Hobart, October 23, 2000 - ASOC, a world-wide coalition of some 250 conservation NGOs in 50 countries called on the
member governments of CCAMLR (the Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources), whose annual
meeting in Hobart, Tasmania, begins today, to institute a moratorium on commercial fishing for toothfish in the Southern
Ocean.
"Illegal, unreported and unregulated [IUU] fishing is still at levels high enough to continue to drive toothfish stocks
to commercial extinction and some seabird populations to actual extinction in the Southern Ocean," Dr Alan Hemmings,
ASOC representative said. "CCAMLR's Catch Documentation Scheme [CDS] for toothfish has not succeeded in closing
lucrative markets to the poachers."
Dr Hemmings noted that, while the intention of the CDS was good, and had revealed some pirate fish landings, it had
failed to stop the pirates finding markets for their fish. "Toothfish poachers are finding new ports prepared to take
their catches, factories in new countries are prepared to process their catches and some states are not closing their
markets to illegally caught fish."
ASOC staffer Mark Stevens said that the Coalition was particularly concerned that some of the governments responsible
for worst offenders in the trade in illegally caught toothfish were actually members of CCAMLR. "The time has come to
name names: * "Spanish nationals, using fishing vessels and companies registered in other countries, are
responsible for the bulk of the IUU fishing in the Southern Ocean; * "Uruguay, while responding positively to specific
complaints from other countries, allows Montevideo Port to be used by illegal fishers to land toothfish for export to
other countries; * "Chile, which has done much to control its fishing vessels, has not yet managed to stop
factories processing illegally caught toothfish within its territory and still allows its companies to export products
derived from illegally caught fish; * "Japan still allows fish and fish products derived from IUU fishing operations
to be imported into Japan and traded in its markets. * "Canada has been refusing to implement the CDS thus allowing
toothfish products imported from Chile to be illegally re-exported to the USA, much to the embarrassment and frustration
of US authorities." * * Dr Hemmings also named some states that are not members of CCAMLR but are active in
the illegal toothfish trade: * "Port Louis, in Mauritius, remains the number one port for toothfish poachers active
in the Indian Ocean sector of the Southern Ocean and continues to resist diplomatic pressure to close its ports to the
poachers' fishing vessels; * "Pirates are turning to China as a major destination for illegally caught toothfish
for processing and re-export to Japan and other countries; * "Belize and Panama continue to fail to prevent
fishing vessels flying their flags from poaching toothfish, although Panama, at least, is showing some signs of wanting
to address the problem."
Dr Hemmings concluded by noting that only governments have the resources necessary to confront and stop illegal,
unreported and unregulated fishing from destroying fish stocks and bird populations and that more must be done - and
urgently. "The time has come to institute a moratorium on fishing for toothfish in the Southern Ocean and to close the
markets of the world to toothfish for as long as it takes for governments to fix the IUU fishing problem. If governments
will not do this, they leave their citizens little option but to do so themselves by refusing to buy toothfish
products," Dr Hemmings concluded.
For further information, contact: Dr Alan Hemmings or Mark Stevens C/- Wrest Point Hotel, Hobart, Tasmania;
ph: (03)6225.3989; or +61-3-6225.3989
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Barry Weeber Senior Researcher Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society PO Box 631 Wellington New Zealand Phone
64-4-385-7374 Fax 64-4-385-7373 www.forest-bird.org.nz