Europe to Blame-Stripmining Turbot

[The.Greenbase@gb.greenpeace.org]

>>  EUROPEANS TO BLAME FOR STRIPMINING OF TURBOT STOCKS


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                    GREENPEACE PRESS RELEASE
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>>  EUROPEANS TO BLAME FOR STRIPMINING OF TURBOT STOCKS
    Both sides must get tough on fisheries decisions at UN
 
OTTAWA & BRUSSELS, March 14,1995 (GP) The European Union's
continued plundering of North West Atlantic turbot stocks is a
classic example of its leading role in global overfishing and
fish stock collapse, Greenpeace in Brussels and Ottawa said
today.
 
Both Canada and the EU must get serious on fisheries reform at
the upcoming United Nations fisheries conference* if these wars
at sea are to end, Greenpeace stressed. 
 
"The turbot wars are not an isolated event", said Isabel McCrea,
Greenpeace International's Biodiversity Campaign Coordinator
speaking at a press conference on Ottawa today. 
 
"Fish wars are becoming the norm in fisheries right around the
world -- crisis management in the place of effective, legally
binding fisheries management," McCrea said.
 
Restating its demand for an immediate moratorium on the turbot
fishery, Greenpeace labelled the Spanish fleet, with over 20,000
vessels roaming the oceans, as one of the world's most predatory. 
 
"Between 1986 and 1991, the EU reported total catches that were
478,000 tonnes in excess of the quotas they had been given by
NAFO*," said Greenpeace Canada's Catherine Stewart. 
 
With the world's fourth largest fishing catch and the biggest
market for fish, the EU is a driving force behind the global
fisheries crisis.
 
Greenpeace, which has played an active role in the United Nations
fisheries conference since its inception, said Spain is the main
source of pressure behind the European Union's side-stepping of
the tough issues throughout the UN process.   
 
Greenpeace believes both Canada and the European Union are
blocking progress in the UN negotiation process and are backing
away from a strong treaty that will ensure conservation of fish
stocks.
 
"The EU has refused to support a legally binding treaty," said
Stewart.  "Meanwhile, Canada is dragging its heels on the issue
of consistency of regulations."
 
Canadian Fisheries Minister Brian Tobin favours tough
conservation standards for the high seas fleets, but is insisting
that Canada and other coastal states should be allowed to define
their own standards within territorial waters, Stewart said.  
"European and Canadian Government mis-management have combined to
bring turbot stocks to the brink of disaster.  Perhaps
this latest crisis will force a long overdue and fundamental
change in our approach to fishing," said Isabel McCrea.
 
For more information, please contact: 
Catherine Stewart or Isabel McCrea in Ottawa on ++613 2411000 or
613 562 1004
or Helene Bours, Greenpeace EU fisheries advisor on 
++32 2 2801400 or 32 41 686851
or Desley Mather, Greenpeace Communications ++44 171 833 0600  
 
EDITOR'S NOTE
=============
1 * The United Nations Conference on Straddling Fish Stocks and
Highly Migratory Fish Stocks resumes in New York on March 27,
1995.  This session of the conference may be the last real chance
to make the conference a success. 
 
2 * The Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization is the regional
fisheries management body.
 
3 Turbot is also known as Greenland halibut.