Operation Milagro IV

Operation Milagro IV © Sea Shepherd Conservation Society

As it is currently the height of the totoaba fishing season, the crew on Operation Milagro IV has been very busy. Just last week, the M/V Farley Mowat pulled its 100th net on Operation Milagro IV.

The Farley removed Operation Milagro's very first net in January 2016, and has been present in the Upper Gulf of California ever since. On Tuesday of last week, the crew removed a monumental 10 nets in one day! On the night of April 10th, our vessel the M/V Sharpie was removing an illegal gillnet off the coast of San Felipe when shots were fired at the ship from a fast approaching skiff.

Piracy protocols were initiated, and the crew lay flat on the deck as the Mexican Federal Police Officers on board fired three warning shots. The Fast Naval Patrol Vessel in the area was contacted, and they arrived to help escort the M/V Sharpie to dock in San Felipe. The drastic measures taken by the poachers demonstrate Sea Shepherd's effectiveness in disrupting their illegal activities.

So far on Operation Milagro IV, Sea Shepherd has removed 350 pieces of illegal fishing gear, and rescued over 660 live animals. With over one month left on Operation Milagro IV, we have already exceeded the amount of nets we were able to remove in the previous seasons of Operation Milagro combined, demonstrating our improvements in locating and retrieving them. Since we started Operation Milagro we have removed over 640 pieces of illegal fishing gear and saved 2,871 animals. Nearly 3,000 lives have been saved by the efforts of our courageous crews!

On Earth Day, the crew of the M/V Farley Mowat was removing a net when they noticed something struggling within it. Upon further inspection, they discovered a critically endangered leatherback sea turtle, still alive but trapped. Acting quickly, our crew on a small boat raced to the turtle, cutting the net and freeing her back into the ocean. The video above is a beautiful reminder that every single life matters.