FAO Meeting-Fisheries Need Action

[The.Greenbase@gb.greenpeace.org]

>> GREENPEACE AT FAO MEETING: FISHERIES NEED ACTION NOT TALK


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                    GREENPEACE PRESS RELEASE
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>> GREENPEACE AT FAO MEETING: FISHERIES NEED ACTION NOT TALK
 
ROME, 15 March, 1995 (GP) Fisheries Ministers from around the
world are gathered  at the UN FAO in Rome for a two day meeting
to debate the growing crisis  in world fisheries.  Spain and
Canada engaged in a war of words over the  recent seizure of a
Spanish fishing vessel by Canadian authorities in  international
waters. 
 
In a statement to the Minister's meeting yesterday, Spain
expressed  "outrage" over the seizure of the Spanish fishing
vessel "Estai" by  Canada in the Northwest Atlantic.  The
European Union condemned  "unilateral actions".  Canada responded
today by referring to Spanish  fishing on the high seas as
"reckless and irresponsible".   
 
"The European Union is acting in flagrant disregard of every
conceivable  standard of responsible fishing" said Matthew
Gianni, international  fisheries campaigner for Greenpeace,
attending the FAO meeting.  "Though  Canada has acted in clear
violation of international law, we sypathize  with their
position.  Frankly, international fisheries law, as  established
in the 1982 Law of the Sea Convention, has utterly failed to 
prevent the decline and collapse of fisheries throughout the
world."
 
A report prepared by the FAO for the Ministers meeting emphasized
the  severity of problems in world fisheries.  The report states
that 70% of  fish stocks worldwide are either fully exploited,
over exploited or  depleted.  Some 17 - 39 million tons of fish
are caught and thrown back  dead (discarded) into the water each
year by fishing vessels.  Excessive  investment, too many boats,
and over-fishing by one-milion industrial  fishing vessels has
resulted in losses and subsidies to this fleet of  approximately
(USD) 50 billion dollars per year.  
 
In their statements to FAO meeting most Fisheries Ministers have
been  willing to acknowledge serious problems in their own
countries  waters.  Many refered to the need for a successful
outcome for next  session of the United Nations Conference on
Straddling Fish Stocks and  Highly Migratory Fish Stocks which
will begin in New York on 27 March.  
 
The Conference will attempt to negotiate a global treaty for the 
consevatiion of stocks of fish which swim back and forth between 
national and international waters.  The genesis of the UN
Conference  has been the long-standing dispute between Canada and
the EU.
 
"The EU has attempted to weaken proposals to bring high seas
fisheries  under international control and has been a major
obstacle to progress  in the negotiations so far" said Gianni. 
"At the same time, Canada  and other 'coastal' nations must be
under a firm obligation to conserve  fish within their 200 mile
limits, not only on the high seas.  If  nations do not act soon
they may end up with no fish left to fight over." 
 
For further infomation contact: 
Matthew Gianni or Alessandro Gianni at (Rome) 57 82 484/ 575 0053
or Helene Bours at (Brussels) 32 41 68 68 51