Feature story - October 4, 2006
Actress Sigourney Weaver, star of Alien and Ghostbusters, joined us at the UN in New York calling for a moratorium on high - seas bottom trawling. Adding more weight to Team Ocean Defenders, the US government has also been supportive. President Bush himself issued a statement calling for an "end [to] destructive fishing practices, such as unregulated bottom trawling". This week's UN meeting may be our last chance for real action to save the "aliens of the deep".
"The oceans that millions of people around the world depend on
for sustenance and livelihood are being plundered while the world
sits by and watches," stated Weaver. "Some of the oldest ecosystems
on Earth are being destroyed. Most people think somebody somewhere
is looking out for the deep oceans, but they aren't. These deep sea
trawlers are operating beyond the reach of the law. It's up to all
of us to change that."
Weaver joined us at a press briefing in New York organized by
the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition, of which we are members. We
were also joined by the UN Ambassadors from Australia, New Zealand
and Palau.
Aliens (of the Deep)
They might not be quite as scary as the Aliens in one of
Sigourney's movies, but the deep sea creatures threatened by
bottom trawling are unique and often previously unknown to
science.
Karen Sack, our political advisor, said, "The UN has the power
to protect the irreplaceable ecosystems of the deep sea bed from
the relentless march of bottom trawlers. If it fails to act, it
would be closing its eyes and allowing these unknown worlds to be
destroyed before we fully understand all the life they contain -
like blowing up Mars before we get there."
Galaxy Quest
Can Team Ocean Defenders save these unknown worlds? Australia,
Brazil, the UK, South Africa, Chile, the Netherlands, Germany
and many Pacific Island nations are among those that have called
for a halt to unregulated high seas bottom trawling. Canada,
Spain, Russia and Iceland lead the opposition.
This week the US became deep-sea defenders. President Bush issued
a statement calling for rules based on sound science to "end
destructive fishing practices such such as unregulated bottom
trawling, explosives and chemicals that destroy the long-term
productivity of ecosystems such as seamounts, corals, and sponge
fields". The US will be chairing the negotiations which commence at
the UN today - October 4th.
Earlier this year we
released a report calling for the establishment of 40 percent
of the world's oceans as
marine reserves. Since then the UN itself recognised the need
for a halt to unregulated high seas bottom trawling. Meanwhile, as
the UN talks, the bottom trawling continues. We hope that this
week the UN will decide to implement a moratorium on high seas
bottom trawling and pave the way for a worldwide network of fully
protected marine reserves.
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