Dr. Bronner’s Donates $25,000 to Sea Shepherd Conservation Society for Operación Milagro IV
Top-Selling Soap Brand Donates to Sea Shepherd’s Fourth Campaign to Save the Vaquita Porpoise
July 13, 2018
CDMX – Dr. Bronner’s, a family-owned company with the top-selling brand of natural soap and body care products in North America, donated $25,000 to Sea Shepherd Conservation Society’s (SSCS) Operación Milagro IV, which aims to protect the nearly extinct vaquita porpoise by patrolling the Sea of Cortez for illegal fishing operations that threaten the population of the 30 individuals left. Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, a movement for the conservation of the ocean, carries out direct actions at the international level to fight for the protection of marine wildlife and fight against illegal fishing. Dr. Bronner’s made the donation in April to help buy fuel for the three ships serving the fourth iteration of this operation in Mexican territory.
“Dr. Bronner’s and Sea Shepherd share a belief in the power and responsibility of individuals to take direct action to right the wrongs of the world,” says Michael Bronner, President of Dr. Bronner’s. “We are proud to support the work of Sea Shepherd around the world to protect our planet’s oceans and wildlife.”
In 2015, Dr. Bronner’s began supplying SSCS ships with its cruelty-free, biodegradable, certified fair trade pure-castile soap, made with organic oils. In 2017, Dr. Bronner’s gifted the organization with the MV Emanuel Bronner, a ship named in memory of the company’s founder, to patrol the Baltic Sea on similar missions to protect the harbor porpoise, another endangered sea mammal. Dr. Bronner’s reiterated its support for SSCS this April by making a donation for the Operación Milagro to continue in Mexican territory.
Operación Milagro (which translates to English as “Operation Miracle”) is a patrol operation and withdrawal of illegal fishing nets in the Sea of Cortez with the main objective of saving the vaquita porpoise. For the first time since it began in 2016, Operación Milagro came to have three SSCS ships patrolling simultaneously and a new system to detect underwater networks through sound. This made it possible for the campaign to eliminate 385 pieces of illegal fishing equipment and save 854 animals. This month, Operación Milagro IV, came to an end with better results than its three previous Milagro campaigns combined.
Scientists say that the Sea of Cortez, found between Mexico and the Baja California Peninsula, is one of the most biodiverse water bodies on the planet. It is home to more than 900 species of fish, thousands of invertebrate species, and a wide range of mammals such as sea lions, dolphins, and whales. Jacques Cousteau once called the Sea of Cortez, “The aquarium of the world.”
Over the years, illegal fishing has threatened thousands of species, especially the existence of the vaquita porpoise. Gillnets and the drag lines take hundreds of animals at a time and it is estimated that 40% of this game is just tossed as it has no commercial value.
Since Sea Shepherd arrived in the Sea of Cortez operating various campaigns, it has eliminated 808 gillnets and trawl lines, saving more than 3,000 animals. In July, the totoaba fish, which is the main target of illegal fishing in the Gulf of California, migrates south of the vaquita refuge, and so do hunters. The Ghost Net Program, designed to eliminate the remaining networks, will continue with partner organizations until the launch of Operación Milagro V in November.
If you are concerned about the future of the vaquita porpoise and want to support Operación Milagro V campaign, share this information and make a donation directly to the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. For more information about the campaign, please visit: https://seashepherd.org/campaigns/milagro/
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Sea Shepherd is an international non-profit, marine wildlife conservation organization. Founded in 1977, their mission is to end the habitat destruction and slaughter of wildlife in the world’s oceans, in order to conserve and protect ecosystems and marine species. Sea Shepherd uses innovative direct-action tactics to investigate, document, and take action when necessary, to expose and confront illegal activities on the high seas. By safeguarding the biodiversity of the world’s delicately balanced ocean ecosystems, Sea Shepherd works to ensure their survival for future generations.
For more information on Sea Shepherd, please visit: https://www.seashepherd.org.
Dr. Bronner’s is a family business committed to honoring the vision of founder Emanuel Bronner by making socially and environmentally responsible products of the highest quality, and by dedicating profits to help make a better world. The company’s commitment to animal and environmental protection and progressive business practices is part of the company’s mission to put into practice the principles that inform the philosophy printed on the company’s iconic soap labels written by founder Emanuel Bronner. The company has grown to become the top selling natural soap maker in North America and a major brand worldwide. Based on 2017 sales, a bottle of Dr. Bronner’s soap was sold, on average, every 2.2 seconds throughout the year.
For more information, go to: https://www.drbronner.mx