The Krill Wars have begun
- Paul Watson
- il y a 2 jours
- 5 min de lecture
By Captain Paul Watson
On March 31st, 2026 the Captain Paul Watson Foundation opened the Krill Wars in the Southern Ocean.
We had a clear objective. On the first day of confrontation, we needed a video and a photograph that would serve to focus international media attention on the ecological destruction underway by the krill fishing fleet.
Read the column: The Fourth Elements of Media
Because the Norwegian Aker Qrill (Aker Biomarine) is the leading corporate exploiter of krill in the Southern Ocean, we made the decision to restrict our interventions to the Norwegian operations. Norway is also the leading producer of salmon farms and the primary purpose of removing krill is to provide a cheap protein rich feed for the toxic domestic salmon farms.
With the target identified, our ship the Bandero moved slowly towards the Norwegian vessel Antarctic Sea at the speed of one knot. We did not ram the ship. We nudged it. There was no structural damage inflicted, just some scraped paint.
This maneuver was borrowed from the traditional native American (Lakota) custom called “counting coup.” This means not inflicting image or damage while sending a signal.
The much smaller Bandero touched the much larger Antarctic Sea and two things happened. First the photograph and video of the encounter was dramatic enough to make it a newsworthy story and thereby giving a headline front page photo and a video for broadcasting.
Secondly the Norwegian captain and the suits at Aker predictably reacted in a drama queen histrionic manner making ludicrous accusation of “terrorist.” An especially rich accusation coming from a company terrorizing the whales and penguins of the Southern Ocean. They embellished the story with a barrage of what ifs, like what if they had ruptured a fuel tank, what if one of our crew was injured or what if the nets were cut causing a threat to marine life.
Our response was that we knew exactly where the fuel tanks were, the impact was negligible, there was no possibility of inflicting an injury and if any nets were cut, we would retrieve them before any damage could occur.
After all, I’ve been practicing aggressive non-violence for over half a century without once causing a single injury.
We had the photo, we had a story and after hours of harassment the two Aker ships the Antarctic Sea and the Antarctic Endurance fled the area with our ship the Bandero in pursuit. All fishing activities by these two ships was halted for the day.
We also had an extremely competent and media-savvy campaign leader with Lamya Essemlali, the President of Sea Shepherd France.
The campaign was designed as a strategic media campaign to effectively expose the ecologically destructive industrialized exploitation, and it was a success.
The Norwegians countered that what they were doing is legal but there are many things that are legal that cause damage, death and mass destruction. They also said we should go about it with “acceptable” approaches to protesting. Since 2018, their destructive operations have been documented with tens of thousands of meters of video and hundreds of thousands of photos including whales and penguins caught in nets while trying to feed in competition with these huge avaricious machines.
Aker says they welcome this passive approach. Of course they do, because it does not interfere with operations and can be easily ignored.
My former colleagues who hijacked the Sea Shepherd movement have been taking pictures of this destruction for four years as the krill fishers looked on, smiled and went about their deadly business.
Now for the first time, a clear message was sent to the world that this toxic industry will not continue unopposed.
In deciding to aggressively yet non-violently confront the krill fishery we defended our actions by citing the United Nations World Charter for Nature: Our actions were conducted in accordance with Section 21 of the UN World Charter for Nature (1982), which explicitly empowers non-governmental organizations and individuals to uphold international conservation law in areas beyond national jurisdiction—particularly on the high seas.
We are also citing the Precautionary Principle:
Acting Before Irreversible Harm Occurs
The crew of the Bandero operated in strict adherence to the precautionary principle, a cornerstone of environmental law that mandates preventive action in the face of scientific uncertainty. This principle shifts the burden of proof—requiring industries to demonstrate safety before proceeding, rather than forcing conservationists to prove harm after the fact.
I was in Rio De Janiero at the U.N. Environment conference where the Precautionary Principle Declaration was declared in 1992.
"Where there are threats of serious or irreversible damage, lack of full scientific certainty shall not be used as a reason for postponing cost-effective measures to prevent environmental degradation."
Read the column: The Complete and Utter Failure of COP30
How does this apply to the krill fishery?
Threat of Harm: The krill fishery disrupts the Antarctic food web, directly competing with whales, penguins, and other marine life. While scientific consensus on long-term impacts is still evolving, the plausibility of harm is undeniable.
Scientific Uncertainty: The lack of complete data does not justify inaction. The CPWF’s intervention was a proactive measure—acting before irreversible damage occurs, not after.
Preventive Action: Our obstruction of krill trawlers was a necessary, proportionate response to an industry that prioritizes profit over ecological stability.
We are also citing the common heritage of humankind principle
The Southern Ocean is not the exclusive domain of wealthy nations like Norway or China: It is a global commons, belonging to all humanity and future generations. The Common Heritage of Humankind Principle asserts that areas beyond national jurisdiction (such as the high seas) must be managed for the benefit of all, not exploited for the gain of a few.
The CPWF’s actions were not just an environmental protest—they were an assertion of this principle, ensuring that the Antarctic ecosystem remains protected for the collective good of the planet.
Aker Biomarine’s attempts to portray itself as a victim ring hollow when weighed against the real and ongoing ecological destruction caused by industrial krill fishing. The CCAMLR’s (The Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources) regulatory failures have allowed this industry to operate with impunity, threatening the very foundation of Antarctic life.
The Captain Paul Watson Foundation will continue to challenge ecologically destructive industries—not through violence, but through strategic, non-violent direct action, Enhancing media coverage, legal justification, and global awareness campaigns.
The Southern Ocean is not a corporate resource. It is a shared heritage, and we will defend it.
Our critics are saying we could lose our ship. Ships are expendable. Biodiversity is not. My ships have always been ready to sail into harm’s way and we will continue to do so.
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