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Rainbow Warrior fights for tuna Greenpeace International’s most famous naval asset, The Rainbow Warrior, is currently in Maltese waters monitoring fishing vessels involved in the lucrative bluefin tuna trade, as the fishing season gets under way this morning under a cloud of international controversy.Tuna exports to Japan account for the vast bulk of the local fishing industry, contributing on average between €80 and €100 million a year to the Maltese economy. But activists from Greenpeace and other international conservation groups such as the World Wildlife Fund believe that this bounty is about to come to an end, as serial over-fishing is driving the Mediterranean stocks of this iconic ocean-going predator to the brink of total collapse. Malta, while possessing among the Mediterranean’s smallest tuna fishing fleets, is nonetheless home to the largest concentration of tuna penning ranches in Europe. As such, environmentalists often single out Malta’s role in the international trade for criticism. Tensions are running particularly high this year, following a failed bid last March to have the international trade in this critically endangered species banned altogether. For many concervationists, this measure represented a last hope to save the fish from extinction. Greenpeace is now at the forefront of the fight to save the Mediterranean bluefin tuna stocks from collapsing – an eventuality which would spell disaster not only for the tuna itself, but also for the continued existence of the Mediterranean fishery, which employs around 1,000 fishermen in Malta alone. Tuna stocks are believed to have declined by over 70% since the 1950s, and the average size of specimens sold on the Japanese market has systematically decreased in recent years. However, spokespersons for the local tuna trade insist that environmentalists are exaggerating the threat of stocks collapse. This is not the first time the Rainbow Warrior has monitored Maltese waters for illegal fishing activities. Last year, crewmembers of a Maltese fishing trawler attacked and slightly injured a female Greenpeace activist, as she tried to inspect its cargo. Any comments? |
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Managing editor Saviour Balzan | Tel. ++356 21382741 | Fax: ++356 21385075 | Email
Managing editor Saviour Balzan | Tel. ++356 21382741 | Fax: ++356 21385075 | Email