Feature story - June 8, 2004
On June 11, 2004 the United Nations ended their conference in New York to discuss the deteriorating health of our oceans. Despite thousands of scientists, groups and citizens condemning bottom trawling, the UN failed to declare a moratorium.
Greenpeace climbers scale the top of the cathedral La Sagrada Familia (The Sacred Family) in Barcelona and unfurl banners that read
From June 7 - June 11, 2004, the United Nations met in New York to discuss the deteriorating health of our oceans. Greenpeace was there pushing for more than just talk from these environmental delegates; we are calling for a moratorium on bottom trawling.
Bottom trawling is the most destructive fishing process in our oceans today. It involves dragging huge, heavy nets along the sea floor. Large metal plates and rubber wheels attached to these nets move along the bottom and crush nearly everything in their path. All evidence indicates that deep-water life forms are very slow to recover from such damage, taking decades to hundreds of years - if they recover at all.
Our flagship, the Rainbow Warrior, is in New Zealand on a mission to document the devastation caused by bottom trawling. During the UN conference, we passed out footage of discarded marine life in the Tasman Sea and passing around a petition to halt bottom trawling signed by over 6,000 cyberactivists to delegates.
On June 5, 2004 many of these officials gathered in Barcelona, Spain in honor of World Environment Day (WED). Greenpeace was in Barcelona on the eve of this conference to highlight the dangers posed to our oceans. Activists from the United Kingdom, Spain, the Netherlands and Belgium sent a message to conference members with a large banner reading "SOS - Save Our Seas," from the landmark cathedral, "La Sagrada Familia" (The Sacred Family). Other activists remained on the ground and handed out information on deep-sea bottom trawling to intrigued spectators.
Despite the best efforts of scientists, groups and citizens condemning bottom trawling, the UN did not declare a moratorium. Instead, it recommended nations "consider" an interim prohibition. Fishing ministries pressured many delegates to allow for bottom trawling, especially Iceland and Japan.
Learn More
Visit the Greenpeace website "Save our Seas" where you can navigate an interactive world map and discover facts about our oceans.
Read about the crew's experiences on the Rainbow Warrior.