“While there are organizations that offer policy and technological solutions to combat illegal fishing, Sea Shepherd is the only organization to pioneer the unique approach of providing African coastal states with civilian offshore patrol vessels that are being used by partner countries to bring poachers to justice,” says Captain Hammarstedt.

Born in Sweden, Captain Hammarstedt joined Sea Shepherd as soon as he was old enough to submit an application. In his fifteen years with Sea Shepherd, he has sailed the seven seas from the Labrador Coast to Antarctica, using direct intervention to save as many lives as possible from illegal whaling, sealing and destructive fishing practices. Today he is the Director of Campaigns for Sea Shepherd Global, heading Sea Shepherd's IUU Taskforce for Africa. Read his full bio here.

Candidates come from around the world from a broad range of fields including engineering, climate research, the arts and business, and are nominated by leaders who have already made significant contributions in the environmental arena. A UCLA faculty committee will present three finalists to a panel of judges including author and news commentator Van Jones, philanthropists Wendy Schmidt and Nicolas Berggruen, and Kathryn Sullivan, former head of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the first American woman to walk in space. The winner will be announced November 14 in a ceremony at UCLA’s Hershey Hall. Funds for the award are made possible as part of a $20 million gift to UCLA from the Anthony and Jeanne Pritzker Family Foundation.

Learn more about the Pritzker award and the other 19 candidates here: https://www.ioes.ucla.edu/pritzker-genius/