Chile & Spain Caught Illegally Fishing in Antarctic Waters

[the.greenbase@green2.greenpeace.org]

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Original-TO:      World Press (Green2:Green2:Gnl:INET)
Original-Cc:      The Greenbase (Green2:Green2:Gnl:Main)
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               GREENPEACE PRESS RELEASE
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>> SEIZURE OF TRAWLER "ANTONIO LORENZO," OF CHILEAN
NATIONALITY AND SPANISH FINANCING, CAUGHT CLANDESTINELY
FISHING IN ANTARCTIC TREATY WATERS, CONFIRMS RECENT
ACCUSATIONS BY GREENPEACE.
 
Santiago de Chile, March 8 (GP)- The trawler "Antonio Lorenzo"
of Chilean nationality was captured on March 7, by English
boats while illegally fishing Patagonian toothfish in the
Southern Antartic waters around the Georgian Islands.
 
This act confirms the accusations that Greenpeace made at the
beginning of the week about the increase in illegal fishing
activities by illegal fleets in the area of the Convention for
Live Antartic Resources (CCRMVA).
 
The trawler's crew consisted of 32 Chileans, five Spaniards,
and one Argentine observer.
 
The vessel belongs to the company "Concar Ltd," a multi-
national firm with Spanish capital that sails under the
Chilean flag from the southern city of Punta Arenas, Chile.
 

"ANTONIO LORENZO": A CASE OF THE IMPUNITY WITH WHICH THE
MULTI-NATIONAL FLEETS WITH EUROPEAN CAPITAL OPERATE AND THE
LACK OF THE GOVERNMENTS' POWER TO CONTROL ILLEGAL FISHING IN
THE ANTARTIC TREATY WATERS. 
 
This is the second time that the "Antonio Lorenzo" has been
surprised and captured while illegally fishing Patagonian
toothfish in the Georgian Islands area.  The case against the
"Antonio Lorenzo" has been open since January of 1994, and
this incident adds to the accusations of "pirate fishing" that

wait in the courts of Punto Arenas, Chile, without any signs
of
progress.
 
The name "Antonio Lorenzo" has been added to the list of boats
like the "Mar Azul XI," "Elqui," "Mar!a Tamara," "El Ercilla,"
"Magallanes III," "Magallanes I," "Mar Azul 15," "Mar del Sur
II," "Isla Camila," "Isla Sofia," "Arbumasa XII," and the
"Thunnus," which, in the past, were active members of the
"Foreign Depredation Legion" in the southern seas.  The
majority of these vessels belong to multi-national firms that
use European capital.
 
ILLEGAL FISHING THREATENS FISHING RESOURCES AND INCREASES
TENSIONS IN THE SOUTHERN CONE AREA OF LATIN AMERICA AND IN

ANTARTIC WATERS.
 
Greenpeace alleges that the fishing season began March 1,
under the control of the CCRMVA, with the threat of illegal
fishing by vessels financed with European and Asian capital.
This situation causes a grave impact on the stability of the
resources in this protected area, thus augmenting the
political tensions in the region.
 
El CCRMVA is part of the Antartic Treaty System and regulates
fishing activities in the region.  Chile, Argentina, England,
and Spain are part of this treaty.
 
During the 1995 season, a high number of vessels illegally
fishing were sighted in the waters under the
CCRMVA's}jurisdiction, engaged in Patagonian toothfish
nettings that
exceed by 500% the establish quota for the Georgian Islands
area of 3,000 tons.
 
Of the vessels caught by surprise, five sailed under the
Argentine flag, three were Chilean, and two were from Belize. 
Several of them belonged to multi-national firms with Spanish
financing from companies like "Pesca SuribricaS.A.," "Pesquera
Los Andes Ltda.," or "Pesquera Euroamericana."
 
FIGHT AGAINST THE EXPORTATION OF OVEREXPLOITING FISHERIES FROM
EUROPEAN AND ASIAN FLEETS TO ANTARTIC WATERS AND THE SOUTH OF
LATIN AMERICA.
 
"The actions of illegal vessels compromise the stability of
Antartic marine resources as well as the working conditions
and food security in the region," affirmed Juan Carlos
Cardenas, the coordinator of the Marine Ecology campaign for
Greenpeace Chile.  He later added that "this action
undoubtably puts the Chilean government in an uncomfortable
position due to its obvious
inability to monitor the observation of the treaty on the
Conservation of Live Marine Resources, as part of fulfilling
the Antartic Treaty."    
 
Cardenas stated that this situation, which has happened in
past years in the Antartic, a protected area, is the clearest
sign that the countries have little or no control over
companies and their vessels, a sign that also shows the lack
of institutions that would allow these governments to enforce
conservation rules and bring order to fishing practices, in
their economic spheres as well as in adjacent areas. 
 
Greenpeace, along with citizens groups, is demanding to the
States the ratification and implementation, as soon as
possible, of the resent UN High Seas Treaty for the regulation
of the  high seas fishery, in addition to the obligatory
implementation of the satellite position finder in all the
ships that are working in the zone,  dispositive that allow to
verify their real position during the fishing activities.
 
 
More informations:
Communications
South Pacific Greenpeace
Juan Carlos Cardenas.Greenpeace Chile. phone 562-777 9570 /
Laura Silvani. Greenpeace Spain. phone 91- 54347 04

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