Media release - October 25, 2004
Greenpeace took direct action on the high seas to highlight the deep sea devastation caused by bottom-trawling fishing boats, in the face of continued moves by the EU to block a UN high seas moratorium.
A lone Greenpeace activist hurled himself onto the huge fishing
net that was being hauled from the depths onto the deck of the EU
bottom trawler. Activists in Greenpeace inflatables also attached a
banner reading "Deep Sea Destroyer" to the stern of the ship.
The Spanish flagged "Playa de Menduiña" had been repeatedly
asked to stop trawling, but refused. Bottom-trawling boats, the
majority from EU countries, drag fishing gear weighing several tons
across the seabed, destroying everything in their path and
devastating marine life and underwater mountains, known as
seamounts.
Maria Jose Caballero, Greenpeace campaigner onboard the
Esperanza, said "We took action today against the massive
destruction caused by deep sea bottom trawling because the EU has
failed to."
"It's entirely wrong to just sit back while probably thousands
of unknown species are being wiped out by this fishing practice. As
long as naïve and lazy politicians either ignore the problem or
actively collude to see it continue, we will be morally obliged to
continue to take these actions."
The Esperanza is currently investigating and documenting bottom
trawling in the North Atlantic. Seamounts in this area run from the
south of Iceland to the Azores and form the world's largest
mountain range.
NOTES:
Greenpeace is a member of the Deep
Sea Conservation Coalition, an international alliance of
organizations, representing millions of people in countries around
the world, which is calling for a United Nations moratorium on high
seas bottom trawling.