Board of Directors
Peter Hammarstedt
Chair
Born in Sweden, I joined the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society as soon as I was old enough to submit an application. I currently serve as the Director of Ship Operations for Sea Shepherd Global and sit on the Boards of Sea Shepherd Global and Sea Shepherd Australia.
In my years with Sea Shepherd, I have sailed the seven seas under the leadership of Captain Paul Watson, from the foreboding Labrador Coast to the treacherous Antarctic Continent, using direct action to save as many lives as possible from illegal whaling, sealing and destructive fishing practices.
I believe that in their capacity to suffer, animals are our equals, and that when government fails in its responsibility to uphold the law, then it is the responsibility of compassionate people to fill the enforcement vacuum.
I have crewed on nine consecutive Antarctic Whale Defense Campaign and for the past three years, I have been the Captain of the M/Y Bob Barker.
Two years ago, the factory whaling ship, Nisshin Maru, rammed Bob Barker on several occasions. Sea Shepherd stood-fast and successfully prevented the whaler from refueling. The campaign succeeded in preventing the slaughter of 932 endangered, threatened and protected whales.
Jeff Hansen
Managing Director, Sea Shepherd Australia
Jeff Hansen joined Sea Shepherd (SS) in 2006 as a ground support volunteer in the Perth and his passion for marine conservation was quickly noticed.
Jeff was subsequently invited onboard the M/Y Steve Irwin during the 2007-2008 Antarctic Whale Defence Campaign called Operation Migaloo. His role as Quartermaster, saw Jeff make a strategic call which resulted in discovering the centrepiece of the whaling fleet, the Nissan Maru. Upon returning, Sea Shepherd’s leader Captain Paul Watson offered Jeff the position of Australian Director. During Operation Migaloo the direct action by SS spared 500 whales from the harpoon - around half the whalers’ quota.
The following year Jeff again served on board the M/Y Steve Irwin as Quartermaster during Operation Musashi where the crew survived a harrowing ordeal of being trapped in pack ice. Again, Jeff was instrumental in locating the Japanese whaling vessel the Keiko Maru. As a direct result of the crew, 308 whales were saved.
Jeff is a qualified Electronic and Computer Engineer. He was born in Melbourne, but now lives in Perth He and his wife are wildlife rehabilitation carers, caring for sick and injured Bobtail lizards. Jeff is also a proud dad of two young children, Abby and Beau.
Michelle Mossfield
As a child, Michelle Mossfield was taught to always speak up for what she believes to be right and true. As an adult, on these matters, she has committed to never shut-up.
Michelle has worked in the entertainment industry for fourteen years. In early 2012 she left her position as director of Reckoning Entertainment, an independent music publicity, marketing, management and consultancy company based in Sydney, in order to direct her energies to ocean conservation. She continues to have strong links to the media and wide reaching national and international connections.
After joining Sea Shepherd as an onshore volunteer in 2011, Michelle’s life changed – quickly. She had supported a number of different environmental organisations until that point, but in Sea Shepherd – and its Founder, Paul Watson – Michelle found the hands-on, direct action approach to the protection of our planet that she had been looking for. She became heavily involved in the Sydney chapter and in 2012 joined the Cove Guardians campaign in Taiji. Shortly after returning to Australia from Japan, Michelle took the position as media lead in Sea Shepherd’s ninth Antarctic whale defence campaign, Operation Zero Tolerance. She is currently undertaking post-graduate studies in Environmental Law at Macquarie University in Sydney, and is looking forward to putting her legal knowledge into practice.
Laura Dakin
bio coming soon
