Cornucopia Managing Director Ross Howe was recently invited onboard the famous ship, Allankay, to get a first-hand insight into the work of our partner charity, Sea Shepherd.
Ross took a five-day voyage from Sydney to the Gold Coast, living and working alongside the crew. Throughout the journey, he learned more about the work of Sea Shepherd, and the importance of ongoing support for the organisation.
Sea Sheperd’s mission is to protect defenseless marine wildlife and end the destruction of habitat in the world’s oceans. Since 1977, Sea Shepherd has used innovative direct action tactics to defend, conserve and protect the delicately-balanced biodiversity of our seas and enforce international conservation laws.
“I have always been aware of the incredible impact that Sea Shepherd has achieved in Marine Conservancy and the legendary stories captured in Whale Wars”, says Ross.
Ross took his place in a four-berth cabin with volunteer deckhands who shared stories of past campaigns off West Africa and the Gulf of Mexico, identifying and stopping Illegal, unreported or unregulated fishing.
“The most impressive and enjoyable experience of my time on the AllanKay was the stories from the dedicated volunteers and ship crew whose commitment to the work of Sea Shepherd was unquestioned”, says Ross.
Ross also spent time with Sea Shepherd’s leadership team, including CEO Jeff Hansen and Director of Campaigns, Peter Hammarstedt, who have a combined campaign experience of almost 40 years.
From the leaders of the organisation, through to the incredible volunteers, Ross was left with an impression of a team that was deeply committed to fulfilling the organisation’s mission.
“It was inpsiring to see everyone working incredibly hard in tough conditions in order to fulfill both their personal values and alignment to Sea Shepherd’s work. Cornucopia is very proud to be partnering with this wonderful organisation to help protect and conserve the world’s oceans and marine wildlife.”