Publication - 27 April, 2005
One of the primary threats facing high seas biodiversity, are the impacts of illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing. Some of the most destructive high seas fishing is unregulated, goes unreported and has major implications for marine biodiversity in international waters.
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Executive summary: In October 2004, the Greenpeace vessel MV Esperanza sailed to the North East Atlantic to focus global attention on the destruction caused to deep sea biodiversity by high seas bottom trawl fishing. Bottom trawling has been identified by scientists as the most destructive activity currently impacting deep sea life. Deep-sea features, such as seamounts, typically support slow-growing, long-lived species that are particularly sensitive to disturbance. Fish inhabiting such ecosystems can live for up to 150 years and coral structures may reach several thousands of years in age. A single bottom trawl across such a vulnerable area does not only destroy these coral structures, but alters the topography in such a way that they may never recover. And because many of the creatures – some of which have yet to be discovered – only occur in specific seamount ecosystems, they can be driven to extinction before they have even been identified.The Esperanza documented the high seas bottom trawling activities of the vessels that she encountered. One such vessel was the Lithuanian-flagged Anuva. The ownership, flag and fishing history of the Anuva is provided to the OECD High Seas Task Force as an example of unregulated fishing on the high seas. It is hoped that the example of the activities of this one vessel spurs decision-makers to act to prevent the ongoing destruction of deep sea biodiversity by the many others like it.
Num. pages: 8