Press release - June 13, 2010
Mediterranean Sea - Greenpeace activists today spent two hours engaged in non-violent direct action in an attempt to free endangered bluefin tuna from a large cage bound for a Mediterranean bluefin tuna farm. The activists met a great deal of resistance, including the firing of flares from the fishing vessel and use of water cannons by the Maltese Navy.
The cage contained highly endangered bluefin tuna caught a few days ago by commercial fishing vessels. The caged tuna will be fattened in captivity and sold at high prices on foreign markets. The activists in 7 inflatable boats were launched from two Greenpeace ships, the Arctic Sunrise and the Rainbow Warrior.
Greenpeace is defending the Mediterranean and its bluefin tuna, 80% of which is estimated to have already been fished out(1) Greenpeace has been calling for an end to bluefin tuna fishing for years to allow populations to recover to healthy levels.
"Releasing bluefin tuna is the only responsible thing to do, for the future of the fish and the future of our oceans," said Oliver Knowles, Greenpeace International oceans campaigner onboard the Rainbow Warrior. "Greenpeace will confront any and all parts of the Mediterranean bluefin fishery; the most visible example of how politics and fisheries management have failed our oceans."
While the European Commission may have ordered some large-scale bluefin fishing vessels back to port (2), any fishing of bluefin continues to push the species to the brink of extinction. Ranching operations, like the one Greenpeace confronted today, fatten tuna in order to maximize profits and continue to increase demand for endangered bluefin tuna.
Greenpeace is campaigning for sustainable fishing and a global network of marine reserves covering 40% of our oceans, including in the Mediterranean, as necessary steps to restoring our oceans health.
(1) The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation's 2008 "State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture" reports that "Overall, 80 percent of the world fish stocks for which assessment information is available are reported as fully exploited or overexploited." see http://www.fao.org/docrep/011/i0250e/i0250e00.htm
(2) The bluefin tuna fishing season was to have been one month this year (16 May to 15 June), but large-scale European Union vessels (specifically purse seiners) were ordered back to port on 9 June following reports that after just a few days of intensive fishing they had reached their quotas.
Contacts:
Oliver Knowles, Greenpeace International oceans campaigner (onboard the Rainbow Warrior): +31 20 712 2675
Jo Kuper, Greenpeace International communications (onboard the Arctic Sunrise): +31 20 712 2616
Steve Smith, Greenpeace International communications: +31 643 787 359
For photos, contact Emma Stoner, Greenpeace International Picture Desk, + 44 755 493 47 50
For video, contact Maarten van Rouveroy, Greenpeace International Video Desk, +31 646 197 322