Operation Krill Wars : Defend Antarctica

In January 2026, the UN adopted the High Seas Treaty : a landmark agreement to protect the two thirds of the ocean that lies beyond national borders. For the first time, countries can establish marine protected areas in international waters and require environmental assessments for industrial activity.

It’s a breakthrough. But a treaty on paper is not protection in the water.

Antarctica & the Battle for Krill

Nowhere will this treaty be tested more urgently than in the Southern Ocean.

Antarctica is home to the last recovering whale populations and one of Earth’s only intact marine ecosystems. At the center of it all is krill, the keystone species that whales, penguins, seals, birds, and fish depend on for survival. Krill also plays a surprisingly large role in carbon capture, supporting the ocean systems that regulate our climate.

Yet industrial krill fishing continues to expand, driven by demand for omega-3 supplements and aquaculture feed. Extraction is increasing while sea ice declines and predator species struggle to rebuild.

If the High Seas Treaty has meaning, it must mean protection for ecosystems like this.

Why We Are Going South

This year, our crew will head to Antarctica to defend this fragile ecosystem and the marine-life that call it home.

Governments move slowly. Industry moves quickly. The gap between the two is where ecosystems are lost.

Operation Krill Wars will see our brave crew of The Bandero sail into harm’s way to protect Antarctica!

To support this vital campaign > https://paulwatsonfoundation.donorsupport.co/page/KrillWars