Destructive Fishing Gear Confiscated!
Today I witnessed the kind of fishing practices that are threatening to drive the
tuna fisheries in the South Pacific to near collapse. In a time span shorter than
a normal day at work, I witnessed both a purse seiner and a FAD (Fish Aggregation Device) both set in international waters, both by foreign vessels.
At 9am, a Korean purse seiner appeared a short distance from the Esperanza. After Tweety went up to confirm the location and nature of the fishing vessel, we launched two boats and headed to the Korean purse seiner. Our Korean translator contacted the fishing vessel and informed them they must immediately leave the area we are defending as a no-take marine reserve.While the conversation appeared to be very polite, the only change I noticed was the vessel speeding up and the crew seeming to be getting their fire hoses ready. As the crew from the Korean ship came out on deck, we deployed banners demanding an end to the overfishing of the Pacific Commons.
As we arrived back at the ship, the crew told us they had spotted a FAD while the boats were out with the Korean purse seiner. The boats were sent out once again, this time with a dive team ready to document the FAD.Following the documentation, the Esperanza confiscated the FAD by hauling it onboard. This was no small feat as the FAD was more than 80 meters long.
While we have no idea how many of these devices there are out here, tonight we can all go to bed knowing there will be one less.The seven hours I spent in the hot equatorial sun of the South Pacific have left me exhausted, a little bruised and very determined. I am grateful to be here in the South Pacific as the Esperanza fights to defend
the Pacific Commons from overfishing.
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Comments
Altough we display news about tuna fishing our site main focus is around the boats and the fisherman , but concerned as we are with sustainable fisheries around the world, we publish your news and efforts for rise awareness.
Greedy companies and irresponsible legislation need to be accountable for the actual situation.
Keep with the good work
Regards from Costa Rica
Tunaseiners.com
Posted by: Calidro Morello | April 17, 2008 4:24 PM
Yes...
Posted by: Juan | April 17, 2008 7:43 PM
What is a fish aggregation device?
Posted by: phillip wright | April 18, 2008 12:07 AM
A Fish Aggregation Device (FAD) is used to lure huge schools of Pacific tuna to a specific spot so that they can be quickly caught in huge nets by fishing vessels. FADs are used to attract skipjack tuna but juvenile bigeye and yellowfin as well as sharks and other marine life are killed as bycatch when caught in the nets and thrown overboard, dead, as waste. Marine life like turtles and sharks naturally gather beneath floating debris to rest and eat as they swim across vast stretches of the Pacific Ocean. The fishing industry has mimicked these natural phenomena with FADs by creating fake floats fixed with satellite or radio transmitters that tell them when they have found the tuna so they can catch them - and any other marine life that swims along with them.
Posted by: Jessica Miller | April 18, 2008 2:08 AM
With expressed permission provided by Andrew Davies, I've re-posted this blog on Orato.com and linked back... keep up the good work!
Robyn Stubbs
Orato.com
Posted by: Robyn | April 18, 2008 9:20 PM
Fish Aggregation Device (FAD) = RAPE.
Makes me very sad.
Posted by: Dustin Thompson | April 21, 2008 11:09 PM
Hello!
Very Interesting post! Thank you for such interesting resource!
PS: Sorry for my bad english, I'v just started to learn this language ;)
See you!
Your, Raiul Baztepo
Posted by: RaiulBaztepo | March 29, 2009 6:45 AM