GREENPEACE FREES ABANDONED PIRATE FISH CATCH

20 March 2000

SOUTHERN OCEAN (Indian Ocean sector) -- Greenpeace today unhooked and released alive almost sixty Antarctic sea bass (Patagonian toothfish) (1) being decimated by illegal fishing vessels in the waters around Antarctica. The fish was hooked on five kilometres of abandoned pirate fishing gear that the crew of the MV Arctic Sunrise pulled from 1500m below the surface of the icy ocean around Antarctica.

Illegal fishermen frequently abandon their valuable fishing gear to avoid arrest by Australian and French authorities.

Pirate fishing is driving the Patagonian toothfish towards commercial extinction. Scientists estimate that the Antarctic sea bass will become commercially extinct within two years if pirate fishing continues. Toothfish plays an important role in Antarctic’s marine life ecosystem. It is a part of the sperm whale diet and scientists estimate that 98% of the fish eaten by elephant seals is toothfish. The pirates also hook and drown between 60,000-100,000 seabirds each year in their fishing gear - including endangered species of albatross.

The images transmitted this morning from the MV Arctic Sunrise show the Greenpeace crew recovering the 'longline' fishing gear and releasing the fish – measuring up to about one metre in length and weighing an average of 12 kilos - from the many thousands of hooks attached to the line. Of the 60 toothfish released, only two were already dead. Four rays were also caught on the section of longline as bycatch.

In its second journey to the Southern Ocean fishing grounds in two years, Greenpeace has already chased one pirate vessel, the Belize- flagged and Spanish-owned Grand Prince, from the area managed by the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) (2). Today’s gear is the third abandoned illegal longline found by the Greenpeace crew to date.

Between 30-100% of the total Patagonian toothfish catch is taken by illegal and unregulated longliners depending on the area. In 1997, the total illegal catch of toothfish was around 100,000 tonnes with a value of over US$500 million.

At their meeting in November 1999 CCAMLR governments had discussed the need to stop illegal fishing, but they failed yet again to take real and effective action to stop the pirates.

Meanwhile, retailers are beginning to leave governments behind in the race to protect this fish. Last year, leading UK supermarket Tesco and the USA retail chains Whole Foods and Wild Oats joined the fight to stop pirate fishing saying that they would not sell Antarctic/Chilean sea bass because of the 'gold rush' nature of the fishery and the huge seabird bycatch.

"Most consumers are unaware that the fish they order in restaurants or buy from their supermarkets could well be the same threatened fish poached from the Antarctic waters on pirate longlines such as the one we found today," said Greenpeace campaigner Denise Boyd onboard the MV Arctic Sunrise. "To stop the fish pirates making a killing governments must cut off their markets."

Greenpeace is calling on CCAMLR governments to cut off lucrative markets to illegally operating vessels by imposing a moratorium on fishing for toothfish backed by a trade ban. The moratorium must stay in place until: the illegal fishery has been stopped; toothfish stocks have been properly assessed by scientists and regulations are in place and enforced; bycatch of endangered albatross and other sea birds is eliminated.

Fish piracy in the Southern Ocean is a classic example of the growing pirate fishing problem in world fisheries – a problem now recognised by the international community. Many of these pirate fishing vessels are flagged to notorious flag-of-convenience states such as Belize, Panama and Honduras. To dodge fishing rules, fishing companies are increasingly reflagging their vessels to these countries that, for a fee, sell their flags to fishing companies. The vessel is then effectively free to fish on the high seas in violation of any international fisheries rules or regulations.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

- Denise Boyd, Greenpeace Australia, onboard MV Arctic Sunrise +873
130 2577 ($10 per minute)
- Desley Mather, Greenpeace International (in Sydney) +61 413 837 135
- Matthew Gianni, Greenpeace International, +31 20 52 36 279
- Luisa Colasimone, Greenpeace Communication, +31 20 52 49 546
- Video: +31 20 52 49 543 Photo: +31 20 52 49 580

Check out our Southern Ocean expedition website for live updates, campaign information and photographs: www.greenpeace.org/~oceans/southernoceans/expedition2000

(1) Some market names for Patagonian toothfish around the world: Chilean sea bass (USA), Antarctic sea bass or Australian sea bass (UK), Mero (Japan), Bacalao de profundidad or merluza negra (Spain, Chile, Argentina), Légine Australe (France).

(2) CCAMLR MEMBER STATES: Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Chile, European Community, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Russian Federation, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Ukraine, UK, USA, Uruguay.