Marine Life & Conservation
Sea Shepherd announce New Ship – The Sea Eagle
Sea Shepherd is excited to present the Sea Eagle, the latest addition to their fleet of marine conservation vessels known as Neptune’s Navy.
The new ship was purchased through funding from Allianz SE, Allianz Technology, and Allianz Italy as part of Sea Shepherd’s new two-year partnership with Allianz to address the issue of plastic marine debris polluting the ocean.
“Sea Shepherd is very excited about this new relationship, which will help us to spread the message that fishing gear is one of the main causes of ocean pollution,” says Sea Shepherd Global CEO Captain Alex Cornelissen. “This new vessel will be dedicated almost exclusively to our work in the Mediterranean Sea, both as a huge improvement for our existing campaigns like Operation Siso, as well as the perfect vessel to start exciting new campaigns.”
The Sea Eagle is a 40-meter former French pilot boat equipped to accommodate 19 crew and carry two small boats. Having been built for the Atlantic Ocean, the ship is capable of navigating the roughest seas. The Sea Shepherd crew worked tirelessly to ensure a smooth transit of the Sea Eagle from Thyborøn, Denmark to Syracuse, Italy, where it’s now preparing for upcoming campaigns in the Mediterranean Sea.
“Sea Shepherd is very grateful for the support of Allianz,” says Captain Cornelissen. “Together we will address the issue of abandoned fishing gear, looking at ways to convert the ocean plastic into materials we can re-use or sell in order to further fund our work and create more awareness.”
Sea Shepherd currently has 11 ships in its global fleet, known as “Neptune’s Navy”, used in direct-action campaigns to defend, conserve, and protect marine wildlife and ocean habitats around the world.
For more information about Sea Shepherd visit the website by clicking here.
Marine Life & Conservation
PADI and Circular Flow Partner to Pursue Sustainable Neoprene Recycling Programme

Trial Launches in the UK to Prove Feasibility and Scalability
PADI® is bringing about positive change for our shared blue planet through their partnership with Circular Flow. The goal is to create a closed loop neoprene recycling programme to foster a dive economy that aims to reduce the global impact of old and discarded wetsuits within the dive industry.
An estimated 8,380 tons of old wetsuits lie unused every year, with the majority inevitably headed for landfill thanks to the popularity of thermal protection in water sports, coupled with the lack of scalable, sustainable recycling systems for neoprene.
Recognising the opportunity for innovation, PADI, in partnership with Circular Flow, aims to offer the dive industry effective and sustainable solutions to the problem of disposing of wetsuits and other non-biodegradable neoprene products. The goal is to keep them out of landfills and recycle them into useful products such as mask straps and changing mats. To ensure feasibility and determine global scalability, the initiative will begin with a test in the UK.
“PADI is committed to help reduce the global environmental footprint of the dive industry and support our members and divers to reduce impact as well,” says Drew Richardson, CEO and President of PADI Worldwide. “We are constantly looking for new and scalable ways to do so through our Mission Hubs across the planet. We are proud to introduce and test this ground-breaking recycling programme into our community, enabling every diver to recycle neoprene as part of being an Ocean Torchbearer.”
During the initial trial, divers can bring their clean and dry wet suits and other neoprene items to participating UK Dive Centres from August 11th – August 22nd. PADI and Circular Flow will then arrange for the free collection of the items for recycling. Circular Flow will implement an innovative process to recycle the neoprene, after shipping the neoprene to a specialised factory. The patented recycling process eliminates the use of chemicals or water and utilising electricity, pressure and heat.
To learn more about the programme or locate a place to drop off your end-of-life neoprene in the UK, visit circularflow.net/padi
Marine Life & Conservation
Statement from Captain Paul Watson on his resignation from Sea Shepherd Conservation Society (USA)

It is with great relief that as of July 27th, 2022, I have ceased my employment and cut all ties with the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society (USA).
Since 1977, when I founded Sea Shepherd nearly a half century ago, I have dedicated my entire life to the aggressive and determined preservation and protection of biodiversity of marine life and our ocean.
Over the last few years, I have been slowly marginalized from the organization that I created in the USA. I was removed from the Board of Directors, my advice ignored, my close associates terminated and directors that supported me were removed. I was reduced to being a paid figurehead, denied the freedom to organize campaigns and the freedom to express the strong opinions that I have held for decades, opinions and campaigns that have shaped what Sea Shepherd has become and continues to be outside the borders of the United States.
As I said in the documentary movie Watson, my role is to rock the boat, to make waves, to provoke people to think about the damage we are collectively inflicting upon diversity and interdependence of life in the ocean.
The current Board seeks to turn our vessels away from confronting illegal poachers that prey on endangered species and instead seeks to turn our fleet into non-controversial research vessels. Research has always been a part of Sea Shepherd efforts, but it has not and should not be our priority. What we have provided is a unique function: a fearless leadership to intervene against poachers on the high seas, to document and to stop illegal acts that would otherwise go unnoticed and unchallenged. Sea Shepherd has always, and must always go where others fear to go, to say the things that must be said and to tackle the obstacles fearlessly and with great resolve.
The new direction that the present Board of Sea Shepherd USA has decided upon is not a path that I can in good conscience support nor participate in. I have not changed my objectives or resolve, and I refuse to change and adopt an approach that diminishes the incredible movement that we have created over the last four and a half decades, a movement that continues to grow outside the borders of the United States.
I remain a director of Sea Shepherd Global, and I remain a supporter of Global ships, officers, and crew. Together with all other national Sea Shepherd entities, with the exception of the USA, I will continue to support our campaigns around the world utilizing our unique philosophy of aggressive non-violence and cooperation with governments and NGOs.
We are Sea Shepherd. We are direct action motivated by imagination, persistence, and courage.
My future lies with the people from around the world who have made and continue to make Sea Shepherd the most influential, passionate, and effective marine conservation movement on this planet.
Captain Paul Watson
Founder – Sea Shepherd Conservation Society Canada (1977)
Founder – Sea Shepherd Conservation Society USA (1981)
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