LONGLINERS DEPART AUCKLAND FOR ENDANGERED SOUTHERN BLUEFIN TUNA FISHERY

LONGLINERS DEPART AUCKLAND FOR ENDANGERED SOUTHERN BLUEFIN TUNA FISHERY
MV Arctic Sunrise - 16 April 1997
The Japanese longliner Koshin Maru No. 28 and the re-supply vessel Japan Tuna No. 3 departed Auckland yesterday for the southern bluefin tuna fishery, as Greenpeace stepped up its 24 hour monitoring of three similar vessels off the east coast of the South Island.
Five Japanese longliners chartered by the New Zealand companies Solanders, Talleys and Sanfords have docked for bunkering in Auckland over the past month in preparation for an industrial-scale fishing operation in New Zealand's Exclusive Economic Zone. These floating factories will specifically target the endangered southern bluefin tuna.
The Greenpeace ship MV Arctic Sunrise is documenting the longlining operations of three vessels off the east coast of the South Island, using inflatables and the ship's helicopte
"The departure of these vessels to join the longliners already at sea shows that the race for the last southern bluefin tuna is on," said Cristina Mormorunni, Greenpeace Ocean Ecology Campaigner. "Greenpeace will stay at sea monitoring the fishery for as long as is necessary to expose its destructive practices."
The breeding stock of southern bluefin tuna has been reduced to 2% of its original population levels in approximately thirty years. The situation is so severe that the World Conservation Union (IUCN) recently listed southern bluefin tuna as "critically endangered".
"Every year, thousands of kilometres of lines and millions of hooks blanket the southern oceans. The endangered southern bluefin tuna and many species of albatross don't stand a chance," Mormorunni added.
Conservative estimates suggest that Japanese longline fleets kill a minimum of 44,000 albatrosses in the southern oceans each year (Brothers, N., 1991)
Greenpeace has called for the suspension of the charter agreement between the New Zealand fishing companies and the New Zealand Japan Tuna Company, and reiterated its call for a global suspension o the Southern bluefin tuna fishery.

Aerial pictures of the MV Arctic Sunrise documenting the fishery this morning are available from Fotopress in Auckland. Glyn
For further information:
Cristina Mormorunni on board the MV Arctic Sunrise +872 324 453810 (Inmarsat - NZ$10 a minute)
Glyn Walters Greenpeace New Zealand +64 (09) 630 6317 or +64 (025) 931 363
email: Glyn.Walters@dialb.greenpeace.org