ATLANTIC TUNA COMMISSION WINS MAJOR BATTLE AGAINST PIRATE FISHING – BUT THE WAR IS STILL ON
Amsterdam, 22nd November 2000 --- In a major move against illegal fishing, the International Commission for the
Conservation of Atlantic tunas (ICCAT) this week banned the import of bigeye tuna from Belize, Cambodia, Equatorial
Guinea, Honduras, and St Vincent and the Grenadines. All five countries are notorious flag of convenience (FOC)
countries and collectively operate a fleet of some 280 industrial longline vessels fishing illegally on the high seas in
the Atlantic Ocean (1).
Bigeye tuna, the main target of the Atlantic pirate fishing fleets, commands a high price on the Japanese market and is
mainly used for sushi. Japan, together with the European Union, the United States and other countries that are members
of ICCAT, is now legally bound to close its markets to the tuna caught by vessels registered to the five flag of
convenience countries.
Greenpeace welcomed the ICCAT decision as an effective step, if fully implemented, to cut off one of the most important
markets to pirate fishing fleets. Earlier this year, a Greenpeace expedition in the Atlantic documented and confronted
pirate fishing for tuna on the high seas, and tracked a cargo ship with a load of pirate caught tuna as it arrived in a
Japanese port in August (2).
“It is our hope that the import ban will put these boats out of business” said Greenpeace fisheries campaigner Helene
Bours. “These fleets operate beyond any international control in complete disregard of the damage to fish stocks, sharks
and other species affected by their activities”.
Japan has taken a lead role in combating pirate fishing and initially proposed the ICCAT import ban. The Japanese
government is upping the pressure on Japanese companies involved in transporting and trading tuna to stop doing business
with pirate fishing fleets. South Africa, another member of ICCAT, has also recently taken action to ban pirate fishing
vessels from landing their fish catch in South African ports.
The EU, though a member of ICCAT and other regional fisheries organizations plagued by pirate fishing, has done little
to halt the problem. A large number of flag of convenience fishing vessels operating around the world are owned by
companies based in EU member states, primarily Spain.
In recent years, ICCAT has been at the forefront of the fight against flag of convenience fishing. However, the global
nature of the problem and the mobility and flexibility of FOC fleets require a concerted effort by the international
community in order to avoid merely shifting the problem from one ocean or fishery to another. The United Nations Food
and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) is in the process of developing an international plan of action (IPOA) to ‘prevent,
deter and eliminate illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing’.
“Too much talk and too little action have marked past UN FAO negotiations and the result so far has been disappointing”
denounced Ms. Bours. “Time is running out for the world’s fisheries and oceans. Concrete action to close ports and
markets to these fleets and close the companies that get away with high seas robbery is the only way to put an end to
this problem” (3).
Greenpeace is calling on governments to: closeharbours to FOC fishing vessels and vessels servicing FOC fishing fleets;
closemarkets to FOC caught fish and fish products and preventcompanies from owning or operating FOC fishing vessels or
otherwise doing business with FOC vessels.
FOR INFORMATION: HélèneBours, Greenpeace International, (m) +32 477 430 171 or +32 844 77 177 MatthewGianni, Greenpeace
International Oceans Campaign Coordinator, + 31 20 523 6279 - Luisa Colasimone, Greenpeace Communications, (m) +31 6 21
29 69 20 - Stills and footage from Greenpeace expeditions against pirate fishing in the Atlantic Ocean and Southern
Ocean available upon request: stills +31(0) 653819121; footage +31(0) 65304721
NOTES: (1) A "flag of convenience" country is one that allows fishing vessels to operate under its flag without
exercising any control over the activities of the vessel. Under international law, the flag state has the primary
responsibility to ensure a vessel fishing on the high seas abides by all international rules and regulations.
Unscrupulous fishing vessel owners and companies use flags of convenience to avoid fisheries conservation and management
regulations, as well as safety and labour standards. ICCAT published a list of 345 fishing vessels flying flags of
convenience operating in the Atlantic of which 279 are registered to the five countries listed above. ICCAT met in
Morocco and adopted the import ban on Monday (20 November).
(2) Greenpeace has been actively campaigning against fishing activities by vessels flying flags of convenience in the
Mediterranean Sea, the Southern Ocean and, more recently, in the Atlantic Ocean. In April and May 2000, Greenpeace
documented FOC vessels fishing in the Atlantic Ocean and transhipping tuna to cargo vessels bringing the tuna to Japan.
(3) The next UN FAO meeting on pirate fishing will be held in Rome from 26 February to 2 March 2001. There will be a
last negotiation session on 23-24 February where states will attempt to come to an agreement on the international plan
of action on IUU fishing. end
James Williams Greenpeace International (Press Office) 176 Keizersgracht 1016 DW Amsterdam Netherlands. Phone: ++ 31
(20) 5249 515 Fax: ++ 31 20 523 6212