Oceanic conservation operates at the intersection of law, activism, and everyday work at sea. This can be seen within the ongoing politics of cetaceans in French jurisdictions, where the state regulators, fishers, and NGOs like Sea Shepherd have been embroiled in policing efforts. While policing and surveillance can strengthen the protection of marine life, it also raises critical questions about fairness, justice, equity, legitimacy, and power. Understanding these dynamics requires moving beyond simple oppositions between “fishers” and “environmentalists.” Instead, it calls for attention to the complex ways in which ecological, legal, and social worlds overlap - and sometimes collide - in the contemporary ocean.