EU Parliament Hearing on Bluefin Tuna

Contribution to the Hearingon Bluefin Tuna

Fisheries Committee of the European ParliamentBrussels, 28 June 2007

Sebastián Losada

■ High risk of collapse

■ High rates of illegal fishing

■ EU fleets involved in illegal catches

The bluefin tuna fishery

Greenpeace observations at sea

Use of EU spotter planesUse of spotter planes by the EU fleet

Use of European airports by spotter planes

Use of spotter planesby EU flagged vessels

Greenpeace witnessed and documented the fishing activities of three purse seine fishing vessels, the Ligny Primo, the Maria Antonietta and the Luca Maria, surrounded by airplanes on 14 June 2007.

Use of spotter planesby EU flagged vessels

Greenpeace witnessed and documented the fishing activities of three purse seine fishing vessels, the Ligny Primo, the Maria Antonietta and the Luca Maria, surrounded by airplanes on 14 June 2007.

Use of spotter planesby EU flagged vessels

Greenpeace witnessed and documented the fishing activities of three purse seine fishing vessels, the Ligny Primo, the Maria Antonietta and the Luca Maria, surrounded by airplanes on 14 June 2007.

Use of spotterplanes by EU

flagged vessels

US and Italian spotter planes observed from the Rainbow Warrior on 14 June 2007, 17 June 2007 and 20 June 2007. Their registry numbers are N 6318F, N 415D, N 337SM, I IABF, I GEMK. and N 5441S.

Use of EU airportsby spotter planes

US and Italian spotter planes in the Italian airport of Lampedusa on 19 June 2007. Their registry numbers are, I GEMK, I IEAG, N 337SM, N 5441S, N 6318F. Airplanes I GEMK , N 337SM and N6318F were observed operating with the Ligny Primo, Maria Antonietta and Luca Maria.

Illegal fishing 24 hours into the new rules

The spotter plane I-GEMK while overflowing the Ligny Primo, Maria Antonietta and Luca Maria on 14 June 2007

The Ligny Primo together with the Luigi Padre at Valetta on 16 May 2007

The Ligny Primo and the Luca Maria overflown by spotter plane I-GEMK on 14 June 2007

The spotter plane I-GEMK at Lampedusa airport on 19 June 2007

Spotter plane N415D photographed while overflowing the Ligny Primo, Maria Antonietta and Luca Maria on 14 June 2007

Flying sheet of spotter plane N415D signed by his pilot Javier Esteban. The document proves that the spotter plane was on 13 June 2007 in Lampedusa.

Illegal fishing 24 hours into the new rules

Greenpeace has obtained documentation (available upon request) showing that at least 11 different spotter planes have been operating in June 2007 from the Italian airport of Lampedusa.

Eleven airplanes operating from Lampedusa

Greenpeace has obtained documentation (available upon request) showing that at least 11 different spotter planes have been operating in June 2007 from the Italian airport of Lampedusa.

According to documentation Greenpeace has got access to, spotter planes I-RRPG, I-AGSD and I-OBSW seem to belong to Associazione de Produttori Tonnieri del Tirreno / Grupo Severion Gallo. This ownership was officially declared to the Italian authorities.

Spotter planes owned by tuna associations?

According to documentation Greenpeace has got access to, spotter planes I-RRPG, I-AGSD and I-OBSW seem to belong to Associazione de Produttori Tonnieri del Tirreno / Grupo Severion Gallo. This ownership was officially declared to the Italian authorities.

Spotter planes owned by tuna associations?

Spotter planes owned by tuna associations?

■ How much vessels are owned by this tuna producers association?

■ How much tuna have they caught?

■ What farms are they working with?

■ Their catches and the output of their farming process should be considered IUU fish and therefore their marketing been prohibited

TranshipmentsReefers

Transhipments

The purse seiner Vergine del Rosario and the Panama flagged reefer Daniela while transhiping bluefin tuna on 11 June 2007.

TranshipmentsThe Jean Marie Christian VI and the Astraea 102, flagged to Panama, transhiping bluefin tuna on 12 June 2007

Activity of reefers

From 18 June 2007 to 20 June 2007 Greenpeace again observed the Panamanian flagged reefer Daniela in the fishing grounds SW of Malta. On 20 June 2007 Greenpeace activists went onboard the vessel and spoke with the captain of the vessel, who refused to give any information about the activities of the vessel in the area. The reefer had its Yokohama fenders deployed on the starboard side as would be used if another ship was to come alongside. It was clear that no observer was onboard the refrigerated cargo vessel.

2006 ICCAT annual meeting

SCRS advice, 2006

■ Current fishing is expected to drive the spawning per recruit relative to virgin levels (%SPR), and thus the spawning stock biomass, to very low levels.

■ Current fishing mortality is more than 3 times the level which would permit the stock to stabilize at the MSY level.

■ This combination of high F and low SPR is considered to result in a high risk of fisheries and stock collapse.

A recovery plan for bluefin tuna?

■ EU fleets are highly involved in illegal catches.

■ The EU opposed the creation of a WG to identify those responsible for illegal catches.

■ EU regulations allow the EU to make countries “pay back” their over harvest.

EU Amnesty to illegal fishing by EU vessels

ICCAT Circular #1823/06: Informationsubmitted by the EC on illegal fishing

Dossier Photos Medisamak “De palangriers nonenregistrés à l'ICCAT Pèchant en Mer Méditerranée”

ICCAT Circular #1823/06Photo evidences

To be analysed

The use of EU ports by no registered vesselsIn the picture the Libyan longliner Al Antisar. It is not on the ICCAT register and it was seen in several occasions in the port of Valetta.

New control measures over tugboats and other support vesselsIn the picture the Slebech flagged to Sierra Leone, was observed by the Rainbow Warrior while towing two cages

■ Greenpeace has provided evidence of non compliance with the new ICCAT management plan by the EU fleet.

■ Greenpeace asks the EU Parliament to investigate this accusations further including initiating infringement procedures and investigating fraud where subsidies have been abused.

Conclusions

■ Greenpeace calls on the Parliament to address the Council in order to:

•- review Recommendation [06-05] in the next annual meeting;

•- modify or replace this Recommendation with a recovery scheme that includes June in the fishery closure, reduce the TAC to no more than 15,000 t and end derogations to the minimum landing size;

•- if this is not achieve the EU should act unilaterally to implement such measures

■ Greenpeace further requests the Parliament to ask the Commission to explain its actions in Dubrovnik and particularly why no verification of the IUU list was undertaken

Conclusions