Anti-poaching Patrols Continue Under the Yellow Flag

Commentary from Captain Paul Watson

Our brave and hard-working crews continue to operate in the Vaquita Refuge. IF we do not, the poachers will move in to take advantage and that could doom the Vaquita.

Our ships SHARPIE and FARLEY MOWAT are operating under the “Q” yellow flag under the following guidlines.

General Quarantine Guidelines:

• All crew to stay on board the ship at all times
• Any crew leaving the ship and having contact with another non-crew individual (contact defined as within 1.5-2m of another individual, any touch contact with that individual) then returning to the ship resets any quarantine timing
• Any non-crew individual boarding the ship, regardless of any physical contact with crew, resets any quarantine timing
• Display signage to prevent non-crew individuals boarding
• Only essential (as deemed by the captain) deliveries to the ship
• All deliveries to be left on the dock by the courier and collected by crew without contact with the courier. If items need signatures this should be done by crew with their own pen and again, without contact with the courier. Eg left in a box on the dock. If done properly this does not reset quarantine.
• Consider wiping down hard surfaces of any items delivered with appropriate cleaning fluid before handling
• Wash all fresh food thoroughly
• Identify a cabin appropriate for isolating a possible COVD-infected crew member now. The cabin should:
  • Be single occupancy
  • Have it’s own toilet and sink facilities. If this is not possible, the cabin chosen should be as close as possible to a toilet which can be marked for exclusive use of the affected person
  • Be above the waterline with an opening porthole
• Follow all guidelines put in place regarding ship procedures involving non-crew personnel eg bunkering, disposal of sewage etc
• All ship activities which carry a risk of moderate to significant injury (however small) should be suspended. This is due to local healthcare services being overwhelmed from the current COVID crisis. It is at the discretion of the captain and onboard leadership team which activities continue.
• All crew to be mindful of the current challenging health situation when it comes to their own conduct. Healthcare for even minor-moderate injuries and illness will be impacted. Situations or actions which carry high risk should be avoided and all appropriate PPE should be worn
• If ship transits and arrives at a new port, a health declaration will need to be completed