Greenpeace declares 'war' on tuna fishing

As the bluefin tuna fishing season in the Mediterranean gets underway today Greenpeace activists will be engaged in "peaceful direct action" to stop fishing operations, which they say will lead to tuna's extinction.

Greenpeace flagship, the Rainbow Warrior, is expected to leave the Vittoriosa marina this morning on a mission to ply the Mediterranean Sea and disrupt bluefin tuna fishing operations.

Last year Greenpeace campaigners who attempted to board fishing trawlers berthed in the Grand Harbour were attacked by fishermen.

The tuna season is open until June 15 but it can close earlier if fishing companies catch their allocated quota. The Armed Forces of Malta, which acts as Malta's fisheries management arm, will be patrolling to ensure fishermen adhere to regulations.

Addressing a news conference on board the Rainbow Warrior, Greenpeace campaigner Oliver Knowles said: "Politics and fishery management have failed our oceans and set the bluefin tuna on a one-way path to extinction. Where others have failed, Greenpeace will act."

He said the Rainbow Warrior was going to take action against "one of the most irresponsible and destructive fishing operations in the world".

Greenpeace wants the Mediterranean bluefin fishery to be closed immediately and instead have marine reserves to ensure fish stocks recoup.

Mr Knowles would not give details of Greenpeace's operations at sea but insisted the safety of crew and fishermen was important.

Earlier this year, world leaders meeting in Doha, Qatar, turned down a proposal to give bluefin tuna the highest level of protection under the UN Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites), which would have effectively banned bluefin fishing.

Japan, which is the major recipient of bluefin tuna fished in the Mediterranean, lobbied against the ban. Malta also declined to support the ban and argued for sustainable management of fisheries.

However, with the EU speaking with one voice at Cites, Malta's position was voted down after major fishing countries like France and Italy, originally against the ban, changed their stand.

Bluefin tuna trade is very lucrative and is considered an important contributor to the Maltese economy.

When asked whether Greenpeace was anti-fishing, Mr Knowles insisted the interests of his organisation and those of fishermen were the same.

"We want sustainable fishing. What we have today in the Mediterranean will lead to the extinction of bluefin tuna and that will endanger jobs because there will be no more fish to catch in the very near future," he said.

ksansone@timesofmalta.com