Press release - September 20, 2005
Greenpeace today confronted another unregulated bottom trawler, the 'Kerguelen', and prevented her from setting her nets in the international section of the Barents Sea, known as the 'Loophole'.
The trawler's captain admitted to Greenpeace that he was
knowingly bottom trawling for deep sea fish with no legal quota and
therefore engaged in illegal, unregistered and unreported (IUU)
fishing, also known as pirate fishing. Activists from the
Greenpeace ship 'Esperanza' used inflatable boats to interrupt the
destructive fishing activities of the 'Kerguelen', and placed a
banner on her hull branding her as a pirate vessel.
Pirate fishing is exacerbating the problem of overfishing, which
is the greatest threat to the sustainablility of marine
biodiversity and global fisheries. Both issues need to be addressed
urgently at the highest international level.
"The 'Kerguelen' is already blacklisted as a known pirate vessel
by the European Commission. Our discovery of her fishing illegally
again today in the Barents Sea illustrates the total lack of
control over fishing in international waters. We will give this
information to the Commission along with the demand that she be
arrested if she enters a European port to land her catch," said
Brad Smith, Greenpeace Nordic campaigner onboard the
'Esperanza'.
The French-owned 86m long 'Kerguelen', currently flagged in
Togo, is believed to have been fishing under several different
flags of convenience in recent months. Both the North-East Atlantic
Fisheries Commission (NEAFC) and the European Commission have
placed the Kerguelen on a list of vessels that have been confirmed
as having engaged in IUU fisheries. However, the authorities in the
EU countries where illegally caught fish is landed have no legal
obligation to seize cargoes or arrest the vessels involved, even if
information and evidence of illegal activities is provided to them
by policing states.
Greenpeace is calling for an immediate UN moratorium on high
seas bottom trawling to stop the indiscriminate destruction of
deep-sea life. It is also calling on the international community to
urgently develop legally binding, international agreements that
strengthen enforcement measures to stop IUU fishing. Key among
these is the need for a common inspection regime in ports receiving
fish. This would enable local authorities to arrest and seize
catches and vessels in cases of documented illegalities. The true
owners of such vessels must also be brought to account.
Greenpeace is an independent, campaigning organisation, which
uses non-violent, creative confrontation to expose global
environmental problems, and to force the solutions, which are
essential to a green and peaceful future.
Other contacts: Contacts on board the 'Esperanza' Satellite phone +871 3244 69010 Brad Smith, Greenpeace Nordic Campaigner, Dimitri Litvinov, Greenpeace Campaigner, Stefanie Werner, Greenpeace Germany Campaigner
VVPR info: Picture desk +31 20 718 2058 Video available on request. weblog.greenpeace.org/arcticseas