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Mauritius: Indian Ocean haven for pirate fishing vessels
Contents Pirate Fishing and the Southern Ocean The emergence of the toothfish fishery Mauritius: still harbouring pirates Pirate Fishing: global problem Mauritius: Also, check out our Pirates Gallery to see Greenpeace's list of recent activity in Mauritius |
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International efforts to halt pirate fishingThe failure by nations to effectively and swiftly eliminate pirate fishing in the Southern Ocean has brought Patagonian toothfish populations to the brink of collapse. Controls to manage fisheries on the high seas and to put an end to the pirate fishing in the Southern Ocean simply do not exist, and most nations lack the political will to do anything to end the gold rush. The onslaught by pirate fishing vessels is undermining attempts to conserve the region’s biodiversity. In 1999, CCAMLR cautiously estimated the pirate toothfish catch for the 1998-1999 season at 10,733 tonnes. CCAMLR concluded that whilst on paper it appeared that IUU fishing had decreased, the uncertainties in estimating the actual level of IUU fishing had increased, estimates were conservative, and the true catch figure might in fact be higher. A declining IUU catch could reflect depleted fish stocks rather than lessened fisheries effort or better enforcement action by CCAMLR. CCAMLR also suspected that levels of trans-shipment of illegal catches at sea had increased, adding further uncertainty to 1998/99 estimates of pirate catches. Uncertainty about the actual catch of toothfish undermines in turn the ability of CCAMLR scientists to assess and provide management advice on the status of fish populations and the associated impact on Southern Ocean seabirds. Despite attempts by some CCAMLR governments to take action to end pirate fishing in the Southern Ocean, the plunder continues. The demands of a growing and increasingly powerful domestic commercial fishing industry compromise some states, and makes it difficult to take the steps necessary to protect the Southern Ocean ecosystem. These commercial interests want access to the resources of the Southern Ocean, irrespective of the sustainability of fishing for both target and bycatch species. In November 1999, CCAMLR adopted a Catch Documentation Scheme (CDS). The scheme is held to be central to a package of measures to improve CCAMLR’s monitoring and enforcement capabilities. The CDS requires CCAMLR members to ensure that all toothfish entering their markets come from a certified source – i.e. caught in accordance with CCAMLR conservation measures. CCAMLR’s CDS on its own does not ensure this. It requires the broader membership and established implementation mechanisms of an international trade monitoring and regulatory body, which CCAMLR does not have. Greenpeace believes that the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) is the body which has precisely those characteristics. At best, the CDS might provide better estimates of the volume of pirate toothfish catches. Generally it will prove impossible for authorities to determine whether the information provided by the ship’s master about the source of the catch is honest. Accordingly, this data will be of little value to scientists advising on the state of toothfish stocks and associated populations. Most CCAMLR states have said they will not import toothfish caught in the Convention area unless it has been caught in accordance with CCAMLR conservation measures. This presents little problem to a vessel’s captain, who has only to declare that the fish was caught outside the Convention area. This done, the fish is admitted to CCAMLR member markets with no impediment. Japan has made it even easier for the pirates: by announcing that as long as the catch forms are filled in correctly, it will not block toothfish shipments destined for its domestic markets. Greenpeace believes that to stop the pirates, CCAMLR should declare and enforce a moratorium on fishing for toothfish. The moratorium should stay in place until the pirate fishery has been driven out, the remaining toothfish stocks assessed for their ecological ability to support a commercial fishery, and regulations are in place to adequately manage “resumed” fisheries. This moratorium needs to be supported by a trade ban in toothfish, that would require toothfish to be listed for protection under CITES. |
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International Office Address: © Greenpeace International |
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