Surfbirds News

"This is yet another year of a fishery out of control,” said Sebastian Losada,
Greenpeace Spain oceans campaigner. “It is a mockery that the new management
rules agreed by the international community to halt illegal fishing have only
entered into force two weeks before the fishing season comes to an end. But it
is even worse that we have demonstrated that they are not even being
respected.”

In addition to the Rainbow Warrior’s presence in the Mediterranean fishing
ground, Greenpeace has been monitoring several ports and airports in the
region. Greenpeace has documented the activity of Tunisian, Italian and French
fishing vessels operating in the area, as well as a multinational fleet of
vessels such as tug boats and support vessels taking part in operations linked
to the bluefin tuna farming industry.

Last week, Greenpeace showed that the use of spotter planes to find tuna schools
is still common in the area, despite being banned under the new bluefin tuna
recovery plan agreed by ICCAT. The Rainbow Warrior documented the fishing
activities of three Italian purse seine fishing vessels surrounded by spotter
planes during their entire fishing operation (2).

Greenpeace also found several Tunisian purse seiners operating without a
license. These vessels are not included in the ICCAT register of vessels
authorised to fish for tuna species in the region (3).

Transhipment activities (transfer of cargo for shipment) also seem to be common
in the area, despite the fact that they are one of the main ways in which
illegal catches are laundered (4). On June 11 Greenpeace observed the
transhipment at sea of bluefin tuna between the Italian fishing vessel Vergine
del Rosario and the refrigerated cargo vessel Daniela, flagged to Panama. On
June 12 the French vessel Jean Marie VI transferred its cargo to the Panamanian
flagged reefer Astraea 102. These transhipments took place just a few hours
before the new ICCAT management plan entered into force (5).

Yesterday, June 20, Greenpeace found the Panama flagged reefer Daniela in the
middle of the fishing ground, showing that reefers continue to carry out at sea
operations despite the current ban on transhipments.

“The plan agreed by ICCAT countries allocates quotas at twice the level
recommended by their own scientists. It simply does not deserve the name
‘recovery plan’,” said François Provost, Greenpeace France oceans campaigner
onboard the Rainbow Warrior. “Greenpeace is demanding the immediate closure of
the bluefin tuna fishery, a management plan that is in line with scientific
advice, and the creation of a network of fully protected marine reserves to
protect the Mediterranean Sea”.

Greenpeace is campaigning for a global network of fully protected marine
reserves covering 40% of our oceans as an essential way to protect the full
range of marine life and restore the health of fish stocks.

Greenpeace is an independent campaigning organisation that uses non-violent
creative confrontation to expose global environmental problems to drive
solutions that are essential to a green and peaceful future.