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The 16 Pacific countries agreed to issue a strong declaration on deep
sea bottom trawling to protect the biodiversity in the high seas and
their Exclusive Economic Zones. This declaration commits Pacific
countries to urgently take action to prevent destructive bottom
trawling and calls upon Pacific countries to advocate for an interim
prohibition on HSBT.
Greenpeace political advisor Seni Nabou said, “The leaders are miles ahead in terms of protecting Pacific peoples livelihoods as the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) is considering calls for a moratorium on HSBT in November and this declaration paves the way.
“The Pacific led the way to ban driftnet fishing, and it is exciting that they are now leading the way to address HSBT,” she said.
Greenpeace Oceans team leader Nilesh Goundar said the Pacific is the first region in the world to solidly oppose HSBT (2).
“The same interim measures must also be put in place while the South Pacific Region Fisheries Management Organisation (3) is in the process of being formalised in next months meeting in Hobart,” he said.
“From this statement we expect that stronger actions will be taken as a region also to eliminate overfishing and pirate fishing.”
Note to Editors
1. Bottom trawling is a destructive fishing practice where enormous trawl nets the size of football fields are dragged along the sea floor especially over sea mounts. The heavy steel rollers that weigh the net down can indiscriminately smash corals and swallow everything in their path.
2. http://www.forumsec.org
3. http://www.southpacificrfmo.org/event.second-meeting/
Greenpeace political advisor Seni Nabou said, “The leaders are miles ahead in terms of protecting Pacific peoples livelihoods as the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) is considering calls for a moratorium on HSBT in November and this declaration paves the way.
“The Pacific led the way to ban driftnet fishing, and it is exciting that they are now leading the way to address HSBT,” she said.
Greenpeace Oceans team leader Nilesh Goundar said the Pacific is the first region in the world to solidly oppose HSBT (2).
“The same interim measures must also be put in place while the South Pacific Region Fisheries Management Organisation (3) is in the process of being formalised in next months meeting in Hobart,” he said.
“From this statement we expect that stronger actions will be taken as a region also to eliminate overfishing and pirate fishing.”
Note to Editors
1. Bottom trawling is a destructive fishing practice where enormous trawl nets the size of football fields are dragged along the sea floor especially over sea mounts. The heavy steel rollers that weigh the net down can indiscriminately smash corals and swallow everything in their path.
2. http://www.forumsec.org
3. http://www.southpacificrfmo.org/event.second-meeting/
For further information or comment
Nilesh Goundar, Greenpeace Oceans Team Leader + 679 9922078 Seni Nabou, Greenpeace Political Advisor + 679 9922053 Josephine Prasad, Greenpeace Communications + 679 9922098
