Perreault Magazine - 66 -
Captain Layolle approached the Mexican authorities with a request for permission to seize nets and longlines and her request was granted.
With this authority, Sea Shepherd was finally able to make a difference. The search for submerged longlines began in earnest using fabricated drag hooks and one by one the illegal nets were retrieved from the sea and turned over to the Mexican Navy.
At the same time, night patrols and the use of a DJI Matrice drone equipped with a FLIR Vue Pro Thermal night vision camera caught poachers in the act of setting nets and long lines. Reports were made to the Navy and arrests were made.
On February 19th 2016, the two Sea Shepherd vessels discovered another entangled Humpback whale. This time the whale was alive and with assistance from the Mexican Navy, the net was cut and the whale was freed.
The first two weeks of March were depressing with the finding of two dead Vaquitas at sea and a third found on the beach by tourists. The Sea Shepherd crew also found the body of a large Great White Shark entangled in poaching nets. The first week of April found another dead Humpback whale entangled in net.
On April 12th the crew spotted two live Vaquita and a third was spotted the next day.
On April 22nd, the last illegal longline was pulled up. It was the 16th poaching line seized for the season. On April 23rd the 42nd gillnet was confiscated before the season ended on April 30th.
The two Sea Shepherd vessels plus four Sea Shepherd drones, assisted by the Mexican Navy produced great results in discouraging poachers, confiscating illegal gear and saving lives. It was a successful experiment with an NGO working directly in partnership with government to engage in intervention against illegal activities.
Sea Shepherd is also presently engaged in partnership campaigns with the governments of Gabon where the ship Bob Barker is deployed, with the government of Italy to protect marine sanctuaries where the ships Brigitte Bardot and Sam Simon have been deployed and with the government of Ecuador where Sea Shepherd has had a 16-year partnership to defend and protect the Galapagos Marine Reserve.
In summary Operation Milagro saw 40 volunteers from 13 countries (Austria, Canada, Chile, Colombia, France, Germany, Mexico, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Spain, U.K., USA,) participate as crew on the Farley Mowat and the Martin Sheen. Four live Vaquita were spotted and three dead Vaquita found.