1/02 GP Confronts Banished Factory Trawler

[The.Greenbase@green2.greenpeace.org]

   GREENPEACE CONFRONTS BANISHED NORWEGIAN FACTORY TRAWLER
 
SEATTLE, WA, January 2, 1997 (GP)- Greenpeace activists in
inflatable zodiac boats today confronted the world's newest
factory trawler, the American Monarch.  The activists
attached a 30foot banner "AMERICAN MONARCH: FACTORY TRAWLER,
OVERFISHING PERMIT DENIED, BANNED IN CHILE, BAN IT HERE" to
the side of the ship at Pier 90/91 in Seattle.
 
The American Monarch, built in Norway, is owned by Resource
Group International (Aker/RGI), a parent company of American
Seafoods.  This factory trawler can catch and process 1.3
million pounds of fish each day, more than any other vessel
fishing today.
 
"The American Monarch was built for state-of-the-art
destruction of ocean ecosystems and fishing communities,"
said Dave Batker of Greenpeace.  "The U.S. should join the
ranks of countries which have so far denied fishing access
to this ship."
 
Construction of the American Monarch was completed in
October. Protests by Chilean fishermen and Greenpeace
activists in Norway and Chile resulted in that Government's
rejection of a fishing permit for the American Monarch in
November.  Greenpeace and the fishermen argued that the
American Monarch could not only devastate the fishstocks,
but the fishing communities which depend on them.
 
The Falkland (Malvinas) Islands also banned the American
Monarch from fishing its waters.  egotiations to allow the
vessel to fish off the coast of Peru also failed.
 
In December, the American Monarch sailed for Seattle.
American Seafoods currently has eleven factory trawlers
fishing IN the U.S., all of which are fishing off Alaska in
the Bering Sea. Nearly 60 factory trawlers fish in U.S.
waters today.
 
Factory trawlers, precursers to the American Monarch fished
the New England fishstocks to the verge of commercial
extinction in the 1960's and 70's.  They were kicked out of
the New England fishing grounds after the passage of the
Magnuson Act in 1976.
 
Today in the North Pacific, signs of ecosystem stress are
being manifested by the decline of top predators such as the
steller sea lion.  Stellers compete for the same fish
species targeted by the factory trawler  fleets.  The status
of the steller sea lion is about to be changed from
threatened to "ENDANGERED."
 
 
###
FOR INFORMATION:
Greenpeace Fisheries Campaign
Greenpeace News Desk
Dave Batker, on-site 206/919/9991
Jen Hillman, 206/632/4326 Ext.
Niaz Dorry, NE Fisheries Campaigner 206/632/4326 Ext. 126
 
Video available via satellite:  1:00 - 1:30P (PST) on Galaxy
C4, Transponder 11

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