17 November 1997
GREENPEACE HAILS SUPREME COURT DECISION TO BAR THE "AMERICAN MONARCH" SUPER FACTORY SHIP FROM CHILEAN SOUTHERN FISHERIES.
Greenpeace South Pacific (Chile) sees the Supreme Court decision to bar the "American Monarch" factory vassel from entering Chilean waters as a positive step in defending the country's natural resources. The High Court of Justice thus rejected an appeal by "Aker/RGI/Norway Seafoods Co.", the world's largest private transnational fishing corporation, against the Under Secretary Office for Fishing Affairs's decision not to authorize the "American Monarch" to operate in Chilean Southern hake fisheries.
PRESS RELEASE:
THE AMERICAN MONARCH:
NEW NORWEGIAN MONSTER TRAWLER SET TO PLUNDER CHILE'S FISH
Norwegian transnational Resource Group International (RGI) last October launched the world's most efficient factory supertrawler. Almost 100 metres long with state-of-the-art fish finding technology, the American Monarch is capable of fishing and processing up to 1,200 tonnes of fish each day -- more than any other fishing vessel in the world.
The $56 million vessel is to be put to work on the world's oceans at a time when the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation says 70 per cent of fish stocks worldwide are either fully exploited, over exploited or depleted. The American Monarch's first destination was to be the over-exploited fishing grounds of southern Chile where, according to RGI, it was to fish for southern blue whiting and hoki (Patagonian grenadier).
The American Monarch is the first of 25 new monster fishing vessels to be built by RGI shipyards -- all subsidised by the Norwegian Government to the tune of US$56.3 million (366 million NOK).
Fisheries and the world food supply - a background to the current fisheries crisis
'Chronicle of a Plunder Foretold' - a new Greenpeace report:
RGI has now set its eyes on Chile, a country whose fish resources are already extensively harvested. The American Monarch, which RGI is currently building and plans to send to Chile, will be the world's most efficient factory trawler.
This report will show conclusively that the addition of the American Monarch to the fishery in Chilean waters would result in overfishing and possible collapse of the stock and thus the communities dependent upon it.
PRESS RELEASE: November 17th 1997 - Greenpeace hails supreme court decision to bar the "American Monarch" super factory ship from Chilean Southern fisheries.
PRESS RELEASE: May 20th 1997 - Ban on factory trawler in Chile upheld - Greenpeace welcomes victory for the environment and jobs
PRESS RELEASE:
January 2nd 1997 - Greenpeace confronts banished Norwegian Factory Trawler in Seattle.
PRESS RELEASE:
December 3rd 1996 - RGI trawler American Monarch sails for Southern Pacific waters.
PRESS RELEASE:
November 14th 1996 - RGI trawler American Monarch turned away by public pressure.
PRESS RELEASE:
October 26th 1996 - New monster factory trawler set to plunder Chile's fish. Greenpeace protests at baptism in Norway - Rainbow Warrior awaits trawler in Chile.
ACTION: October 26th 1996 - Greenpeace protest at baptism of monster trawler in Norway
WATCH THIS SPACE AS THE CAMPAIGN HOTS UP!
GREENPEACE DEMANDS THAT:
1. RGI withdraw its plans to send the American Monarch to Chile or any other fishery on already fully- or over-exploited fish stocks, or any region not covered by a strict management and conservation regime, based on the precautionary approach;
2. the Chilean government keep the American Monarch out of Chilean fisheries;
3. RGI cancel its plans to build 24 new fishing vessels;
4. the Norwegian government cancel subsidies for the new vessels RGI is planning to build;
5. The Chilean government must establish and implement, as a matter of urgency, a management plan for the Chilean southern fisheries that will allow the recovery of the collapsed stocks of southern hake and Golden conger (cusk eel). This process must include formal mechanisms to ensure transparency and citizen participation. The plan must have as its primary objective to ensure conservation of the marine environment, based on the precautionary approach, and the socio-cultural integrity of coastal communities;
6. The Chilean government must also:
- ensure the protection of critical habitats - nursery and spawning grounds - for southern fish stocks;
- establish moratoria on those fishing operations where it cannot be demonstrated that they do not threaten the marine biodiversity, for example, those which damage the benthos or species composition of the marine foodweb;
- ensure the use of more selective fishing methods and gears;
- ensure the reduction of bycatch to levels approaching zero;
- undertake better and regionally coordinated research of Southern Cone fisheries, including the impact of fishing activities on fish stocks and marine ecosystems;
- ensure that fisheries management decisions are transparent and open to public scrutiny and participation;
7. The Chilean and Argentinean governments must:
- combat illegal fishing in waters around the Southern Cone of Latin America and in Antarctic waters under the jurisdiction of CCAMLR;
- impose the use of satellite control as well as strict at sea and on land control of fishing operations and fleets by all fishing nations in the area;
8. Chile, Argentina and Norway must ratify the UN Agreement on the conservation and management of Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks;
9. Chile and other states of the Southern Cone of Latin America must expeditiously negotiate a legally-binding regional agreement, as called for in Article 8 of the UN Agreement, in cooperation with CCAMLR member countries, and in particular South Africa.