The Sea Shepherd ship the Allankay has embarked on a month-long east coast tour during March. The tour sees the vessel docking in major cities and anchoring off regional towns to build Sea Shepherd’s campaign to protect Antarctic waters, as part of a global push to stop destructive krill fishing.
The Allankay east coast tour kicked off in Hobart on March 9, and its next stops in-dock are in Melbourne and Sydney. The public is welcomed aboard for free tours while in dock, and during its tour the Allankay will anchor off regional towns along the route for community beach cleans and events, with a final anchor-drop at the Gold Coast.
In 2023 on its mission to the Southern Ocean, the Allankay found a fleet of industrialised krill supertrawlers in Antarctica ploughing through hundreds of whales directly in their feeding ground. Now, Sea Shepherd is gearing up to ensure krill fishing remains on the political agenda, aiming for a ban on the industry in Antarctica.
The vessel’s east coast tour follows its return from its second mission to Antarctica in the 2023/2024 summer, where its crew captured more damning footage to be released soon.
Sea Shepherd Australia Managing Director Jeff Hansen said, “We invite all Australians to tour our ship the Allankay while we’re docked, or join a local regional event along the tour. Together, we will build the campaign to protect Antarctica and fight for a ban on destructive krill fishing.”
“Industrial supertrawlers are emptying the Southern Ocean of krill, operating right in the middle of whales and penguins feeding. In essence, they are stealing food right from their mouths.
“Our mission to the Southern Ocean in 2023 broke the silence on just how destructive krill fishing is in Antarctica to whales, penguins, seals, and our climate.
“Now, returning from our second mission with new damning footage to be released soon, Sea Shepherd is gearing up to ensure krill fishing remains on the political agenda as we fight for a ban on the industry in Antarctica.
“While the Allankay sails up the east coast, we welcome the community to get involved in our ship tours, beach clean-up and celebration events, and join the Sea Shepherd’s campaign to protect our precious Southern Ocean.”
Key events:
Full event details are listed here on the Sea Shepherd website: https://www.seashepherd.org.au/latest-news/the-allankay-is-coming-to-australia/
MELBOURNE – Sea Shepherd Allankay ship tours
When: March 16 & 17, 10:00am-5:00pm
Where: Docklands, New Quay Promenade West
LAKES ENTRANCE – Beach clean-up
When: March 18, 1:00pm
Where: 35 Main Beach Walk, Lakes Entrance
EDEN – Ocean Advocacy ‘meet the crew’ and beach clean
When: March 20
What + Where:
– Beach Clean Up at Asling Beach, 12.30pm
– Ocean Advocacy speaking event with the Sea Shepherd Captain + Crew at Hotel Australasia, 6.30pm
JERVIS BAY – Beach clean-up
When: March 21, 2:00pm
Where: Moona Moona Beach
SYDNEY – Sea Shepherd Allankay ship tours
When: March 23 & 24, 10:00am-5:00pm
Where: Australian National Maritime Museum
NEWCASTLE – Beach clean-up
When: March 25, 1:00pm
Where: Nobby’s Beach
COFFS HARBOUR – ‘Meet the Crew’ Community Fundraiser + Beach Clean Up
When: March 27
What + Where:
– Beach Clean Up at Jetty Beach, 10:00am
– Sea Shepherd Community Fundraiser – Meet the Captain + Crew at Hoey Moey, 84 Ocean Parade, 6:00pm
BYRON BAY – Lighthouse sunset sail-by
When: March 28, 5:30pm
Where: Byron Bay Lighthouse
GOLD COAST – Beach clean + end of tour celebration
When: March 29
What + Where:
– Beach Clean Up at Mermaid Beach, 8:00-10:00am
– Allankay Sea Shepherd End-of-Tour Celebration, 10:00am-1:00pm at Ken Mansbridge Park Beach, 177 Hedges Ave, Mermaid Beach
About the Sea Shepherd Allankay Tour
Sea Shepherd Australia’s tour runs through March 2024, when the Allankay will sail up Australia’s east coast to raise awareness and fund its global campaign to protect Antarctic waters. The ship’s route will have an onshore convoy following along, staging community events and beach cleans.
The Allankay tour will share first-hand stories from Antarctic waters, raising awareness and community support for the Sea Shepherd’s campaign against the industrialised krill industry which is accelerating damage, emptying the Southern Ocean of krill to be used in unnecessary products like pet food, salmon farm food and supplements.
For more information on the Allankay’s tour, visit: www.seashepherd.org.au/latest-news/the-allankay-is-coming-to-australia/
About Sea Shepherd:
Sea Shepherd is a non-profit conservation organisation whose mission is to end the destruction of habitat and slaughter of wildlife in the world’s oceans to conserve and protect ecosystems and species. 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. Sea Shepherd Australia: www.seashepherd.org.au
About the Antarctica Defence campaign
In 2023 Sea Shepherd’s ship, the Allankay, shone a spotlight on the krill fishing fleets destroying Antarctica’s fragile ecosystem. These enormous supertrawlers take huge amounts of krill from the otherwise pristine Antarctic waters.
We witnessed these trawlers ploughing through a pod of over 200 whales feeding on krill. The images we captured of the industry competing with wildlife for the same food were shared worldwide and have sparked outrage, causing many to call for this industry to be shut down.
This year, the Allankay is returning from its second mission to Antarctica, where it continued to track and shadow the krill fishing fleet, focusing particularly on their impact on marine wildlife in proposed marine protected areas (MPAs).
Sea Shepherd aims to keep the krill fishery on the political agenda and make the case for why the Antarctic Peninsula and the South Orkney Islands need to be closed off to krill fishing as ‘no-take’ marine protected areas, a decision the international community will be discussing and voting on later this year.
Read more: www.seashepherd.org.au/our-campaigns/antarctica-defense/
