Greenpeace has welcomed the move to propose four large areas of international waters in the Pacific Ocean off limits to all fishing by 2010.
The proposal was agreed to by the Ministers of Pacific Island Countries, Australia and New Zealand at the end of the fifth meeting of the Ministerial Forum Fisheries Committee in Niue on 20 May. Greenpeace is now calling on the fishing nations and the Western Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) meeting in December to support these much needed protected areas.
Since 2001, scientists have warned that there is too much fishing capacity in the region. New data released recently confirmed the need for urgent to halt the overfishing of the regional bigeye and yellowfin tuna stocks. Last year the WCPFC agreed to close two of the four areas to purse seine tuna fishing from January 2010.
“It is great to see the Pacific region standing strong in solidarity and leading bold measures on marine conservation globally” said Lagi Toribau, Greenpeace Australia Pacific Oceans Campaigner in Niue.
"Closing sensitive high seas areas to fishing is a key step towards a more ecosystem based management of the region’s marine resources. By closing down these areas to fishing the Pacific Island Countries will be able to better manage the regional fisheries, and reap more financial benefits of this vital resource in the long run”
To ensure the areas receive full protection fishing nations need to support this regional initiative in December. The big fishing powers in the region are Japan, Korea, Chinese Taipei, USA, Philippines, China and the European Union.
"In December, the onus is on the fishing powers of the rich North to fully respect the wants and needs of the Pacific Island Countries, and support the establishment of high seas marine reserves” said Sari Tolvanen, Greenpeace International Oceans Campaigner. "Moreover, precautionary 50% effort reductions across tuna fisheries operating in the region are essential to ensuring that tuna stocks recover.”
Greenpeace also wants to see a full ban in the use of fish aggregation devices in association with purse seine tuna fishing, which lays waste to large numbers of juvenile tuna and other marine life such as threatened sharks and turtles in the region.
