US calling for an end to bottom trawling

"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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