2004 Pacific Fisheries tour

For the last two months the Rainbow Warrior travelled the Pacific Islands. We spoke to artisinal fishermen, fishing boat workers, politicians, regulators, industry leaders and really anyone and everyone.

Many are having a hard time catching all the fish they are used to - they're going farther out or staying longer at sea to end up with fewer and smaller fish. A lot of them thought they were unlucky or that there's a problem just where they are fishing. But by putting their stories together with our own personal observations at sea we realized that it is the same across the region - less fish for everyone.

Fish are part of the Pacific way. As a source of protein and a livelihood there is no current alternative for many. I do not want to think about what would happen if our fisheries collapsed. But there is hope in the growing unity I have seen across the diverse cultures of my fellow islanders. They are ready to protect their fisheries from pirate fishing and overfishing. We, all of us, now must see to it that this unity becomes action on the part of the regulators, politicians and fishing industry. We are all affected. We all need to be part of the consensus about what is done in our fisheries.

Please, as a start, sign the petiton.

-- Lagi Toribau

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