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Greenpeace activists free an endangered Olive Ridley turtle from a hook of the controversial Taiwanese longliner, Ho Tsai Fa 18, in the Pacific Ocean, 03 May 2008. Greenpeace wants this area of the high seas to become part of the first marine reserves in international waters. Greenpeace/Paul Hilton
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The activists encountered a commercial longliner, the Ho Tsai Fa 18, while it was hauling tens of kilometres of fishing line.
Activists also held banners calling for “Marine Reserves Now!” and stating “Taiwan Pacific Tuna Destroyer” in front of the vessel, requested that the Captain release all marine life hooked on the lines and painted “PIRATE?” on the hull of the ship to highlight the fact that the vessels had a previous record of controversial landing of shark fins.
The Captain refused to free the fish and marine life, so Greenpeace set free all fish, sharks and a turtle from the line for him. The Greenpeace ship Esperanza also started to haul in the other end of the line. The line was kept on board and will be returned to the company headquarters, the Tsay Jyh–Gwo in Taiwan.
The Esperanza is in the Pacific to defend the pockets of international waters between Pacific Island countries as marine reserves from rapacious fishing fleets intent on fishing out the world’s last tuna stocks - the world’s favourite fish.
According to scientists, overfishing of both bigeye and yellowfin tuna is putting recently- healthy tuna stocks in jeopardy. Longlining is also killing thousands of turtles and at least a million sharks each year in the Central and Western Pacific alone - and 50 million sharks globally each year.
“We painted ‘PIRATE?’ on the side of the vessel because even registered tuna vessels like this one blur the line between legal and illegal fishing. Authorities can not be sure to what degree this vessel has engaged in pirate fishing activities”, said Greenpeace Australia Pacific campaigner Lagi Toribau on board the Esperanza.
“Greenpeace confiscated the fishing gear and freed fish, sharks and the turtle because the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission - which is supposed to be protecting tuna and sharks from overfishing and protect endangered species - is failing to do so. If the Fisheries Commission is not going to do their job and secure the future of this important marine life, then we will,” said Toribau.
Greenpeace advocates the creation of a network of marine reserves, protecting 40 per cent of the world's oceans, as the long term solution to overfishing and the recovery of our overexploited oceans.
Find a video of the action here.
