On the night of April 10th, 2018, shots were fired at Sea Shepherd’s M/V Sharpie
31 27.31 N 114 45.63 W
At 7:46 pm on the night of April 10th, while retrieving an illegal gillnet approximately 8 nautical miles off the Baja Coast near San Felipe, BCS, shots were fired at the Sea Shepherd vessel M/V SHARPIE from a fast-approaching skiff. The M/V Sharpie was stationary at the time while the crew worked on deck. Piracy Protocols were initiated and the crew lay flat on deck.
At this time, Mexican Federal Police Officers posted on board the Sea Shepherd vessel returned 3 shots to deter the approaching skiff.
At 7:53 pm, the Fast Naval Patrol vessel in the area was informed and in less than 10 minutes was underway to support the M/V Sharpie. Net retrieval operations were stopped and the crew mustered below deck in the mess room. At 8:05 pm a second skiff closed in on the M/V Sharpie at high speed. The M/V Sharpie proceeded south towards San Felipe and arrived at San Felipe Harbour at 11:10pm to process 13 totoabas recovered from illegal nets that had been left on deck during the melee.
Sea Shepherd would like to thank the Mexican Navy and the Mexican Federal Police for their prompt and professional action to maintain order in the Upper Gulf of California.
Sea Shepherd is currently conducting Operation Milagro IV, an anti-poaching and illegal net retrieval campaign in the Upper Sea of Cortez to protect the Vaquita Marina and Totoaba Bass, in partnership with the Government of Mexico.
Sea Shepherd carries five armed law enforcement agents on board its vessels to ensure safety and order while patrolling the waters of the Upper Gulf of California Vaquita Refuge, a Federally Protected and UNESCO listed Area.
