>> EU TO FORCE ACCESS TO CHILE'S FISHERIES FOR PIRATE SPANISH
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GREENPEACE PRESS RELEASE
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>> EU TO FORCE ACCESS TO CHILE'S FISHERIES FOR PIRATE SPANISH
FLEET UN fish talks must stop the plunder
BRUSSELS, 23 March 1995 (GP) Greenpeace has joined Chilean
fishermen protesting European Union strong-arm tactics to gain
access to Chilean fishing grounds for its Spanish fleet.
Hot on the heels of the turbot wars off Canada where Spanish
vessels were caught overfishing turbot stocks using illegal nets,
the European Union is to send a representative to Santiago on
Monday to force access for more Spanish fishing vessels in
Chilean waters.
This time, the EU wants access to pristine tuna fish stocks and
continued uncontrolled access to sea bass and Antarctic whiting.
The EU is said to be coercing Chile with the threat to limit
Chile's access to the EU market.
"New examples of the EU's never-ending, predatory chase for
dwindling fish stocks can be found in most corners of the world,"
said Helene Bours, Greenpeace EU fisheries campaigner.
"The EU already has its foot in the door in Chile and is treating
the local fisheries as a free-for-all," said Bours. "If the EU
gets its way again, the Spanish fishing companies will continue
their unrelenting plunder of fish stocks off Chile."
Antarctic whiting stocks off Chile were overfished to the brink
of collapse during the 1980s. Between 75 and 81 per cent of the
Antarctic whiting catch was exported as frozen fish -- mostly to
Spain. Today, Antarctic whiting stocks are in serious trouble
with 70 per cent of the catch undersized and thrown back dead.
Spanish-owned vessels are known to catch sea bass illegally. In
the past year, about 75 per cent of the sea bass catch was
illegal after companies over-ran their quotas within Chilean
waters. Of the 11 companies currently allowed to fish for sea
bass within Chile's zone, five are funded by Spanish company
joint-venture capital.
Ironically, the EU's visit to Santiago coincides with the opening
day of the United Nations fisheries conference in New York. The
conference has been charged with turning around the global
fisheries crisis and is negotiating a draft treaty. The EU,
mainly under pressure from Spain and France, is backing away from
a strong, legally binding treaty that will ensure conservation of
fish stocks.
ENDS
For more information, please contact:
Helene Bours, Greenpeace EU fisheries campaigner on
++32 2 280 1400, or ++32 41 686851
or Desley Mather, Greenpeace Communications ++ 44 171 833 0600