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Pages above:
Stop bottom trawling
This piece of gorgonian coral, bigger than the two men attempting to untangle it from their fishing nets, was more than 500 years old. It was destroyed by one of the most aggressive fishing practices ever used, known as bottom trawling, and was dumped by the New Zealand vessel which dragged it up.
Enlarge Image
Unregulated industrial fishing is a huge threat to the health of the oceans. Greenpeace is opposed to a practice called 'bottom trawling', and is pushing for UN regulation of this extremely destructive method of fishing.
On May 31st 2006 Fisheries Minister Loyola Hearn told the Globe and Mail in an interview that he realizes that “trawling does damage the stocks and it does damage habitat.”
On Oct. 6th, Minister Hearn announced that Canada will not support the proposed UN moratorium on bottom trawling. He stated that Canada prefers a solution that strengthens regional fisheries management organizations and extends their jurisdiction into unregulated waters allowing them to find and manage sensitive areas.
The fact remains that our knowledge of the deep sea is extremely limited. As long as we don’t know where vulnerable areas are, it is the responsible and precautionary solution to stop trawling in all areas of the high seas.
A public poll conducted jointly by the Ecology Action Centre and Greenpeace in January 2006 showed that 78.3 per cent of Canadians believe that Canada should reverse its current position on high seas bottom trawling and support a moratorium on this fishing practice in international waters.
The previous point is not surprising as Canada does not operate any trawlers on the high seas.
Even US President George Bush has shown strong public support for halting destructive fishing practices, especially ‘unregulated bottom trawling when [it] occurs in areas of the high seas’. Also supporting the moratorium are Australia and New Zealand, which both trawl the high seas, along with the UK, Brazil, Germany,
On May 31st 2006 Fisheries Minister Loyola Hearn told the Globe and Mail in an interview that he realizes that “trawling does damage the stocks and it does damage habitat.”
On Oct. 6th, Minister Hearn announced that Canada will not support the proposed UN moratorium on bottom trawling. He stated that Canada prefers a solution that strengthens regional fisheries management organizations and extends their jurisdiction into unregulated waters allowing them to find and manage sensitive areas.
The fact remains that our knowledge of the deep sea is extremely limited. As long as we don’t know where vulnerable areas are, it is the responsible and precautionary solution to stop trawling in all areas of the high seas.
A public poll conducted jointly by the Ecology Action Centre and Greenpeace in January 2006 showed that 78.3 per cent of Canadians believe that Canada should reverse its current position on high seas bottom trawling and support a moratorium on this fishing practice in international waters.
The previous point is not surprising as Canada does not operate any trawlers on the high seas.
Even US President George Bush has shown strong public support for halting destructive fishing practices, especially ‘unregulated bottom trawling when [it] occurs in areas of the high seas’. Also supporting the moratorium are Australia and New Zealand, which both trawl the high seas, along with the UK, Brazil, Germany,
Recent developments
Videos on bottom trawling
Documents and reports
Bottom Trawling Factsheet
18 October 2004
Oceans Factsheet - Moratorium on Bottom Trawling
18 October 2004
