Greenpeace has released a new report detailing what it describes as “the destructive fishing practices used to catch Antarctic toothfish”, also known as Chilean seabass, and exposes how the fishing industry is engaged in a “gold-rush” for toothfish in the remote waters of the Southern Ocean.
Following the release of the report ‘Saving the last ocean: How seafood markets can help to save Antarctica’s Ross Sea’, the NGO is calling on seafood buyers, restaurant owners and chefs not to buy any toothfish, and to support efforts to keep the Ross Sea off limits to fishing and industrial activity by designating it a marine reserve.
Greenpeace explained that a group of leading Antarctic scientists had begun to refer to the Ross Sea as “the last ocean” – a term referencing the Ross Sea’s relative health when compared to other areas of the planet’s oceans. However, this status is in jeopardy as a result of the fishing industry intrusion into these previously mostly unexploited waters, it said.
“With 90% of the populations of the oceans’ large predatory fish having been wiped out by a fishing industry operating with a mining mentality, fishing vessels are now going to the most remote waters on earth to catch fish that cannot withstand this pressure for long,” said Nina Thuellen, Greenpeace International seafood markets project leader.
Greenpeace said recent scientific studies show that the disappearance of Ross Sea killer whales is linked with the decrease of Antarctica toothfish stocks, which in turn coincides with the industrial fishery of these fish. Many of the world’s most esteemed Antarctic scientists have appealed to consumers to refrain from purchasing toothfish products, regardless of whether or not the product in question has been “certified” by an eco-label, it added.
“Antarctic toothfish are the largest fish in the Antarctic and take a long time to reach maturity. These two characteristics make the fish species highly vulnerable to fishing with a high risk of being fished to extinction,” said Jim Barnes, executive director of the Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition (ASOC ).
“The United States is the world’s largest market for toothfish, and as such we have caused a tremendous amount of harm to the Southern Ocean. If we are to reverse this trend, US seafood retailers must immediately discontinue all toothfish products and support international efforts to designate the Ross Sea a marine reserve,” noted Casson Trenor, senior markets campaigner from Greenpeace USA.
Greenpeace said 15 out of the United States 20 largest retailers continue to sell toothfish (as Chilean seabass). However, some – such as Ahold USA, A&P and Trader Joe’s – have recently stopped selling Chilean seabass.
In other countries, such as Canada, with recent changes to seafood sourcing policies, the only major supermarket chain still selling toothfish after September 2010 will be Sobeys, it said.
Greenpeace is currently campaigning against the Costco Wholesale in both the US and Canada, as one of the largest retailers that continues to sell Chilean seabass.
The five fleets taking the largest catches of toothfish in 2007 were from France, Chile, Uruguay, Australia and the UK.
In 2008, the top five exporters of toothfish were Uruguay, France, Chile, New Zealand, and Mauritius. While the top importers were the US, Japan, China, Korea and Singapore.
The South Georgia Patagonian toothfish fishery has been certified as sustainable under the Marine Stewardship Council programme, while the Kerguelen and Crozet Islands Patagonian toothfish fishery is under assessment. Most recently, the Ross Sea Antarctic toothfish was recommended for certification but it is being disputed by environmental groups, including the ASOC and Antarctic scientists, and is currently under review.
