Sea-born protectors of the Pacific unveiled

Winners were announced for the competition to name three pockets (or "donut holes") of international waters in the Pacific. We advocate that these waters be designated as fully protected marine reserves.

Eight people were chosen as winners for their creative contribution, as well as for suggesting the use of sea-animal mascots for each reserve. The winners are Sara Tripp, Ravi Ram, Shaniel Sen, Jejay Sen, Rupeni Diani, Saad Hussein, Mereoni Kanavo and Josivini Ratabucavu.

The names chosen by competition judges are (refer also to the map):

1. West Oceania Marine Reserve (WOMAR, the Sea Snake)

2. Greater Oceania Marine Reserve (GOMAR, the Seahorse)

3. Moana Oceania Marine Reserve (MONAR, the Sea Turtle)

The first two names reflect their position in the region. The word "Moana" means "sea" or "ocean" in most areas of Polynesia, where the third reserve is located. "Oceania"reflects how marine animals and sea beds are not bounded by national borders.

Solution to overfishing: marine reserves

These three pockets are international waters containing biologically rich undersea mountains, migration routes of tuna species, habitats for endangered leatherback turtles, and breeding grounds for skipjack, albacore and bigeye tuna.

We are advocating that these pockets be designated as fully protected marine reserves to address threats from unsustainable fishing practices.

Overfishing is a huge issue in the Pacific, with over 2 million tonnes of tuna fished out of the ocean each year. More than 90% of the tuna is caught by the fleets of Japan, Korea, Taiwan, China, Indonesia, the Philippines, the United States and the European Union.

Greenpeace ship Esperanza just completed its two-month tour of the Pacific. We investigated the extent of overfishing in the area, and halted some major tuna hauls.

Pacific tour: what we achieved

• We confronted the world’s largest tuna fishing vessel, the Spanish-owned Albatun Tres. In just one fishing trip, this vessel can net 3000 tonnes of tuna – almost double the entire annual catch of some Pacific Island countries. Our chase disrupted their planned tuna haul. Read more

• A new agreement between eight Pacific countries bans foreign fishing vessels licensed to fish in their waters from fishing in two regions of the Pacific Commons adjacent to them. It's exactly what Greenpeace has been pushing for since 2005. Read more

• Our activists freed oceanic sharks, Pacific blue marlin and an endangered Olive Ridley sea turtle caught in a tuna haul by Taiwanese longliner. Read more
• We confiscated a Fish Aggregation Device, used to lure schools of tuna to a specific spot so they can be quickly caught in huge nets. Read more

• Our activists painted "Tuna overkill" on the side of a US purse seiner in the Pacific Commons and held up a banner asking for marine reserves to be created in these common areas. Read more

• We exposed an illegal purse seiner in a pocket of international waters between Papua New Guinea and the Federated States of Micronesia. Read more

Pacific tour: what we found

• Illegal or pirate vessels operate in the region and use the Pacific Commons to avoid monitoring and enforcement. It is likely that pirate vessels operate side by side with legally registered vessels that provide services allowing fish laundering for their pirate activities.
• The lack of proper and effective monitoring, control and surveillance of vessels predominantly fishing in the Pacific Commons is adding to the overfishing of key regional tuna stocks.

Read a summary of findings from the Pacific tour.