Paul Watson Activists Hit Krill Fishing Vessel in “Direct Intervention”

activists and fishing vessel collide — The activists boat hit the fishing vessel on the stern quarter (The Paul Watson Foundation - © Soizic Roux)

Activists sailing aboard the Bandero, a vessel of The Captain Paul Watson Foundation, reported they undertook “direct intervention” as part of a strategy they described as “aggressive nonviolence” to interrupt krill fishing in Antarctica. The Norwegian company Aker Qrill told the Associated Press it was a “deliberate attack” and that it would be pursuing all available legal action.

Best known for the Sea Shepherd organization in the 1970s, the foundation credits its founder, Paul Watson, for having stopped whaling in Antarctica. It announced its vessel had departed Australia on February 23, reporting the launch of “Operation Krill Wars,” a new campaign to confront industrial krill fishing in critical whale feeding grounds near Antarctica.

Bandero, a 64-meter (210-foot) vessel, was acquired in 2024 by the foundation. It was previously a Japanese fisheries patrol vessel. The foundation posted a photo showing 19 people identified as the crew led by French activist Lamya Essemlali. Watson, who celebrated his 75th birthday in December 2025, was not aboard for this trip.

The group reported it was on its way to Antarctica to protect whales’ primary food source, krill. They said Watson was sending them back to end krill trawling. “We have to stop them,” they declared online.

Captain Paul Watson has previously said that the time for photos is over … now is the time for action, and that this first intervention would stand as proof of that shift.

Activist's vessel approaching the fishing vessel (The Paul Watson Foundation - © Soizic Roux)

Krill is a small fish that is a primary food source for whales and other Antarctic life. Its oil is used in omega-3 supplements, aquaculture and salmon feed, and pet food products, the group reports. They assert that last year the quota catch was 620,000 tons, and it was reached for the first time. They report Norway is advocating to increase the annual catch to as much as 1.2 million tonnes.

“Since 2018, environmentalists have been documenting and exposing this destruction year after year, but documentation alone has not stopped it,” said Watson. “At some point, you have to say enough is enough.”

Aker Qrill reports it develops krill-based ingredients for nutraceutical, aquaculture, and animal feed applications.

According to the reports by both the activists and the company, the Bandero came upon two of the company’s vessels during their fishing operations on March 31. The group says it attempted to disrupt the fishing operations for over five hours.

The foundation released a picture showing their crew releasing a device used to shred the metal fishing nets. Another image shows the Bandero hitting the stern quarter of the vessel Antarctic Sea (9,600 gross tons). Built in 1999, the fishing vessel is 132 meters (433 feet) with a crew of 60. Aker Qrill is reporting the crew was shaken but unharmed.

They contend the Antarctic Sea is the largest vessel of its kind operating in Antarctica. Aker Qill reports that the ship was outfitted for krill fishing in 2009. The company has been operating the ship since 2011 as one of four ships in its fleet. It says the vessel “set a new standard in krill harvesting.” The foundation contends the vessel accounts for more than 60 percent of the total catch quota.

Watson, who became the subject of a TV show, is well-known for the use of aggressive tactics, including having rammed several vessels. Japan attempted to prosecute him and succeeded in getting Greenland to detain him for five months in 2024 before he was released.