Southern Gulf of Mexico · Campeche Bank · Active Operation

Defending the
Gulf of Mexico

The Gulf of Mexico is at risk of ecological collapse. Sea Shepherd ships are at Scorpion Reef and Bajos del Norte to stop the poachers plundering its spawning grounds.

Donate The Crisis
Drop in US Gulf fisheries production in the early 1990s
42%
Fall in Campeche Bank red grouper landings, 1972 to the 2000s
70%
Rice's whales left, found only in the Gulf
<100

Sea Shepherd / The Crisis

An Ecosystem at Risk of Collapse

Fish populations in the Gulf of Mexico have crashed before. A study published in 2026 found that total fisheries production in US waters of the Gulf fell by about 42 percent in the early 1990s after a severe drought, and it projects losses of about 60 percent by mid-century if severe droughts persist.

With the Gulf already under that strain, illegal fishing is striking the reefs it can least afford to lose: the spawning grounds that sustain marine life across the region.

The damage is already visible in the southern Gulf. On the Campeche Bank, red grouper landings fell from about 20,000 tonnes in 1972 to about 6,000 tonnes a year in the 2000s, and the stock remains depleted. Poachers continue to plunder these breeding populations, and now Sea Shepherd ships are there to stop them.

Fewer than 100 Rice's whales remain, and they are found only in the Gulf of Mexico. NOAA estimates the Deepwater Horizon spill cut their population by as much as 22 percent.

We will not ignore the lessons from the collapse of other marine ecosystems. By 1992, overfishing had cut Newfoundland's northern cod to about one percent of its peak. The fishery closed, more than 30,000 people lost their work and the ban lasted 32 years. The ongoing loss of wild Pacific salmon along the west coast of North America is another lesson in what happens when action comes too late. These are examples of what could happen in the Gulf of Mexico, and happen soon, if illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing is not halted now.

Sea Shepherd first came to the Gulf in 2010, when we launched Operation Gulf Rescue in response to the Deepwater Horizon disaster. We returned in 2014 with Ocean Alliance to study the spill's long-term effects on whales. Our ships now work with the Government of Mexico to protect the spawning grounds of the southern Gulf. Sea Shepherd is acting aggressively today to prevent ecological collapse in the Gulf of Mexico.

Sea Shepherd / Where We Work

The Spawning Grounds We Protect

The reefs of the southern Gulf are spawning and nursery grounds for grouper, snapper, Threatened Queen Conch, lobster and other species. Their remoteness makes them valuable and easy to exploit: poachers can strip a spawning site long before enforcement arrives. Sea Shepherd ships hold station year-round across more than 6,300 square miles of protected waters, alongside the Mexican Navy and park authorities.

Campeche Bank · Southern Gulf Shelf

22,000sq mi

The broad continental shelf off the Yucatan Peninsula, where red grouper and red snapper spawn. Scorpion Reef and Bajos del Norte both rise from it.

Scorpion Reef · Arrecife Alacranes National Park

1,289sq mi

The largest reef in the southern Gulf, a coral atoll about 80 miles off the Yucatan coast. Its islands are nesting grounds for sea turtles and seabirds, and its waters are nurseries for grouper, snapper and Threatened Queen Conch.

Bajos del Norte · Protected Area

5,035sq mi

A deep-water reef system and spawning ground, decreed a marine protected area in 2024, with Sea Shepherd ships helping enforce it.

Sea Shepherd / The Threat

What We Are Up Against

  1. 01

    Poaching on spawning grounds

    Poachers strip spawning sites of Threatened Queen Conch, squid, octopus, grouper, amberjack and snapper, taking the adults that would have produced the next generation. Remoteness is their biggest advantage.

  2. 02

    Ghost nets and lost gear

    Discarded nets and lines smother coral and trap everything from lobsters to green sea turtles long after the boats are gone.

  3. 03

    Pressure on nesting grounds

    Illegal landings, boat traffic and gear disturb sea turtles during nesting and hatching season.

  4. 04

    Illegal access

    Boats without permits anchor on coral and spearfish and line fish inside protected boundaries.

Sea Shepherd / On Station

What Our Crews Do

Sea Shepherd is meeting that threat with a model proven in the Vaquita Refuge. There, our permanent presence, together with Mexican authorities' patrols and physical barriers, has helped reduce illegal fishing activity inside the Zero Tolerance Area by about 95 percent. We bring the ships, the crews and the surveillance, and Mexican authorities carry out enforcement.

Sea Shepherd patrol crew at Scorpion Reef

Reef patrols

A visible presence across both protected areas that deters illegal access before it starts.

Mexican Navy inspection at Scorpion Reef

Vessel inspections

Suspicious boats are boarded with Mexican authorities, building the legal case for permanent seizure.

Mexican authorities on patrol at Scorpion Reef

Catch seizures

Illegally caught fish and gear are confiscated from poaching boats working inside protected waters.

Divers at Scorpion Reef

Reef dives

Underwater surveys check coral health, document illegal fishing below the surface and remove ghost gear.

Crew monitoring sea turtle nests at Scorpion Reef

Sea turtle monitoring

Crews monitor nesting and hatching on the reef islands with Mexican park authorities.

Crew monitoring the islands with a drone

Drone surveillance

Drones watch the islands and the water beyond the ships, extending enforcement into places it never reached.

The MV Sharkwater

Dive and science platform

MV Sharkwater

Named for filmmaker Rob Stewart, whose documentary exposed the shark fin trade.

Vessel profile
The MV Roger Payne

Patrol and interception

MV Roger Payne

Named for Dr. Roger Payne, whose humpback whale research launched the Save the Whales movement.

Vessel profile

Government partners

Sea Shepherd / Results

Poachers Stopped

Every interception is carried out with Mexican authorities, who detain the boats and seize the catch.

  1. 2025 April

    2ships

    begin a permanent patrol of Scorpion Reef and Bajos del Norte.

  2. 2025 Spring

    600+kg

    of illegally harvested Threatened Queen Conch intercepted in March and April.

  3. 2025 July

    3boats

    detained in a single day, with 93 kg of illegal catch seized.

  4. 2026 February

    720kg

    of illegally caught fish seized from one boat with no permits, held for permanent seizure. In March, three Threatened Queen Conch poachers were detained.

  5. 2026 SeptemberNow

    3boats

    seized by PROFEPA at Isla Pajaros, a protected nesting island, after our crew and drones helped detect them.

6,300+square miles protected

2ships on patrol

With SEMAR, PROFEPA, CONANP and CONAPESCA

Sea Shepherd / Gallery

From the Gulf

Crew on the bow of a Sea Shepherd ship Boobies on Isla Pajaros Isla Muertos at Scorpion Reef The Sea Shepherd ship Sharkwater at Scorpion Reef Sea turtle hatchlings at Scorpion Reef Sea turtle monitoring at Scorpion Reef Dolphins riding the bow of a Sea Shepherd ship Drone view of a beach at Scorpion Reef Campaign leader on deck at sunset Mexican Navy near an island at Scorpion Reef

Sea Shepherd / Latest

News From the Gulf

All news

Sea Shepherd / Direct Action Crew

Keep the Crew in the Gulf

Monthly supporters fund the fuel, the dives and the patrols that keep our crews on station in the southern Gulf. A permanent operation needs permanent funding.

"Because of you, we're out here. Diving, documenting and stopping harm before it spreads."

Sea Shepherd crew · Scorpion Reef

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