Activists present message directly at an international seafood fair - "Time and Tuna are running out".
80 activists from 15 countries covered the stands with fishing
nets, chained themselves to the stands and put up banners in 13
languages saying; 'Time and Tuna are running out'. They also
stenciled the very simple "business closed" across many stands.
Listen to the messages we broadcast at the Expo.
(mp3)
Not only is there no trading at all going on at the Ricardo
Fuentes stand, where 30 people locked on, but trading across the
fair was stopped as people flocked to the stand to see what was
going on. Outside we relayed the same message to people coming into
the conference.
World's largest seafood trading event
The Brussels Seafood Expo is the world's largest seafood trading
event. If you want to see the world's remaining fish stocks
literally served up on a plate, this is the place to come. 1,600
companies from 80 countries are trading their goods, alternatively
known as global marine life.
We got our message out today directly to fish suppliers that
unless fisheries go sustainable then neither those who trade in
fish, nor our fish stocks, have a future.
There simply aren't enough fish left in the sea to sustain the
world's voracious appetite. The world's oceans are in crisis. Some
two-thirds of fish stocks are either fully exploited or overfished.
Many stocks, such as Mediterranean bluefin tuna and North Sea cod
are on the brink of collapse.
Fishing methods such as bottom trawling, purse seining,
longlining, and industrial methods which can catch as much fish in
two days as the fishers of small Pacific Island countries can catch
in a year, are all threatening the sustainability and habitats of
the oceans.
Much of the seafood on display at the Expo is either endangered
or has been fished using destructive techniques. Or both.
Ending overfishing and destructive fishing is not only crucial
to saving our marine environment, it is vital to the very survival
of the fishing industry.
As we told traders today - going sustainable is the only way to
ensure their business has a future. It's not rocket science. In
fact it's really really simple; if you take more fish out of our
oceans than can be replenished - fish stocks will collapse.
So Greenpeace has stopped trading of some of the most endangered
species.
We have stopped business at Mitsubishi - the word's largest tuna
trader, and at Ricardo Fuentes, who not only dominate the Med's
bluefin tuna fishery but are also the biggest company involved in
bluefin tuna ranching.
Dongwon is active in the Pacific - where our ship the Esperanza
is
currently confronting overfishing and pirate fishing, and
calling for the creation of marine reserves to protect the Pacific
Commons.
Consumers want sustainable fish
Over 80 percent of European consumers consider the environmental
impacts of seafood as important to their purchasing decisions.
Greenpeace campaigns for seafood suppliers and retailers to
ensure that they only source or buy seafood that has come from
sustainable sources, and is not fished in destructive ways.
Our markets work across Europe has led to many supermarkets
adopting sustainable procurement policies.
Consumers should not need to ask if the fish they want to buy is
stolen or overfished - retailers need to ensure that no fish that
reaches their shelves is stolen, or depleting the planet's
future.
Greenpeace is calling for 40 percent of the world's oceans to be
turned into marine reserves - national parks at sea. Marine
reserves are areas closed to all extractive uses, including fishing
and mining. In ocean areas that have already been protected,
threatened species are returning and there is an overall increase
in their variety.
Creating marine reserves will do a lot to make sustainable
fishing goals achievable - and ultimately protect the future of the
fishing industry.
Take Action
Our oceans are a part of Earth's life support system. Help protect them from overfishing by joining our call for a global network of marine reserves. If the ocean dies, our planet dies.
Donate
Help us create a global network of marine reserves by giving what you can.