CCAMLR: 20 YEARS ON AND PIRATE FISHING THRIVES IN ANTARCTICA

30 October 2001

Hobart, Australia - Governments of the world have a chance to take real action against pirate fishing in Antarctica at the 20th meeting of the Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) in Hobart, Australia this week.

Pirate fishing for the threatened Patagonian toothfish (sold in markets as Chilean or Antarctic seabass) continues to increase with many fishing vessel captains believed to be misleading CCAMLR about where their fish are caught.(1)

The captains say they caught 9,469 tonnes of toothfish north of Antarctic waters in the Indian Ocean. Greenpeace International Fisheries Campaigner Desley Mather says very little toothfish is believed to exist in this area of the Indian Ocean.

"Fishing Vessels licensed to fish around Antarctica, in CCAMLR area, can easily lie about where they caught their fish. There is no independent verification of the information provided by vessels fishing in the area," she says.

"CCAMLR holds up its catch documentation scheme as the answer to the pirate fishing problem. The trade data shows that it's not working and pirate-caught fish is still reaching the market. This year, the 23 governments meeting here can choose to cut off this pirate loophole by agreeing that all fishing vessels must carry tamper-proof satellite vessel monitoring systems no matter where they fish. This will ensure that their positions can be independently checked."

"Unless this is agreed, the scheme will only document the continued destruction of threatened Patagonian toothfish rather than do anything real to stop it."

Other alarming information revealed at CCAMLR this year includes:

- Toothfish vessels catch and kill albatrosses, giant petrels and white-chinned petrels breeding in and around Antarctica as bycatch. Many of these species are declining at rates where extinction is possible;

- Pirate fishing vessels continue to fly "flags of convenience" from countries such as Seychelles, Belize, St Vincent & the Grenadines, Sao Tome and Principe and Togo that do not control their activities. The vessels frequently change their names and flags to avoid detection;

- Over the last year, France has detected 11 pirate fishing vessels fishing in their waters around sub-Antarctic islands and six vessels on its borders;

- Five vessels were arrested by France and Australia including the Salvora and Grand Prince, vessels caught and chased in the Southern Ocean by Greenpeace in recent years;

- CCAMLR member countries are increasingly flagging known pirate vessels and rewarding them with fishing permits. One example is the vessel Arvisa 1, formerly called Camouco and previously caught fishing illegally by France. It has since been flagged by CCAMLR country Uruguay and continues to fish for toothfish. The vessel was on the scene when an illegal fishing vessel sank in the French waters last year;

- Canada is a major player in the trade of toothfish into the US market and has so far not taken part in CCAMLR's catch documentation scheme, despite its obligations as a Contracting Party to CCAMLR;

Greenpeace calls on CCAMLR to agree to a moratorium on fishing for toothfish and an accompanying trade ban until the pirate fishers are brought under control, adequate scientific data proves stocks can sustain commercial fishing pressure, and strong trade regulations and enforcement mechanisms are put in place to prevent renewed pirate fishing activity.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

Greenpeace International Fisheries Campaigner Desley Mather:
+61 (0) 438 837 138

Media officer Linda Apps:
+61 (0) 2 9263 0343 or mobile 0409 542 753

Visit:
Greenpeace International's oceans web site which includes a section on Pirate fishing in the Southern Oceans.

Greenpeace Australia's Southern Ocean's web site.

(1) CCAMLR estimates of pirate toothfish catches have risen again this year - from 6546 tonnes in the 1999-2000 season to 7599 tonnes in the 2000-2001 season. A recent analysis of Patagonian toothfish trade statistics released by TRAFFIC indicates that last season's pirate catch could be as much as four times the CCAMLR estimate.