Greenpeace confronts Taiwanese illegal Longliners [1]
Wednesday, May 14, 2008 - 13:21. Updated on Thursday, June 12, 2014 - 09:46.
The Greenpeace ship Esperanza has been confronting Taiwanese fishing boats in international waters between Papua New Guinea and the Federated States of Micronesia.
During the past three days the Esperanza has stopped one fishing vessel from operating, and Greenpeace activists confiscated two fishing beacons from Taiwanese long liners.
According to a Greenpeace report, a Taiwanese fleet of six vessels including the controversial Ho Tsai Fa 18 that the Esperanza met eleven days ago and released sharks, tuna, marlin and an endangered turtle from her hooks. This week the Ho Tsai Fa 18 was prevented from fishing for three days, knowing that activists would again release marine life from her hooks.
Activists were also given permission to go on board two Taiwanese longliners. The Yu Jaan Shyang had nine tonnes of tuna, sharks ... including sacks of fins and tails - and marlin. Two longline beacons were also confiscated from the Chin Yu Chun. Last night the Esperanza peacefully escorted her out of the international waters and the beacons returned. All boats agreed to leave the international waters that Greenpeace is defending as marine reserves.
All vessels are contributing to the decline of tuna and sharks. At any one moment there are 3600 long-liners in the Pacific setting thousands of kilometers of lines with literally millions of hooks. This has had devastating impacts on Pacific marine life including the target species of tuna as well as sharks and turtles. Scientists have warned for years that bigeye and yellowfin tuna are suffering from overfishing.
"We are disturbed to see the six Taiwanese longliners and the Ho Tsai Fa 18 again in this area. Taiwan clearly does not care about sustainable fishing and the future of the Pacific Ocean," said Greenpeace campaigner Lagi Toribau on board the Esperanza. "Greenpeace has written to the Taiwanese Government and asked them to instruct their fishing fleet to withdraw from the Pacific Commons and support genuine efforts for sustainable fishing including creating marine reserves in these areas of international waters," said Toribau.
The Greenpeace ship, Esperanza, is in the Pacific for the sixth week to defend the pockets of international waters between Pacific Island countries - the Pacific Commons - as marine reserves from greedy fishing fleets.