Press release - January 11, 2006
Anational poll released today jointly by Greenpeace and the
EcologyAction Centre shows 78.3%(1) of Canadians believe that
Canada shouldreverse its current position on high seas bottom
trawling and support amoratorium on the fishing practice in
international waters - even if itmay cost jobs.
"This is an overwhelming response to an extremely destructive
fishingpractice. In refusing to call for a moratorium on high seas
bottomtrawling Geoff Regan and the Department of Fisheries and
Oceans are outof step with Canadians and are out of touch with the
scientificevidence," said Bruce Cox, Executive Director of
Greenpeace Canada."Over 78% of Canadians and 1136 scientists say
they support amoratorium on high seas bottom trawling. The question
during thisfederal election is why doesn't Geoff Regan and the
Canadiangovernment?"
The United Kingdom, Mexico and Brazil are among some of
thecountries that currently support an international call for a
moratoriumon high seas bottom trawling. Internal DFO documents
indicate thatCanada has actively worked on the international scene
to oppose andundermine such a moratorium.
"In this poll Canadians have explicitly said they want
theCanadian government to change their position and support a
moratoriumeven if it were to cost jobs. Atlantic Canadians know all
too well thedevastating impacts of bottom trawling on the fisheries
andcommunities," said Mark Butler of the Ecology Action Centre.
"They knowthat in the long-term bottom trawling takes, not makes
jobs and that'swhy they support immediate action on high seas
bottom trawling."
A moratorium on high seas bottom trawling would allow
scientiststo study the seabed and determine which areas are
sensitive and shouldbe protected. Until such studies are undertaken
the seabed is beingdestroyed before scientists have a chance to see
what is there. Thepractise has been equated with blowing up Mars
before we have a chanceto even see what is there.
Bottom trawlers use weighted underwater nets up to 100
metreswide that are dragged along the sea floor. Huge chains or
rollersattached to the front of the nets damage or destroy
everything in itspath, including highly sensitive cold water coral
and sponge forests.
Both Greenpeace and the Ecology Action Centre are part of
theDeep Sea Conservation Coalition which is calling on the United
NationsGeneral Assembly to secure a moratorium on high seas bottom
trawling.
1 These results are compiled from a Strategic
Communicationstelephone poll conducted between December 27, 2005
and January 3, 2006.Interviews were conducted with 808 adult
Canadian citizens (eligiblevoters), selected by the
random-household sampling method proportionalto actual regional
populations. The overall results are consideredaccurate to within
±3.4%, 19-times-in-20, of what they would have beenhad the entire
Canadian adult population been polled