Sea Shepherd Conservation Society’s high-speed trimaran, the Brigitte Bardot has returned from its first successful patrol assisting the Guatemalan Department of Fisheries in its anti-poaching enforcement operations. Asked by Fisheries officials to help battle poaching in Guatemalan waters, Sea Shepherd is helping to lower the impact of illegal fishing of billfish by commercial fishermen.

The Sea Shepherd crew of the Brigitte Bardot joined a three-person Naval delegation and two officials of the Fisheries department for this patrol.

During the first night of patrols, as many as seven boats were boarded by the Guatemalan officials. Upon inspection, two of these boats proved to have an illegal catch of sailfish. The illegally caught wildlife was documented and then returned to the sea. Administrative action has been taken against the fishermen.

There are two types of fishing methods that the Sea Shepherd crew and Fisheries officials can encounter during these patrols: longlines and gill nets. These fishing methods, which are highly destructive and often indiscriminately kill ocean life, must both be in compliance with a set of Guatemalan government standards which this confiscated illegal catch did not meet.

The Bardot crew will continue offering assistance to the Fisheries department on patrols. The main goal of these anti-poaching operations is to gather evidence to present to the Guatemalan government. Sea Shepherd is hopeful that if these patrols show that illegal fishing takes place on a large scale and presents a significant threat in Guatemalan waters, more action will be taken to combat this serious problem.

“Guatemala cares deeply about their natural world and we applaud the government for taking this pro-active approach against illegal fishing activities that endanger the country’s natural balance and the environment as a whole. Sea Shepherd believes that direct action is needed to fight the serious and imminent threats facing the world’s oceans,” said Captain Alex Cornelissen, Sea Shepherd Global Executive Director.

When not on patrol, the crew of the Brigitte Bardot will continue to give talks at schools, spreading awareness and emphasizing the urgent need for ocean protection.

About Sea Shepherd Conservation Society USA

Founded by Captain Paul Watson, a world renowned, respected leader in environmental issues and co-founder of Greenpeace, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society (SSCS) USA is a non-profit conservation organization whose mission is to end the destruction of habitat and slaughter of wildlife in the world’s oceans in order to conserve and protect ecosystems and species.

Established in 1977, Sea Shepherd uses innovative direct-action tactics to investigate, document, and take action when necessary to expose and confront illegal activities on the high seas. By safeguarding the biodiversity of our delicately balanced oceanic ecosystems, Sea Shepherd works to ensure their survival for future generations.

Visit www.seashepherd.org for more information.