|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Friday
12 May 2000 Release: Central East Atlantic/Amsterdam --- Greenpeace successfully blocked today a transhipment of pirate tuna between the Belize-flagged pirate vessel Hau Shen 202 and the Panama-flagged cargo vessel Toyou in the waters of the Central Atlantic, roughly 400 miles west of Angola, Zaire, Congo and Gabon. Four activists attached themselves to the fenders of the Toyou, holding banners reading "Stop Pirate Fishing Now", demanding the captain to refuse all fish caught by pirate vessels such as the Hau Shen. At 06h40 GMT, the MV Greenpeace intercepted the pirate vessel Hau Shen getting ready to tranship its catch to the cargo vessel. The Hau Shen is part of a fleet of pirate fishing vessels operating in the Atlantic Ocean catching bigeye and bluefin tuna, swordfish and other "migratory" species, despite the fact that this is prohibited by the International Commission for the Conservation of the Atlantic Tuna (ICCAT). Longline fishing is known to involve bycatch of sharks, sea turtles and other species. "We asked the Toyou to stop servicing flag of convenience vessels such as the Hau Shen. These cargo vessels only allow pirate-fishing activities to continue unabated and help pirate vessels to break international regulations. Pirate fishing is a threat to fish and other marine species and undermines ICCAT international conservation measures. It must stop immediately", said Helene Bours, Greenpeace campaigner onboard the MV Greenpeace. In order to avoid complying with international law to manage fisheries and protect the marine environment, many unscrupulous fishing companies re-flag their vessels in countries that sell their flags with no questions asked. In this way, they can continue to over-exploit fish stocks and evade the international control. Greenpeace has coined the phrase "pirate fishing" to describe the increasing problem of flag of convenience (FOC) fishing. Pirates operate the world over, from Antarctic oceans to the Mediterranean Sea, from the North Atlantic to the South Pacific. They move from fishery to fishery taking as much fish as they can catch. They ignore international regulation and are indifferent to any impacts, direct or indirect, they have on fish stocks or any other marine species caught or tangled in their fishing gear. Greenpeace estimates there are over 1,300 flag of convenience vessels fishing worldwide. The four top FOC countries - Belize, Honduras, Panama, St Vincent and the Grenadines - count for over 1,100 of these vessels. The Toyou informed the MV Greenpeace that it would not accept the catch from the Hau Shen and that it was heading to Cape Town (South Africa). "We are satisfied by the Toyou's confirmation that it will not take fish caught by pirate vessels", added Bours. "However, Greenpeace is calling on the government of South Africa to inspect the cargo of the Toyou when it reaches Cape Town and to take enforcement action as appropriate, if illegal catches are found onboard". Greenpeace is also calling on the government of Belize to take enforcement action against the Hau Shen and its owner Hau Yow Fisheries Co. Ltd, based in Taiwan. However, Belize is a notorious FOC country with some 400 fishing vessels flying its flag and operating illegally around the world. Last week, Greenpeace found and documented two Belize-flagged vessels fishing in violation if ICCAT rules. The environmental group requested the government of Belize to take enforcement action against these vessels as well, but thus far no action has been taken. Pirate fishing continues to be a threat to fish and other marine species worldwide, despite the strict control measures adopted by international bodies such as ICCAT. Greenpeace is calling on the European Union and other governments to: ·
close its ports to FOC vessels and fisheries-related support and transport
vessels FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
Country # of FOC Vessels owned by companies based in country Taiwan 169, European Union* 168, Belize 145,Panama 121,Honduras 109, Singapore 62, South Korea 52,Japan 41,China 37, Equatorial Guinea 36 Lloyd's Maritime Information Services 1999. * Spain/Canary
Islands (116), Portugal (12), Greece (11), UK (10), Denmark (4), France
(4), Ireland (4), Netherlands (3),
|
|
|