Sea Shepherd - end all ties with Yamasec and the IDF
The issue
Sea Shepherd Must End All Ties with Yamasec and Return to the Principles Upon Which It Was Founded
Sea Shepherd was founded in 1977 by Captain Paul Watson with a simple but uncompromising mission: to defend, conserve and protect life in the world's oceans through direct action.
For nearly five decades, Captain Watson inspired hundreds of thousands of volunteers and supporters across the globe to stand against commercial whaling, illegal fishing, shark finning and the destruction of marine ecosystems. His courage, conviction and unwavering commitment built Sea Shepherd into one of the world's most recognised marine conservation organisations.
Many long-time supporters believe that the organisation changed fundamentally following Captain Watson's removal from Sea Shepherd Global. Since then, supporters have increasingly raised concerns regarding the organisation's leadership, ethical direction, transparency and commitment to the principles upon which Sea Shepherd was founded.
One of the most significant concerns is Sea Shepherd Global's relationship with Israeli maritime security company Yamasec.
Publicly available information indicates that Yamasec has provided maritime security services for Sea Shepherd Global vessels and that the company employs personnel with backgrounds in the Israeli military, including reservists.
As the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and the wider region continues, many supporters believe that any partnership with companies connected to military operations is incompatible with an organisation that has always claimed compassion, non-violence and the protection of life as its guiding principles.
Captain Paul Watson has also publicly criticised Sea Shepherd Global's relationship with Yamasec and its current leadership. In public statements, he has expressed the view that his removal from the organisation enabled a departure from the ethical vision on which Sea Shepherd was founded. He has also called into question the organisation's relationship with Yamasec and urged greater transparency and accountability.
Whether one agrees with Captain Watson or not, his concerns deserve to be answered—not ignored.
Sea Shepherd owes its supporters honesty.
It owes its volunteers transparency.
It owes its donors accountability.
Most importantly, it owes the animals and the public unwavering ethical consistency.
Compassion cannot stop at the shoreline.
If Sea Shepherd believes that every whale, dolphin, shark and seal deserves protection from violence and exploitation, then those same principles must guide every partnership the organisation enters into.
Ethics cannot be selective.
Compassion cannot be selective.
Justice cannot be selective.
We therefore call upon Sea Shepherd Global and Sea Shepherd Australia to:
• Immediately terminate all contracts, partnerships and commercial relationships with Yamasec.
• Publicly disclose the nature and extent of all past and present relationships with Yamasec.
• Release a clear public statement addressing the concerns raised by thousands of supporters.
• Commit to ensuring that all future contractors, security providers and commercial partners reflect Sea Shepherd's stated ethical values.
• Reaffirm that Sea Shepherd stands for compassion, transparency, integrity and the protection of all life.
Peaceful Public Action
Should Sea Shepherd Global and Sea Shepherd Australia refuse to end their relationship with Yamasec or fail to respond publicly to these concerns, we will organise peaceful, respectful and lawful demonstrations outside each Australian fundraising event during Peter Hammarstedt's speaking tour.
These demonstrations are not intended to intimidate supporters or disrupt events.
They are intended to ensure that members of the public have access to information regarding concerns about Sea Shepherd's current partnerships before choosing whether to donate.
Our objective is accountability—not hostility.
Dialogue—not silence.
Transparency—not secrecy.
We believe Sea Shepherd can choose a different path.
It can honour the legacy upon which it was built.
It can restore the confidence of countless supporters around the world.
It can once again demonstrate that compassion knows no borders, no species and no exceptions.
Until then, we stand peacefully—but firmly—for accountability.
Because defending life should never depend on whose life it is.
65
The issue
Sea Shepherd Must End All Ties with Yamasec and Return to the Principles Upon Which It Was Founded
Sea Shepherd was founded in 1977 by Captain Paul Watson with a simple but uncompromising mission: to defend, conserve and protect life in the world's oceans through direct action.
For nearly five decades, Captain Watson inspired hundreds of thousands of volunteers and supporters across the globe to stand against commercial whaling, illegal fishing, shark finning and the destruction of marine ecosystems. His courage, conviction and unwavering commitment built Sea Shepherd into one of the world's most recognised marine conservation organisations.
Many long-time supporters believe that the organisation changed fundamentally following Captain Watson's removal from Sea Shepherd Global. Since then, supporters have increasingly raised concerns regarding the organisation's leadership, ethical direction, transparency and commitment to the principles upon which Sea Shepherd was founded.
One of the most significant concerns is Sea Shepherd Global's relationship with Israeli maritime security company Yamasec.
Publicly available information indicates that Yamasec has provided maritime security services for Sea Shepherd Global vessels and that the company employs personnel with backgrounds in the Israeli military, including reservists.
As the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and the wider region continues, many supporters believe that any partnership with companies connected to military operations is incompatible with an organisation that has always claimed compassion, non-violence and the protection of life as its guiding principles.
Captain Paul Watson has also publicly criticised Sea Shepherd Global's relationship with Yamasec and its current leadership. In public statements, he has expressed the view that his removal from the organisation enabled a departure from the ethical vision on which Sea Shepherd was founded. He has also called into question the organisation's relationship with Yamasec and urged greater transparency and accountability.
Whether one agrees with Captain Watson or not, his concerns deserve to be answered—not ignored.
Sea Shepherd owes its supporters honesty.
It owes its volunteers transparency.
It owes its donors accountability.
Most importantly, it owes the animals and the public unwavering ethical consistency.
Compassion cannot stop at the shoreline.
If Sea Shepherd believes that every whale, dolphin, shark and seal deserves protection from violence and exploitation, then those same principles must guide every partnership the organisation enters into.
Ethics cannot be selective.
Compassion cannot be selective.
Justice cannot be selective.
We therefore call upon Sea Shepherd Global and Sea Shepherd Australia to:
• Immediately terminate all contracts, partnerships and commercial relationships with Yamasec.
• Publicly disclose the nature and extent of all past and present relationships with Yamasec.
• Release a clear public statement addressing the concerns raised by thousands of supporters.
• Commit to ensuring that all future contractors, security providers and commercial partners reflect Sea Shepherd's stated ethical values.
• Reaffirm that Sea Shepherd stands for compassion, transparency, integrity and the protection of all life.
Peaceful Public Action
Should Sea Shepherd Global and Sea Shepherd Australia refuse to end their relationship with Yamasec or fail to respond publicly to these concerns, we will organise peaceful, respectful and lawful demonstrations outside each Australian fundraising event during Peter Hammarstedt's speaking tour.
These demonstrations are not intended to intimidate supporters or disrupt events.
They are intended to ensure that members of the public have access to information regarding concerns about Sea Shepherd's current partnerships before choosing whether to donate.
Our objective is accountability—not hostility.
Dialogue—not silence.
Transparency—not secrecy.
We believe Sea Shepherd can choose a different path.
It can honour the legacy upon which it was built.
It can restore the confidence of countless supporters around the world.
It can once again demonstrate that compassion knows no borders, no species and no exceptions.
Until then, we stand peacefully—but firmly—for accountability.
Because defending life should never depend on whose life it is.
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Petition created on 17 July 2026