Sea Shepherd receives 8.3 million euros from National Postcode Lottery

New impetus in the fight against illegal fishing Antarctica

AMSTERDAM, January 26, 2015 – At the National Postcode Lottery's annual Goed Geld Gala tonight, Sea Shepherd received a check for 8.3 million euros. Sea Shepherd receives support for the Dream Project Stop Illegal Fishing in the Antarctic Ocean.

Sea Shepherd will use the money from the National Postcode Lottery to purchase a modern and fast ship to fight illegal whaling and fishing. This contribution is the largest Sea Shepherd has ever received.

It is Sea Shepherd's mission to protect and conserve animal species and ecosystems in oceans. Illegal fishing and overfishing are a major threat to the health of the oceans. The remote ocean around Antarctica has long been out of the reach of poachers and fishermen, but now this area is also under threat. The enormously rich fishing grounds are being looted on an increasing scale. The fragile ecosystem is in danger. There is little or no enforcement and control of the fishing industry, so that illegal fishermen can go about their business almost undisturbed. The chance of being caught is small and fines are disproportionate to the enormous profits that are made.

Good luck
Sea Shepherd has been fighting illegal whaling in Antarctica since 2002. With success, because the international organization has proven in recent years that its presence in Antarctic waters guarantees success in combating illegal hunting and fishing.

This was confirmed last year with a ruling from the highest legal body in the world; the United Nations International Court of Justice in The Hague, which upholds the illegality of whaling by Japan. Sea Shepherd provided vital evidence of this.

fast ship
Sea Shepherd's current fleet consists of outdated ships that often lack the speed to effectively patrol and pursue poachers.

“For years, we have been looking for financing for a modern and fast ship. Thanks to the support of the National Postcode Lottery, our dream can now come true. We researched shipbuilders who were able to build a new ship that fully meets the harsh requirements and conditions that apply in the Southern Ocean. We ended up with the Dutch shipbuilder Damen,” says Alex Cornelissen, CEO of Sea Shepherd.

For this project, Sea Shepherd received a total of €8.3 million tonight from the Postcode Lottery in the Netherlands, Sweden and the United Kingdom.
Of this, 7.5 million euros will come from the National Postcode Lottery.

With the Dream Fund, the Nationale Postcode Loterij wants to achieve major changes for people and nature, inside or outside the Netherlands. The fund enables new, courageous and groundbreaking initiatives. In addition, Sea Shepherd received the annual contribution of 900,000 euros.
Sea Shepherd is of course very grateful to the National Postcode Lottery for this wonderful donation.

http://www.seashepherd.nl/