Greenpeace climbers scale the Totem Pole in Tasmania, Australia to highlight attention to the pirate fishing trade during this week's CITES meeting.
It's a 65 meter natural dolerite formation called the Totem
Pole. And today two Greenpeace climbers braved it to send a
message: "Pirate fishing trades away ocean life!".
The Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living
Resources (CCAMLR) is the regional body responsible for toothfish
conservation. But it doesn't regulate fishing outside waters of its
member states, and it is having a hard time stopping "pirates" who
fly flags of convenience and fish illegally anywhere they can get
away with it.
Big money can be made catching toothfish, which, frankly, is
just too tasty for its own good. In the past two and a half years
vessels from CCAMLR members Russia, Uruguay and the republic of
Korea have stolen 13,799 tonnes of toothfish from CCAMLR waters
(while claiming that they caught their fish elsewhere). Non-member
the Seychelles has taken 7,433 tonnes. The total value of the
pirate catch by vessels from these countries during that time is
estimated at $US200 million wholesale.
The toothfish lives for 50 years (if given the chance), and does
not breed until it's at least 10 years old - so, like other species
that are slow to reproduce, it is especially vulnerable to
overfishing. If the fishing pirates are not shut down, toothfish
stocks are headed for collapse.
Plus, although we all picture pirates as bird friendly, with a
parrot on their shoulder, during the past year the real life
pirates killed up to 93,000 Southern Ocean seabirds, which were
caught or tangled in their fishing gear.
As Sarah Duthie put it from Australia, "While this climb may
look dangerous, our climbers are perfectly safe, unlike toothfish
and seabird populations which are in serious danger from pirate
fishing".
If the toothfish is listed under CITIES it will close the ports
of the 160 member nations to these pirates by requiring all
fisheries to produce documentation of their catch. While some
governments (such as the Australian) have pledged to support
listing of the toothfish - the idea also faces opposition from
others (Norway) and even some members of CCAMLR.
Fortunately, you can help by sending a fax to the US CITIES delegation.
Toothfish is a popular dish in the United States - where it is sold
as Chilean Seabass (guess it sounds tastier that way) - and US
support for proper toothfish management is key to getting the fish
listed.