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BAN ON FACTORY TRAWLER IN CHILE UPHELD - Greenpeace welcomes victory for the environment and jobs
VALPARAISO (CHILE), MAY 20, 1997
Greenpeace welcomes the decision by the Valparaiso Appeals Court to again refuse entry to the factory trawler American Monarch to fish in southern Chilean waters.
The trawler is owned by Aker RGI/American Seafood Company, the world's major private transnational fishing company. It controls nearly 20% of the global white fish catch. The American Monarch was refused entry by the Chilean Environment Ministry last November. RGI appealed the decision, claiming discrimination.
"We hope this decision sends a clear message to the richer countries of the North to stop looking to the South to find new fishing grounds when they have already overexploited or fully exploited fisheries in their own oceans," said Juan Carlos Cardenas, Greenpeace campaigner in Chile.
Almost 300 feet long and worth $65 million, the American Monarch is capable of catching 1.3 million pounds of fish daily, more than any other vessel fishing today.
The Appeals Court decision comes after a year-long campaign by Greenpeace and small- scale fishermen's organizations. It represents a huge victory for the Chilean people who had voiced their strong opposition to the entry of the vessel.
"The Chilean court's decision has great significance as part of the global struggle by fishermen, coastal communities and environmentalists against environmentally and socially damaging international or domestic factory trawlers," said Niaz Dorry, Greenpeace campaigner in New England.
Right now, Greenpeace and U.S. fishermen are working to stop the Atlantic Star, a new 369 ft factory trawler from coming to New England to fish for herring and mackerel. As a result of their efforts, H.R. 1575 has been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Rep. Jim Saxton (NJ). This would limit the size of vessels wishing to enter these fisheries on the East Coast, effectively banning the Atlantic Star and other factory trawlers. The international factory trawl fleet played a major role in the crash of the Georges Bank fisheries such as herring, cod, and haddock which resulted in the passage of the Magnuson Fisheries Conservation and Management Act in 1976.
Greenpeace and the Chilean fishermen's union had received the support of the six million members of the National Fishworkers Forum of India. There, an alliance of fishermen, communities and environmentalists is also opposing the entry of international supertrawlers, on the grounds of their social and environmental impacts.
In Seattle, American Seafood's base, US Greenpeace campaigner Ken Stump commented: "Any region or country approached by RGI or other companies for permission to fish in their waters should follow Chile's example and turn away the American Monarch or any other huge industrial trawler."
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Juan Carlos Cardenas: 562 -7773202 (Chile)
Niaz Dorry: 508-283-5893 (Gloucester, MA, USA)
Matthew Gianni: 415-512-9025 (San Francisco, USA)
James Gillies: 31 20 524 9548 ( Greenpeace International Press Desk)