

Sea Shepherd has become a global movement partnering with governments, Interpol and industry to combat Illegal fishing in the world’s oceans, as well as uncovering direct and indirect human rights abuses.  Jeff Hansen, Managing Director of Sea Shepherd Australia, joins us to discuss his organisation’s international work including its recent operations in Liberia, Gabon, Tanzania and Timor Leste.  

About the speaker

When Jeff Hansen joined Sea Shepherd in 2006 as a ground support volunteer in the Perth his passion for marine conservation was quickly noticed.  Jeff was subsequently invited onboard the M/Y Steve Irwin during the 2007-2008 Antarctic Whale Defence Campaign called Operation Migaloo. In his role as Quartermaster, Jeff make a strategic call that resulted in the discovery of the the Nissan Maru: the centrepiece of the whaling fleet. Upon returning, Sea Shepherd’s leader Captain Paul Watson offered Jeff the position of Australian Director.

During Operation Migaloo, direct action by Sea Shephard spared 500 whales from the harpoon - around half the whalers’ quota. The following year Jeff again served on board the M/Y Steve Irwin as Quartermaster during Operation Musashi where the crew survived a harrowing ordeal of being trapped in pack ice. Again, Jeff was instrumental in locating the Japanese whaling vessel the Keiko Maru. As a direct result, 308 whales were saved.

Jeff is a qualified Electronic and Computer Engineer. He was born in Melbourne, but now lives in Perth. He and his wife are wildlife rehabilitation carers, caring for sick and injured Bobtail lizards.