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European Union sinks tuna agreement

Dead tuna heads for deadbeat tuna managers. Enlarge Image

Dead tuna heads for deadbeat tuna managers

What does it take to get the governments responsible for the imminent collapse of the East Atlantic and Mediterranean bluefin tuna fishery to wake up and do something? What about a mock "Pirates of the Mediterranean" poster of the responsible ministers in pirate gear in The Economist? How about more than 10,000 emails? OK, how about several tonnes of dead tuna fish heads dumped on the doorstep of the French fisheries ministry?

The pirate fishing vessel, Luna Rossa, cut off its illegal driftnet and fled from the Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise. Enlarge Image

Mediterranean pirates busted by Greenpeace

Activists aboard our ship Arctic Sunrise confronted an illegal vessel, the Luna Rossa, fishing with a driftnet this morning in international waters west of Sicily in the Mediterranean Sea. The Luna Rossa’s crew immediately cut the net and fled from our ship at high speed.

The Arctic Sunrise being pursued by Turkish purse seiner fishing vessels. Crew aboard threw lead weights, rammed the Greenpeace vessel midships, and smashed the windshield of the helicopter. Enlarge Image

Greenpeace vessel attacked

Three Turkish tuna fishing vessels surrounded the Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise in the Cypriot Channel, with crew from one vessel attacking the ship with lead weights. Greenpeace is in the area to call for an end to unsustainable fishing and to call for the establishment of a marine reserve between Cyprus and Turkey.

Mediterranean Sea, Arctic Sunrise - crew of the Arctic Sunrise confiscate a length of illegal driftnet from the Italian fishing vessel Diomede II, fishing off the coast of Sicily in the Mediterranean Sea. Greenpeace has called on the Italian coastguard to confiscate the remaining net and seize the vessel's catch. The Arctic Sunrise is currently in the Mediterranean as part of a three-month ship tour, tackling threats to the sea and promoting marine reserves to protect the health and productivity of the Mediterranean. Enlarge Image

Fishing out the Pirates of the Mediterranean updated

Just a few days into our three-month “Defending Our Mediterranean” tour, and already the Arctic Sunrise has come face-to-face with pirates. In the early hours of the morning, we confiscated almost two kilometres of illegal driftnet, containing dead, undersized bluefin tuna - and a small sea turtle.

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