Sea Shepherd France

What Sea Shepherd France does

Sea Shepherd France is a French non-profit association (loi 1901) founded in 2006 and headquartered at 22 rue Boulard, 75014 Paris. It operates as the French branch of the international Sea Shepherd movement, specializing in direct-action marine conservation and public awareness campaigns aimed at combating poaching, illegal fishing, bycatch, and habitat destruction. The organization runs approximately 14 active campaigns and sub-brands spanning French territorial waters, the Mediterranean, the Strait of Gibraltar, the Faroe Islands, and most recently Antarctica, including marquee operations such as Dolphin ByCatch, Ocean Killers, GRINDSTOP, Ban Live Export, Save the Iberian Orca, and the Free Paul Watson advocacy campaign.

The organization operates with a lean core team of approximately 10 employees, supplemented by a large volunteer base that crews its vessels and field operations. Its technological footprint centers on operational activism rather than proprietary software: drone-based aerial surveillance for evidence gathering, documentary filmmaking for evidence and awareness (including the co-produced 'Espartes: Chroniques de l'Orque Ibérique'), and a digital engagement stack spanning an e-commerce merchandise storefront (seashepherd-shop.com), a dedicated donation portal (don.seashepherd.fr), an online petitions platform, and a press/media room. The organization explicitly allocates 87% of expenses to sea and land missions.

Sea Shepherd France is 100% funded by private donations, merchandise sales, bequests, and crowdfunding campaigns, accepting no government funding by charter. Following its February 2023 realignment with the Sea Shepherd Origins coalition (alongside Sea Shepherd UK, Sea Shepherd Brazil, and the Captain Paul Watson Foundation), the organization has sharpened its positioning around aggressive non-violent direct action and is led by Présidente/Directrice Lamya Essemlali. Customer/supporter segments are entirely individual: members of the general public who engage via donations, petitions (e.g., 36,143 signatures on the Paul Watson campaign), merchandise purchases, and volunteer service.

Name

Sea Shepherd France

Legal name

Sea Shepherd France

Website

https://seashepherd.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Sea Shepherd France is a Paris-based non-profit association founded in 2006 that conducts direct-action marine conservation campaigns and documentary filmmaking across France, the Mediterranean, and internationally, funded entirely by individual donations, merchandise sales, and bequests.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marine Conservation Services

akta.pro primary industry

Animal Welfare & Advocacy Organizations (AFAEALAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Oceans, Coastal & Marine Resource Management (BPADALAI)

Keywords

• Marine conservation
• Wildlife protection
• Anti-poaching operations
• Ocean advocacy
• Direct-action campaigns

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Donations: Sea Shepherd France operates as a 100% independent organization dependent on donations from individual supporters. No government or public funding is accepted.
2. Merchandise Sales: Online shop selling branded merchandise including clothing, accessories with proceeds supporting operations.
3. Legs and Bequests: Legacy giving and bequest programs for long-term supporter engagement.
4. Crowdfunding: Special fundraising campaigns for specific projects like the documentary 'Espartes: Chroniques de l'Orque Ibérique' via Ulule platform.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Sea Shepherd France is a non-profit marine conservation organization that conducts direct-action campaigns to protect marine wildlife from poaching, illegal fishing, and habitat destruction. It operates field missions in France and internationally, including marine patrols, drone surveillance, wildlife rescue, legal advocacy, and public awareness campaigns. The organization is funded entirely through private donations, bequests, and merchandise sales, with 87% of expenses directed to sea and land missions.

Product overview

Sea Shepherd France is a nonprofit marine conservation organization offering a portfolio of advocacy campaigns, documentaries, petition platforms, and merchandise. The core offerings are field-based campaigns organized by species or issue (Sea Shepherd Rescue, Dolphin ByCatch, Nyamba, Ocean Killers, Les Vents de la Colère, Sedna, Sea Shepherd Dive, Sea Shepherd Kids, Mare Nostrum, Crise Requin, Dolphin ByCatch Spain, Save the Iberian Orca, GRINDSTOP, Ban Live Export, Free Paul Watson), supplemented by documentary film productions (Espartes: Chroniques de l'Orque Ibérique), an online petitions platform for supporter mobilization, a Media Room for press resources, and an e-commerce merchandise store (Sea Shepherd Shop). The organization also accepts donations through integrated payment processors and distributes newsletters via email marketing platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sea Shepherd Origins: A branch aligned with Captain Paul Watson's original mission values, joined by Sea Shepherd France in February 2023
• Sea Shepherd Rescue
• Sea Shepherd Dive
• Sea Shepherd Kids
• Dolphin ByCatch
• Ocean Killers
• GrindStop
• Ban Live Export
• Les Vents de la Colère
• Save the Iberian Orca
• Nyamba
• Mare Nostrum
• Sedna

Products and services

• Sea Shepherd Rescue Marine wildlife rescue and rehabilitation operations for injured seabirds and other marine animals in distress, targeted at the French public and conservation stakeholders.
• Dolphin ByCatch Campaign to document and stop dolphin captures in fishing nets along French coasts, aimed at public audiences and policy makers concerned with bycatch.
• Nyamba Turtle protection campaign in Mayotte combatting poaching of sea turtles, targeting local communities and international conservation supporters.
• Ocean Killers Campaign documenting and opposing supertrawlers and industrial fishing practices, aimed at French audiences and policy makers concerned about overfishing.
• GRINDSTOP Campaign to stop the Grindadráp (pilot whale and dolphin massacre) at the Faroe Islands, aimed at international conservationists and Faroese/global public audiences.
• Ban Live Export Campaign documenting and opposing live animal export by sea, exposing cruelty and environmental violations in cooperation with Animal Welfare Foundation and Tierschutzbund Zürich.
• Espartes: Chroniques de l'Orque Ibérique Documentary film co-produced with WeWhale about the critically endangered Iberian orcas in the Strait of Gibraltar, distributed via crowdfunding platform Ulule.
• Online Petitions Platform Digital petition platform enabling supporters to sign and create petitions for marine conservation causes, used to mobilize public pressure on targets such as Carrefour and for advocacy on Paul Watson's case.
• Sea Shepherd Shop Official merchandise store selling branded clothing and accessories (e.g., sweatshirts €65, t-shirts €22-35, bags €45) to support Sea Shepherd France's conservation work.

Quantifiable outcome

• 87% of donations invested directly in field missions
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• WeWhalecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSea Shepherd France and Spanish NGO WeWhale launched a joint emergency mission in 2024 to protect the critically endangered Iberian orca population in the Strait of Gibraltar. The partnership includes co-production of documentary film 'Espartes: Chroniques de l'Orque Ibérique'.
• Sea Shepherd OriginscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSea Shepherd France joined Sea Shepherd Origins in February 2023, taking distance from Sea Shepherd Global. The coalition includes Sea Shepherd UK and Sea Shepherd Brazil, plus Captain Paul Watson Foundation. Mission: perpetuating original aggressive non-violent direct-action approach.
• Rewild (Coalition)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSea Shepherd France co-founded the Rewild coalition which works on wildlife protection issues including the bear poaching case in Ariège where the organization filed complaints.
• Landes Aquitaine Environnement (LAE)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLAE partnered with Sea Shepherd France and DMA to file legal challenges against RTE's France-Spain submarine interconnection project, successfully obtaining court-ordered suspension of bathymetry work to protect marine mammals.
• Défense des Milieux Aquatiques (DMA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDMA joined Sea Shepherd France in legal action against RTE's interconnection project, with President Philippe Garcia providing expert testimony on migratory fish species impacts.
• Animal Welfare FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Ban Live Export campaign documenting conditions of live animal transport ships. The foundation had previously documented land transport conditions and now partners to track maritime journey to final destination.
• Tierschutzbund ZürichminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwiss animal welfare organization partnered with Sea Shepherd France for Ban Live Export operation, contributing to documentation of live animal export conditions.
• Pet AlertminorOthersPet Alert network (4+ million members), founded by Julien Muller, contributed €10,000 to the reward for information on the bear killed in Ariège.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Captain Paul Watson Foundation: The Captain Paul Watson Foundation is a partner organization within the Sea Shepherd Origins coalition, supporting the founder's ongoing direct-action missions. Vertically aligned with Sea Shepherd France's mission and operations.
• Oceana: Oceana is the largest international advocacy organization focused exclusively on ocean conservation, running campaigns against IUU fishing, bycatch, and supertrawlers (e.g., 'Ocean Killers' is a direct analogue). It is a mission-aligned peer competing for marine-specific donor dollars.
• Sea Shepherd UK: Sea Shepherd UK is a sister organization within the Sea Shepherd Origins coalition alongside Sea Shepherd France. They share the same direct-action methodology, vessel operations, and supporter base, with coordinated campaigns across European waters.
• Sea Shepherd Brazil: Sea Shepherd Brazil is another member of the Sea Shepherd Origins coalition, coordinating South Atlantic operations including the recent Navy/anti-poaching missions off the Brazilian coast.
• Sea Shepherd Global: Sea Shepherd Global is the broader international organization from which Sea Shepherd France formally split in February 2023 over mission alignment. It is the most direct peer: same overall mission, overlapping campaigns, and shared brand heritage, now operating as a separate entity.
• Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC): WDC is a nonprofit dedicated to the protection of whales and dolphins, with overlapping campaigns on cetacean bycatch, the Icelandic/Faroese hunts, and Iberian orca protection. Comparable in mission scope and donor base.

Emerging players

• Sea-Watch: Sea-Watch is a German-based nonprofit running maritime operations (primarily Mediterranean search and rescue) with a similar volunteer-driven, direct-action ethos. It is an emerging peer in terms of operational methodology, though its mission focus is human rather than wildlife.

Broad incumbents

• WWF France: WWF France is a major global conservation NGO with established marine programs, donor infrastructure, and policy influence. It competes with Sea Shepherd France on donor share and corporate partnerships, though its approach is more policy- and science-driven than direct-action.
• International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW): IFAW is a global animal welfare and conservation nonprofit that runs ocean-focused campaigns including marine mammal rescue and anti-whaling advocacy. It is a broader incumbent with comparable portfolio scope but larger institutional footprint.
• Greenpeace France: Greenpeace France is one of the largest environmental NGOs in France, running marine conservation campaigns, direct actions, and policy advocacy. It is a broad incumbent that competes with Sea Shepherd France for the same French donor base and media attention.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@SeaShepherdFrance
• Facebookfacebook.com/SeaShepherdFrance
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sea-shepherd-france
• Instagraminstagram.com/seashepherd_france

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sea Shepherd France