In the past, we've called on the German government to stop these boats leaving port. Back in December, they were called the Oyra, Ostroe, Okhotino, Olchan and Ostrovets. They were involved in last year's collapse of North Atlantic redfish stocks. Now their owners have changed the ships' registrations - they're now called Eva, Junita, Rosita, Isabella and Carmen. Their new flag state? Georgia. The German government didn't do anything - so we did.
Read More: Greenpeace stops pirate fishing vessels in European port »

In the last few weeks, dodgy fishing practices have been all over the worldwide media. Industry authority Intrafish recently reported that European supermarket giant Asda had removed skate, Dover sole, ling and dogfish from their shelves, after we protested on their rooftops - and they pledged to develop a sustainable seafood policy.

After a we protested at their Stockholm HQ, Swedish frozen food firm Findus dropped one of their suppliers because of possible links to illegal cod fishing As part of the same controversy, Scandinavian retailers initiated audits of suppliers, including Espersen (which supplies, for example, McDonald's in many European countries), to determine if illegal cod was getting into their products.

U.K. retailers Sainsbury's, Coop, Tesco, Somerfield, Waitrose and Morrisons have all delisted suspicious species, in some cases including the very vulnerable big-eye tuna. Intrafish's verdict: "There's been even more shifts and sustainability pledges that could easily be linked to this trend. My guess? We've only just begun."

Earlier this month, the UK Government announced funding of about US$1 million, to help support an international initiative for dealing with pirate fishing.

Meanwhile, the French government was fined a whopping €57.8 million for allowing the landing of undersized fish. The targeting of undersized juvenile fish is an illegal fishing practice that increases the pressure on fish populations. The best way to protect them is through the establishment of and proper management of marine reserves, which cover the spawning and nursery grounds of commercial species.
EU Fines France for Failures on Fisheries »

In Ireland, it's been revealed that fisherman are catching up to three times amount permitted by the EU, in a massive criminal racket, where trawlers are offloading unofficial catches in the dead of night. The Marine Minister, Noel Dempsey says there is systematic criminality at work in the industry, with double book-keeping going on - with special sets of figures being kept for illegal catches.
Fish stocks decimated from high seas plunder »

Irish super-trawler Atlantic Dawn was last year caught by Mauritanian authorities fishing in a coastal zone reserved for artisanal fishermen. It was fined and told to leave. The new government in Mauritania - which followed a bloodless coup there last year - seems to have met the EU head-on in terms of fisheries policy.
Atlantic Dawn in Mauritania stand-off »

In the Pacific, France, Australia and New Zealand have signed a declaration on maritime surveillance, in a bid to strengthen the fight against piracy (despite France's slackness at home).

In Fiji, our team leader Nilesh was enthusiastic about it: "Hopefully we should see the benefits of practical help provided to Pacific Island countries who, because of resource contraints and competing development priorities, could not allocate sufficient resources to deal with the plague of pirate fishing".

In the last few weeks, three foreign boat captains were fined US $102,564 for illegally fishing off Clipperton Island, a French possession, and a Fiji based company was fined $30,000 for allowing a foreign vessel to illegally fish in Fiji waters.

So there we are - an exhausting roundup of recent happenings in worldwide fishing piracy. If our governments are really serious about making piracy history then they need to act on a grand scale. They need to work together to protect the high seas and coastal communities from those pirate companies who think nothing about stealing food from others and smuggling them onto the market. You can send that message loud and clear by signing up as an Ocean Defender.

- Dave

Other articles:
Green: the new black?
War on Want: Launch of Fish Elsewhere: No EU Fishing in Western Sahara »
SOMALIA: Fishermen appeal for help over foreign fishing ships »

Stopping pirate fishing vessels leaving Rostock, Germany
©Thomas Haentzschel/nordlicht/Greenpeace