Feature story - October 7, 2008
Our oceans are being plundered by pirates. Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing – also known as "pirate fishing" - has become a global scourge. From international waters around the world, to the islands of the South Pacific and the coastal communities of West Africa, fisheries are in crisis.
200 miles South West Guinea Bissau.
Chinese fishing boats Lian Run 24 and Lian Run 29 illegally transshipping frozen fish boxes onto Binar 4 Panama reefer.
Greenpeace and the Environmental Justice Foundation are working in partnership to expose the scandal of pirate fishing, as part of the year - long Greenpeace Defending Our Oceans expedition to highlight a range of threats to the oceans.
Pirates are pulling in billions of dollars of fish that rightfully belongs to coastal communities or falls beyond any one country's waters. Pirate fishing affects communities that cannot afford to be robbed of their livelihoods, leaves the marine environment bruised and battered, and undermines food security and attempts at sustainable management.
Roll call
Official lists of pirate vessels are limited in the information they contain and don't include the names of the big companies behind these pirate fishing vessels. It's time for the truth: for fish purchasers, retailers, and the public to see who's behind pirate fishing, and for ship owners to start taking responsibility in their role. Companies often have illegal and legal vessels fishing side by side. It is time they pay the real price for piracy and have all their operations held accountable when caught pirate-fishing. We've launched an online database of fishing vessels involved in illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, and the companies who own them. Check it out.
Our IUU blacklist is the first independent record of fishing vessels, support vessels and companies involved in pirate fishing. It includes independent observations from the legal fishing industry, government authorities, and first-hand evidence from Greenpeace and other NGOs who have recorded the activities of these vessels and companies at sea and in ports around the world. The new database supplements the existing IUU database that was launched in 2007, which contained only those pirate fishing vessels officially blacklisted by regional fisheries management organisations and governments.
Greenpeace is urging all retailers and seafood traders to ensure they do not purchase pirate-caught fish and, as a first step, ensure that they do not trade with companies listed as operators of pirate vessels.
Take action!
Report a pirate fishing vessel to our database.
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