One of World's Largest Fishing Vessels to Head Out to Sea

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ONE OF WORLD'S LARGEST FISHING VESSELS TO HEAD OUT TO SEA
Greenpeace Warns of Factory Trawler's Threat to Marine Food
Chain

Seattle, January 8, 1998 -- Greenpeace today denounced plans for
a mammoth factory trawler to fish for pollock roe on the Russian
side of the North Pacific.  The American Monarch, a 340-ft
factory trawler, is among the world's largest and most modern
fishing vessels.  The vessel, which is owned by American
Seafoods of Seattle, was banned in 1997 from fishing in Chilean
waters by that country's Supreme Court, amid concerns over its
potential impacts on Chilean fisheries.  With nowhere to fish,
the American Monarch has spent most of last year docked in
Seattle.

"The prospect of this behemoth fishing for pollock in Russia is
very disconcerting.  Not only is it likely to jeopardize Russian
stocks, but U.S. stocks and the North Pacific ecosystem as a
whole are put at greater risk with the entrance of the Monarch
in the game," said Greenpeace Fisheries Campaigner Niaz Dorry.

Several North Pacific pollock stocks are already showing signs
of stress.  The Central Bering Sea has been closed to fishing
since 1992, due to overfishing by factory trawlers.  A glut of
factory trawlers in the U.S. pollock fishery has created short,
intense seasons with vast amounts of bycatch and waste, and
dangerously high quotas.  The decline of many marine mammals and
seabird species in Alaska, most notably the endangered Steller
sea lion, has paralleled the rise of factory trawling.  

The U.S. factory trawler fleet is preparing to depart for the
U.S. pollock roe fishery in the eastern Bering Sea.  Many
scientists believe the U.S. and Russian fisheries target the
same stock.

"There is growing international concern about the negative
effects of factory trawlers on the marine environment. 
Fishermen, environmentalists, and even the U.S. Congress have
found common ground in opposing these global sea monsters," said
Dorry.  

Last year, Congress enacted a new measure to prohibit a return
of factory trawlers to the herring and mackerel fisheries along
the U.S. East Coast.  In addition to the ban, the bill revoked
the permit of a new factory trawler to enter those fisheries,
and stopped three former U.S. factory trawlers from returning to
the U.S. to fish for Alaska pollock.  The bill had strong
support from both the environmental and fishing communities.

In September, Sen. Stevens (R-AK) introduced additional
legislation to stop any new factory trawlers from entering U.S.
fisheries, and commence the phase-out of the existing U.S.
fleet.  Greenpeace supports the bill, S. 1221, and it is
expected to move quickly in 1998.

"It's pretty simple," said Dorry.  "Fish don't stand a chance
against ships like the American Monarch.  And, given the global
reach of factory trawlers, no fish are safe."

Greenpeace is calling for a 50% reduction in fishing capacity of
the global, large-scale fishing fleet, and an outright ban on
factory trawlers in U.S. waters.  

Greenpeace on the Internet at http://www.greenpeace.org