Press release - June 24, 2004
Greenpeace joined King Neptune and his deep sea court in Wellington today as he issued a trespass notice to bottom trawlers at the New Zealand Seafood Industry Council (SeaFIC) (1) board meeting.
SeaFIC is funded by the fishing industry and lobbies for
policies advantageous to the industry (2). Three members of the
SeaFIC board represent major bottom trawl companies - Sanford,
Sealord and Talleys.
Greenpeace activists dressed as deep sea creatures attended King
Neptune's court outside the venue of the SeaFIC board meeting. The
evidence placed before King Neptune was an ice chest with bycatch
recovered by the Rainbow Warrior on its recent expedition into the
Tasman Sea. The mythical lord of the ocean, King Neptune expressed
his frustration at the damage being done to his deep sea kingdom by
bottom trawlers.
"Enough is enough," the marine noble proclaimed. "The ancient
coral forests of the deep sea are being destroyed for the sake of a
few fish. Your scientists have hardly begun to discover the
mysterious life of my deep sea kingdom but the bottom trawlers are
continuing to destroy it."
"If your land-lubber Governments won't put a stop to this
senseless destruction then I will. I hereby issue a trespass notice
to SeaFIC. Tell your bottom trawlers to keep out of my ocean,"
thundered a defiant King Neptune.
SeaFIC representatives have been outspoken in their opposition
to a United Nations moratorium on high seas bottom trawling. Over
1000 marine scientists and an international coalition of
environmental groups, including Greenpeace are supporting the
moratorium.
Greenpeace oceans campaigner Carmen Gravatt said, "This
moratorium would allow time to assess what is in the deep sea, sort
out where and how fishing could occur sustainably and put in place
legally binding agreements to protect the deep sea."
"SeaFIC represents all the fishing industry in New Zealand, but
the destruction of the few bottom trawl companies and organisations
in SeaFIC makes all the fishing industry look bad. SeaFIC should
act responsibly for sustainable fisheries and support the call for
a moratorium on high seas bottom trawling," concluded Ms
Gravatt.
Notes to the Editor:
(1) SeaFIC is an organisation funded by a levy on member fishing
companies. Its role is to support commercial stakeholders and
promote the seafood industry. Much of what SeaFIC does concerns
influencing government policies that impact the industry at both
the national and international stage such as bottom trawling.
(2) SeaFIC Business Plan 1 October 2003 - 30 September 2004