Skip navigation.

Greenpeace educates tuna industry on how to make more money

The most devastatingly efficient tuna fishing vessel in the world. Enlarge Image

World's largest tuna destroyer

We chased it for 5 days, but as dawn broke over the Pacific this morning we finally confronted the biggest tuna fishing vessel in the world. The Spanish-owned and flagged tuna purse seiner "Albatun Tres" is known as a 'super, super seiner' and can net 3,000 tonnes of tuna in a single fishing trip. This is almost double the entire annual catch of some Pacific island countries.

For many pacific island countries, no tuna means no future. Enlarge Image

Pacific islands act to save tuna

Finally, some good news for tuna stocks and a first step towards protecting the Pacific Commons for future generations! Eight Pacific island countries have taken the most significant action ever to combat overfishing in the region.

Greenpeace activists from Fiji and Papua New Guinea stand on juvenile yellowfin and skipjack tuna in the hold of a vessel that was caught offloading fish from purse seiners in the Pacific Commons. Enlarge Image

Pirate of the Pacific busted by Greenpeace

We caught an illegal tuna purse seiner (Queen Evelyn 168) in the Pacific Commons on Friday. This Philippines-flagged vessel was close to the transfer of tuna between her sister vessel and a refrigerated mothership. It was likely that transfer of fish at sea, involving this illegal vessel, was about to occur. But upon our arrival the vessels immediately separated and fled.

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.

An endangered olive ridley turtle rescued by Greenpeace from a Taiwanese longliner. Enlarge Image

Greenpeace frees ocean life from Pacific longliner

The Greenpeace ship Esperanza freed tuna, sharks, marlin and an endangered sea turtle from a Taiwanese longliner on Saturday. The vessel was fishing in the Pacific Commons, the international waters we want to see protected as a marine reserve.

Coris julis over a Zostera seagrass bed near Kas. The Rainbow Warrior is in the Mediterranean for a three-month ship tour taking action on the threats to the sea and calling for a network of large-scale marine reserves to protect the health and productivity of the Mediterranean Sea. Enlarge Image

Defending our Mediterranean tour launches

The Mediterranean Sea is a global treasure. Rich seagrass meadows and rocky reefs dominate its coastal zone while an awe-inspiring array of underwater mountains (seamounts), cold seeps and trenches are found on its seabed.

Activists present message directly at an international seafood fair - "Time and Tuna are running out". Enlarge Image

Brussels Seafood Expo - business closed!

"Ladies and Gentlemen your attention please, the Dongwon, Mitsubishi, Moon Marine, Azzopardi and Ricardo Fuentes stalls are now closed." That was one message being relayed over the public address sound system at the Brussels Seafood Expo today, as Greenpeace closed down the stands of five tuna suppliers - including the world's largest, Mitsibushi.

Greenpeace activists demonstrate against tuna fishing operations in the international waters of the Pacific by deploying a banner reading "Marine Reserves Now" alongside the Korean purse seiner Olympus, 17 April 2008. Greenpeace was calling on the Olympus to leave the area that Greenpeace is defending as a no-take marine reserve. Enlarge Image

Time's running out for tuna

Tuna stocks in the Pacific are running out due to overfishing from illegal and commercial fishing fleets.

Go to your national site

World websites

General media enquiries:
+31 (0)20 718 2096.

Hotline:
+31 (0)20 718 2470

For EU related:
Mark Breddy
+32 2 2741 903(p)
+32 496 15 6229(m)
mark.breddy@greenpeace.org

Related news stories

Related Reports

Related Ships

Related campaigns