Defending our oceans

The perfect design

Johanna Fernandez — Wed, 22 May 2013 04:00:00 +0200

Four years ago, amidst real estate developers’ promises of nature and symptoms of poor urban planning, I found myself musing over mankind’s obsession with progress. This never ending pursuit for an easier way of doing things even moved me to write a poem. It goes:

Stone, Papyrus and Clay

Skyscrapers,
more than space-savers,
more than stacks of cemented rungs
removing a few storey’s distance
between man and sun,
are concrete canopies–
edifices built from sacks of sand and gravel
and a spoiled, sightless vision
of a perennial tree shade.

Every day, man kidnaps change
and forces constancy down its throat
with his machines, perpetually improving,
now held together by bolt and nut–
son of the flat round-headed nail;
great great-grandson
of the forgotten wooden stake.

But every day, too,
in the world’s random junctions,
a pendulum entrances his own master,
a book triggers sobs from a tyrant,
a piece of parchment predicts a disaster,
and an insatiable soul, a visionary, discovers
there is no retreat
under the sturdiest of mock canopies.

True enough, we have constructed and reinvented convenient ecosystems—or “pseudoecosystems”—for ourselves. But these will never match up to the living, breathing networks that have existed long before we thought of making better versions of them.

These natural communities of organisms and their respective environments are self-sustaining, fully functional and perfect, more so if they are pristine. What’s even more amazing is that these systems take account of us, whether we are conscious of it or not—the Earth’s forests and wetlands ensure that clean water is available not just to their inhabitants but to all human communities, sustaining us. At the same time, water sustains these ecosystems, so that its constituents play their roles in the dynamic cycle.

Our past actions, however, have messed with the inherent balance of these networks. Even the largest of our ecosystems—the global ocean, holding 80% of all life on Earth—has been degraded and stripped of its diversity. Hence, Greenpeace’s campaign to defend our Oceans.

Biodiversity is the true archetype for sustainable living. We need not look elsewhere for inspiration because the perfect design is already in our midst—in our rivers, forests and seas; we just need to learn from them, and give them a fighting chance of astonishing generations to come.

Today is International Biodiversity Day. Help us guard our marine and terrestrial ecosystems by getting involved with us.

Sailing through the world’s richest waters – Rainbow Warrior arrives in Indonesia

Bustar Maitar — Thu, 09 May 2013 14:46:00 +0200

I grew up in West Papua, which sits in the far west of the world’s biggest archipelago. I studied forestry in the province’s capital, but grew up in another city called Jayapura. If West Papua is considered frontier land, then Jayapura is certainly the wild west.

It’s an obscure and isolated part of the world. Wild, green and untamed, this part of the world is home to one of the earth’s last glaciers in the tropics and some of the richest biodiversity on this planet.

I’ve returned to my old stomping grounds for an important reason. Today, our ship, the Rainbow Warrior III, arrived in Jayapura, Indonesia to begin an ambitious and historic visit. Just three years ago in 2010, the Rainbow Warrior II was unceremoniously escorted back to international waters by the navy. But thankfully no such misunderstanding took place this time. We are here to celebrate my country’s stunning, yet fragile environment.

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Rainbow Warrior Arrives in Jayapura © Paul Hilton / Greenpeace

For too long our forests and oceans have been under siege. Fifty years ago, 82% of Indonesia was covered with forests but in the last decade, this has dropped to 48% due to rampant deforestation for paper and oil palm plantations and mining.

Indonesia’s seas are also among the most diverse coastal and marine habitats, but experts identify the country’s coral reefs as among the world’s most threatened biodiversity hotspots, at risk from overfishing, pollution and climate change.

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Rainbow Warrior Arrives in Jayapura © Paul Hilton / Greenpeace

But let me tell you why this is important to you, no matter if you’re sitting in Jakarta, London or Berlin.

The destruction of the world’s forests is one of the main causes of climate change, second only to the energy sector. Indonesia loses approximately 1.1 million ha, or 1.2% of its forest area per year.

And believe it or not, according to some estimates, Indonesia ranks as one of the world’s largest greenhouse gas emitters, behind countries like the United States and China.

But the world stands to lose a lot more. Only around 400 Sumatran tigers are still left because its habitat is disappearing. And in West Papua the bird of paradise is iconic to the region but now they are threatened as industrial plantations and logging imperil their homes.

My island nation, scattered between the Pacific and Indian oceans is teeming with life and unparalleled beauty, but so much is at threat. I hope our journey aboard the Rainbow Warrior will help support the political will needed so that initiatives like the government’s forest moratorium is strengthened and so industrial fishing doesn't kill our oceans. I hope this journey also will bring hope to other indigenous people on this island, to show that together we can protect the future.

When I come back in ten years time, West Papua probably won’t be the frontier land it is now. But I sure hope development doesn’t mean losing everything that makes this country so beaituful.

I hope we will at least have learnt how to live in harmony with our environment.

Bustar Maitar is head of the Indonesia Forest Campaign

Environmentalists and civil groups want stricter laws to protect Bicol’s fishing grounds

cbaclago — Thu, 09 May 2013 03:56:00 +0200
Naga City -– Fisherfolks, marine scientists, environmentalists and representatives from the church, the academe and civil society called for government’s stricter implementation of the Philippine Fisheries Code or RA 8550, to ensure that the Bicol region’s seas are protected, in order to reverse fish decline, and revive the fishing economies of the province that is known for its rich marine biodiversity. This was the group’s reaction following a fisheries summit held yesterday, organized by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR).
At the summit, delegates urged government agencies and local government units in the Bicol region to tackle the issue of illegal commercial fishing that has contributed to the woes of fisherfolks, whose livelihoods have been threatened by the dwindling fish catch.

“The race to find and catch fish shows just how our seas have now become a battleground,” said Vince Cinches, Oceans Campaigner for Greenpeace Southeast Asia. “As an archipelagic nation, government must learn how to better manage our marine resources. Policies set by both the public and private players must be re-examined. We need to push for more regular close seasons and reduce the number of fishing vessels. That way, the seas could replenish itself and become a sustainable source of food, providing income to millions of Filipinos who rely on the sea for their livelihood,” added Cinches.

The Bicol region is notorious for rampant illegal commercial fishing, where large vessels encroach on municipal waters that are exclusive to small-scale fisheries.

The BFAR’s Philippine Fisheries Profile of 2010 revealed that each of the 387 commercial fishing vessels that operate in Bicol takes close to 200 metric tons of fish per annum, as opposed to the mere 1.2 metric tons caught by 54,715 municipal fishing vessels.

“Fisherfolks are at a disadvantage. This data shows a horrifying disparity in terms of access to the sea’s bounty,” said Sally Pernito, Executive Director of Lingap Para sa Kalusugan ng Sambayanan (LIKAS). “No wonder municipal fishermen belong to the poorest sector of society. They are being robbed of their potential income because nothing is being done about illegal commercial fishing,” added Pernito.

The 2012 National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) Report states poverty incidence is highest among fisherfolks at 41.4%, higher than the national poverty incidence at 27.9%.

“Bicol’s seas are in a crisis, as is elsewhere in the country. Our fishing grounds are severely overfished,” said Dr. Victor S. Soliman, a fisheries scientist from the Bicol University Tabaco Campus. “Fishing efforts are way beyond sustainable levels and an increase in fishing activities simply does not produce added yield,” Soliman added.
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For more information, please contact:

Vince Cinches, Oceans Campaigner, Greenpeace Southeast Asia - Philippines, +63917-5363754

Sally Pernito, Executive Director, LIKAS, Inc., +63932-4256706

Dr. Victor Soliman, Fisheries Scientist, Bicol University College of Fisheries, +639194520027

Saving the environment—more fun in the Philippines

Vince Cinches — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 03:53:00 +0200

Last Sunday, thousands came to celebrate Earth Day along Manila Bay in style. Some came dressed up as fish, while others came as Philippine mythical creatures believed to cause sickness to those who’ll destroy their homes. A cultural group under CCP even donned Filipino traditional dresses made of tinalak.
The whole time, I made sure that I was next to the coast guard brass band, so I’d be able to participate and document the festivities around me. This became more of a challenge, though, as the crowd jumped into the dance swirl when the band started playing the famous “Gangnam Style.”

What most would expect to be a dreary demonstration turned out to be a fun Sunday activity for everybody--families came with their children in tow alongside bikers on their pimped bikes, while boat clubs rowed untiringly along the bay. Although people were high strung about losing the bay to business greed, they still managed to choose a creative and celebratory approach. Rather than telling sad stories of loss, these artists, cultural workers and citizens linked arms and turned the Manila Bay seawall into a setting for artistic performances.

Showing that environmental advocacy transcends social divides, individuals from the Manila Yacht club walked the stretch of Roxas Boulevard and held hands with activists, fisherfolk, vendors, conservationists, business people, and fashionistas to form a human chain. Indeed, social boundaries disappear when it comes to protecting what is dear to us from further degradation or in this case, the atrocities of reclamation.

This somehow reminded me of what we did in EDSA decades ago, except that now it’s not just about our connection with each other, but also our affinity with nature.
Photos are taken by Portia Luzande
Vince Cinches is Oceans Campaigner at Greenpeace Southeast Asia based in the Philippines. Follow his Twitter updates via @vincecinches.

Greenpeace renews call to end illegal fishing at Interpol forum

cbaclago — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 05:39:00 +0100
Jakarta/Manila/Lyon, France – Greenpeace today renewed its demand to governments around the world to end illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing. The call for stricter enforcement and the elimination of loopholes in fishing regulations came this week as Interpol convened its first ever meeting to address the illegal fishing crisis in Lyon, France.
As back up to its call, Greenpeace released the detailed documentation of illegal fishing activities encountered during two ship expeditions in the Pacific and Indian Oceans in late 2012 highlighting the need for urgent action. The evidence included documentation of illegal activities last November by Indonesian-, Philippine-, and Cambodian-flagged fishing vessels in the Pacific. It also included details of Greenpeace encounters with fishing vessels from Japan, Taiwan and Sri Lanka engaged in illegal or suspicious fishing activities in the Indian Ocean. All vessels were taking advantage of poor at-sea enforcement and loopholes in the law.
As overfishing decimates fish stocks, fleets are moving further and further from homeports to catch valuable fish species such as tuna. Greenpeace is demanding that governments prohibit the transfer of fish at sea, end fishing vessels’ ability to hide in ports or under flags of convenience, require identification devices such as AIS and improve at-sea control and enforcement.
“Illegal fishing continues to expand and much of what happens at sea stays at sea and escapes all control,” said Sari Tolvanen, Greenpeace International oceans campaigner.
“It is estimated that between $10 and $24 billion worth of fish is illegally taken from our oceans every year—often from developing nations and supported by sophisticated transnational networks of criminals. Tuna fisheries and the global trade in shark fins are prime examples of this organised crime.”
Greenpeace is making available the results of its 2012 expeditions in the Pacific and Indian Oceans to law enforcement officials at the Interpol meeting and will also deliver these evidences to relevant fisheries management authorities.
"The destruction of the marine environment and the unchecked increase in fishing capacity across the world has led to the collapse or decline of fish populations worldwide. This is also true in Southeast Asia where fishing vessels are now going farther out to sea to catch fish and in many instances through illegal means," said Mark Dia, Regional Oceans Campaigner for Greenpeace Southeast Asia.
“Illegal fishing cannot be stopped through stricter law enforcement alone: fishing quotas must be set at sustainable levels. This needs the cooperation of governments, such as those here in Southeast Asia,” added Dia.
Greenpeace is advocating that more financial and human resources be allocated to control activities at sea and along the fisheries chain of custody, and that loopholes such as transfer of fish at sea be banned. This should be accompanied by steep cuts in industrial fishing capacity that lead to illegal fishing and overfishing. Interpol can take a lead by enabling the sharing of data and best practices, and push for strict enforcement and proper prosecution of individuals and companies in involved in illegal fishing.
Greenpeace is campaigning for a more sustainable fishing industry and a global network of fully protected sanctuaries at sea, both necessary steps to creating healthy, living oceans for future generations.
For more information:
Mark Dia, Greenpeace Southeast Asia Regional Oceans Campaigner, +63 843 0549 (mobile), in Manila
Sari Tolvanen, Greenpeace International oceans campaigner, +31 655 125 480 (mobile), in Lyon
Steve Smith, Greenpeace International communications, +31 643 787 359 (mobile), in Amsterdam
Note to editors:
The ship tour findings reports can be found at: http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/publications/Campaign-reports/Oceans-Reports/Ocean-Expeditions-2012/

Illegal fishing: what happens at sea too often stays at sea

Sari Tolvanen — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 07:24:00 +0100

The problem of illegal fishing is enormous and Greenpeace has been working hard to combat illegal fishing for many years, as we try to protect our oceans and ensure future generations have fish and fishing jobs. We have sent ships into the open ocean year after year, to monitor fishing activities with governments as diverse as Palau and Mozambique. In some ways, this work is taking off today as Interpol’s first-ever conference on illegal fishing begins in Lyon, France.
It is estimated that between $10 and $24 billion worth of fish is caught illegally All too often, these fish are taken from developing countries and end up as cheap seafood in rich countries. Illegal fishing, especially in tuna and shark fisheries and trade takes income and food away from coastal communities. The lucrative tuna trade unfortunately encourages cheating in order to maximise profits, especially as overfishing causes fleets to move further and further to chase shrinking fish populations.
It is estimated that between $10 and $24 billion worth of fish is caught illegally All too often, these fish are taken from developing countries and end up as cheap seafood in rich countries. Illegal fishing, especially in tuna and shark fisheries and trade takes income and food away from coastal communities. The lucrative tuna trade unfortunately encourages cheating in order to maximise profits, especially as overfishing causes fleets to move further and further to chase shrinking fish populations.
Greenpeace is hoping to change all of this. To coincide with the Interpol conference, we are releasing the findings from our most recent ship tours in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. We are also renewing our call to governments to stop illegal fishing, specifically by:
Ending the practice of transferring fish catches at sea
Enforcing existing regulations and improve surveillance of fishing ships
Mandating that fishing ships have proper electronic identification devices, such as AIS on.
Reducing fishing fleets
We hope that global law enforcement will join us in the fight to leave future generations healthy, living oceans. Sharing data and best practice information is a good place to start as would be the prosecution of individuals and companies involved in illegal fishing. We need your help to show the global fishing industry that our oceans are not Las Vegas - what happens at sea shouldn’t stay at sea. You can tell your seafood companies to improve their sourcing policies here. We’ll keep you posted on how our work to defend our oceans develops.
Sari Tolvanen is an oceans campaigner based in Greenpeace International’s Amsterdam office.

8 reasons why Shell can't be trusted in the Arctic

Franziska — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 02:00:00 +0100

Shell's most recent 'mishap' a few days ago was not the first setback the oil giant has suffered in its plans to drill for oil in the Arctic. In fact, it's the eighth in a growing list of reasons why Shell should not be trusted in the Arctic.
1. Shell has no idea how much an oil spill clean-up would cost
In March 2012, in response to questions from the UK's Parliamentary Environmental Audit Committee, Peter Velez, Shell’s head of emergency response in the Arctic admitted that Shell had not assessed the costs of a clean-up operation in the Arctic, leaving shareholders exposed to potentially huge financial losses.
2. Shell's barge, the Arctic Challenger, was not deemed safe enough by the US government
In July last year the US authorities announced that a key part of Shell’s oil spill response fleethadn’t been allowed to sail to the Arctic because it did not meet US Coast Guard safety standards. The ship, Arctic Challenger, is a 36-year-old barge used to drag safety equipment through sea ice. But US authorities are not happy with what they’ve seen on-board and didn’t feel confident theArctic Challenger could withstand the extremely harsh Arctic environment. Originally Shell agreed that the ship would be able to withstand a 100-year storm, but company engineers are nowsaying that it is “no longer appropriate” for the barge to meet such onerous standards.
3. US Coast Guard "not confident" with Shell's dispersants in the event of an oil spill
In an interview with Bloomberg the commandant of the US Coast Guard expressed doubts about the impact of dispersants in Alaska in the event of an oil spill, saying - “I’m not confident what it will do in the colder water up in Alaska”. Shell has included dispersant use as a major part of its oil spill response plan for the Arctic.
4. Shell's drill ship runs aground in a 'stiff breeze'
On 15 July Shell’s drill ship, the Noble Discoverer, ran aground in the sheltered and relatively calm Dutch Harbour, Alaska, in a 35mph wind. Both the Noble Discoverer and the Kulluk are ageing, rusty vessels and not the state of the art fleet that Shell has been boasting about. The Kulluk has beenmothballed for the last 13 years whilst the Frontier Discoverer was built in 1966.
5. Shell's drill ship catches fire
In November the engine of the drill ship, the Noble Discoverer, caught fire as it returned to Dutch Harbour, Alaska, and had to be put out by specialist fire crews.
6. Shell's capping stack safety system 'crushed like a beer can' during testing
In December it was revealed that the oil spill containment system that Shell was supposed to have on-site in the Arctic was badly damaged in September testing. A Federal Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement representative disclosed that the sub-sea capping stack was “crushed like a beer can”.
7. Shell's Alaskan Vice-President admits: "There will be spills"
In an interview with the BBC, Pete Slaiby admits that an oil spill is what people were most concerned about. "If you ask me will there ever be spills, I imagine there will be spills," he said.
8. Shell's Arctic oil rig hits the rocks
On 31 December 2012, the oil rig, the Kulluk, ran aground off the coast of Alaska while being towed back to harbour in Seattle. It had hit heavy weather in the gulf of Alaska a few days earlier which caused the 400ft towing line to break and the rig to drift free. The tug managed to reconnect with the Kulluk but it “experienced multiple engine failures” 50 miles south of Kodiak Island, causing the rig to drift free once again in 35ft seas and winds of 40mph. The rig eventually ran aground on Monday after another attempt to tow it away. The Kulluk has 139,000 gallons of diesel and 12,000 gallons of hydraulic oil on board but as yet no spills have been observed. Teams on the ground are currently still trying to secure the rig.
Join the movement to Save the Arctic and let’s stop reckless companies like Shell from exploiting this fragile environment.

Greenpeace ship M/Y Esperanza to carry relief goods to Mindanao

cbaclago — Sat, 08 Dec 2012 03:31:00 +0100
The Greenpeace ship M/Y Esperanza is leaving the port of Manila today to respond to the humanitarian crisis in Mindanao.
Von Hernandez, Greenpeace Southeast Asia Executive Director, said:

"Our condolences remain with the victims of typhoon Pablo. This is a very difficult time for the thousands of affected families and communities."

"We have cancelled the Esperanza’s planned expedition to survey the state of the Philippine seas in order to respond to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Mindanao. The Esperanza will leave Manila today to help ferry much needed supplies to communities devastated by typhoon Pablo, particularly in coastal areas that are currently difficult to access."

"Our lead partner for this mission is the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), who is responsible for the relief provisions which will be carried by our ship, and who will be receiving the supplies at our destination in Mindanao. We are also carrying relief goods provided by ABS-CBN Foundation and Save the Children Foundation."

"The frequency of extreme weather events such as typhoon Pablo has turned the Philippines into a disaster hotspot where weather related disasters are the norm rather than the exception. Every year our country continues to be in the top ten list of global climate risk indices. But while we are learning to cope more effectively in terms of disaster management and coordination, every year the stakes are also getting higher. This should be seen as a warning signal that we must work to enact climate change solutions for the sake of the future."

For more information:
Beau Baconguis, Program Manager for the Philippines, +63 917 871 5257, beau.baconguis@greenpeace.org
Lea Guerrero, Deputy Communications Director, +63 917 634 5136 lea.guerrero@greenpeace.org
Other information
The Greenpeace ship, M/Y Esperanza has been in Manila since December 1, 2012 for the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) meeting. The WCPFC is a treaty-based intergovernmental organization that aims to conserve and manage tuna and other highly migratory fish stocks across the western and central areas of the Pacific Ocean. The meeting concluded last December 6.
The Esperanza was supposed to begin her “Ocean Defender” Philippines Ship Tour today, December 8, and had scheduled public open boat activities for today and Sunday. These open boat activities have been cancelled.
In light of the ongoing devastation and loss of lives in Mindanao caused by Typhoon Pablo, Greenpeace Southeast Asia has coordinated with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), ABS-CBN Foundation and Save the Children Foundation to help with the ongoing humanitarian crisis.
The Esperanza will be delivering around 20 - 30 tons of relief goods, mostly food packs, blankets, mats and cooking utensils, from these organizations, as well as fresh water.
The Esperanza hopes to offer relief to municipalities in Davao Oriental (Boston, Cateel, and Banganga) which are currently unreachable via land but may be reached via coast.
Launched in February 2002, the Esperanza is the largest vessel in the Greenpeace fleet. Esperanza – Spanish for "hope" – is the first Greenpeace ship to be named by visitors to our web site.
The Esperanza has visited the Philippines once before, from August to September 2006, for the Greenpeace global “Defending our Oceans Tour 2006.” While in the Philippines, the ship exposed how oceans pollution destroys vital marine habitats. She also highlighted how the establishment of marine reserves is a key solution to protecting the oceans.
In 2006, The Esperanza also responded to a disaster while she was in the Philippines. She visited and bore witness to ground zero of the worst oil spill on Philippine shores. Greenpeace volunteers and Esperanza crew assisted the Philippine coast guard in the delivery of relief goods and clean up supplies to Guimaras Island, and helped install booms around Taklong Island Marine Reserve and several barangays to help mitigate the damage. We also conducted underwater documentation to help scientists in their assessment of the damage caused by the slick on marine species.
Since its visit to the Philippines in 2006, the Esperanza has worked in the Antarctic, to stop the slaughter of whales, as well as around the Pacific Ocean, to expose how the world’s tuna stocks are being rapidly overfished almost to extinction.

More boats and more fishing will end up in empty plates and empty future

Apple Chow — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 08:13:00 +0100

Fishing is not quite what it used to be. Even in the Pacific where images of sunny shores, palm tress and little canoes may prevail, reality underneath the waves is quite something else. Some of the biggest and most powerful fishing powers as well as those with most destructive gear in the world roam around these waters that were once were rich in tuna, sharks and marine life. Now many species have declined to such low levels we may never have them back in sufficient numbers.
One such species such as oceanic white tip sharks, one of the most evolved predators on the planet, that even if all fishing was stopped to protect them it could take hundreds of years to recover. It devastating to think we are emptying our oceans of it’s inhabitants, species after species, stock after stock.
The fish are getting fewer and fewer, smaller and smaller. The host nation of this week’s pacific tuna commission’s negotiations, the Philippines, declared an overfishing crisis a few weeks back. The tuna being landed in it’s ports is now almost all juveniles. If you don’t have any big mamas left in the oceans who is going to produce the next generation?
One would think that because of declining catches and more time needed to search for fish, scientific warning and reality that our oceans are becoming empty were enough to stop the industry from building more and bigger boats, and developing even more ruthlessly efficient fishing methods. But no, perverted subsidies from governments are driving ship building in many countries still and apparently the ship yards around the world are busier than ever, pumping out new purse seiners, longliners and other fishing boats that soon will have no fish to catch. To compensate the increasing scarcity of fish, boats gladly load on more fish aggregation devices that will help find and capture the last fish.
What will coastal communities with no alternative protein do when they only have empty nets? Action needed to halt increases in fishing boat numbers and capacity is needed more urgently than ever.
Unfortunately, here in Manila this week, the political will to make these changes happen seems as low as ever, notwithstanding recent analyses by scientists showing that overfishing of bigeye tuna continues to be a problem. Short-term corporate profits are again steamrolling over the future of the Pacific ocean and those most dependent on it for livelihoods and food here.
Countries have no problems postponing important decisions that can be taken right now to long-winded process that will take years and years to resolve while wanton overfishing continues. Perhaps we have to get ready to hand over empty oceans to next generations of hungry bellies on Pacific shores. It's now up to us, consumers, to make that choice for seafood that's sustainable and empowers people who rely on them for food and livelihood.

It's simple: Ban the FAD

Duncan Williams — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 07:02:00 +0100

Philippines is a great country. "It’s more fun in the Philippines" is an aptly coined slogan for its tourism campaign. Greenpeace put that slogan to the test this morning with an impromptu activity aimed at delivering a similar slogan and message to delegates attending the Ninth Annual Session of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) in Manila. The Greenpeace message is simple. “Ban the use of Fish Aggregation Devices (FADs)” albeit in the purse seine fishery.
The message really underscores the dire nature of the kinds of action required of this Commission to address the failings of fishing in the western pacific. FADs are floating devices that attract both tuna and other species such as endangered sharks and turtles which are scooped up in a net capable of encircling an area the size of four city blocks. Everything in its path has no chance of surviving or escaping its deadly embrace.
Overfishing is almost unavoidable when using these devices especially when a large proportion of tuna that are being scooped up are juveniles - relative babies that haven't had the opportunity to reproduce. The impacts on at least one tuna species (bigeye) is beginning to tell with this fishery now in the red.
The message outside of this highly politicised meeting is being received loud and clear. Last week in Australia, John West announced that as a result of Greenpeace advice, the company will now join a growing list of retailers conscious of sustainability issues affecting tuna fisheries in the Pacific and therefore committed to ensuring that FAD-free tuna to all its consumers.
The announcement sends a louder message to the WCPFC. If you don’t clean up fisheries by eliminating and banning the use of destructive fishing practices such as FADs, then empowered consumers and sustainable conscious retailers will.
Time and tuna is ticking. Let's hope common sense prevails here in Manila and FADs get the attention it well and truly deserves.
Duncan Williams is an oceans campaigner for Greenpeace Australia Pacific.

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