Friday 6 June 2008

WWF and Greenpeace have recently obtained evidence about the illegal tuna spotting by two Italian planes.

Greenpeace documented the use of these two planes during the 2007 fishing season in the same area of the southern Mediterranean.

"We call on the EU to launch an urgent investigation," said Dr Sergi Tudela, head of fisheries at WWF Mediterranean.

"What more blatant proof of violation of fisheries management rules is needed?" he added.

Aerial spotting in support of bluefin tuna fishing activities is completely banned in the Mediterranean by international law. It is felt that it gives too strong an advantage to fishing fleets that are already far larger than the size recommended by scientists for tuna in the region to survive.

This new case of illegal activity in the Mediterranean bluefin tuna fishery adds to the argument that the fishery is out of control and must be closed now," explained Tudela.

Illegal fishing throughout the Mediterranean

This latest evidence of illegalities in the Mediterranean bluefin tuna fishery adds to the litany of previous contraventions of laws surrounding acceptable fishing practices.

WWF and Greenpeace also denounced in late April the use of false Bolivian and Libyan flags by pirate tuna vessels involved in the same area of the Mediterranean.

"These banned spotter planes are still chasing the imperilled Mediterranean bluefin tuna," said Sebastian Losada, Oceans Campaigner at Greenpeace Spain.

"Marine reserves must be established to protect the breeding areas of bluefin tuna in the Mediterranean Sea. If we want fish tomorrow, we need marine reserves today," he concluded.