GREENPEACE REVEALS NEW PIRATE LANDING OF TOOTHFISH IN MAURITIUS

5 April 2000

MAURITIUS -- Greenpeace today exposed a well-known illegal fishing vessel, the Belize-flagged 'Rita', landing its catch of 90 tonnes of toothfish (légine australe) in Port Louis, Mauritius. Five activists from the Greenpeace ship MV Arctic Sunrise displayed a banner reading "Stop Illegal Fishing - Greenpeace" on the wharf where the pirate vessel was landing its catch. The environmental group asked the Mauritian authorities to take immediate action against these ocean pirates by stopping the unloading operation and seizing the catch.

"One year on and another known pirate vessel has been caught red-handed in Port Louis. What else is Mauritius waiting for to take action against these ocean plunderers? The Mauritian authorities should follow up their promises and take action to close their harbour to illegally operating vessels", said Denise Boyd, Greenpeace campaigner onboard the Arctic Sunrise.

The Rita has been seen on many occasions in the distant French sub-Antarctic waters around Crozet Island - a known hot spot for illegal fishing - and is a typical example of a pirate vessel. In 1997, this vessel was twice reported fishing illegally in the French Crozet zone showing no nationality, port or call number. It has been re-flagged from Vanuatu to Belize, both flag of convenience states (1), and has changed its name several times.

Many vessel owners operate as pirates, requiring their crews to deliberately flout international laws devised to protect and conserve fish stocks. A gold rush mentality has developed for toothfish catches: scientists estimate that the légine will become commercially extinct within two years if pirate fishing continues. Pirate vessels also hook and drown between 60,000 and 100,000 seabirds each year in their fishing gear, including petrels and endangered species of albatross. All 19 species of Southern Ocean albatrosses are seriously at risk from drowning on pirate longliners.

"Mauritius today has the opportunity to repair the damage to its reputation resulting from the involvement in the Southern Ocean pirate fishing for toothfish", added Boyd. "Mauritius should lead the way internationally by taking effective action by closing its harbour to pirate vessels trying to trans-ship and land their catches of toothfish".

Greenpeace also urges Mauritius to begin the process to accede to the Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) as a matter of urgency.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

- Denise Boyd, Greenpeace International, mobile +230 42 30 765 (on MV Arctic Sunrise)
- Frédérique Claveau, Greenpeace France, mobile +230 42 30 763 (in Mauritius)

For media assistance inclduing stills and footage:
- Luisa Colasimone, Greenpeace Communication, mobile +230 42 30 764 (in Mauritius) or +31 20 21 29 69 20
- Desley Mather, Greenpeace International, mobile +61 413 837 135

Follow Greenpeace's Southern Ocean Pirate Fishing campaign on the web:
www.greenpeace.org/~oceans/southernoceans/expedition2000

(1) Pirate fishing companies often use "flags of convenience" from countries suchas Belize, Panama, Honduras and Vanuatu, whose flags are for sale no questions asked. As these states fail to exercise control over their fleets, flag of convenience vessels can fish the high seas without abiding by international conservation and management measures. They will often fish illegally in remote waters and the waters of other, primarily developing, countries that do not have the ability to monitor or patrol their offshore areas. The international community is currently addresing the problem of flag of convenience fishing.