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Fishing on the high seas of the Indian Ocean threatens ocean health, coastal livelihoods and species. Governments are not acting, according to a new Greenpeace International Report. [1] The new study in the north-western Indian Ocean shows:
- Large-scale driftnets, which the United Nations designated and banned as "death walls" 30 years ago, continue to be used on a large scale, leading to the decimation of marine life in the region. The shark populations in the Indian Ocean have almost collapsed 85% in the past 50 years. Greenpeace UK witnessed the use of gillnets. Seven boats formed two net walls over 21 miles long and documented the bycatch of endangered species such as devil's rays.
- A fast growing one Squid fishing with over 100 ships operating in the region without international regulation.
- The fisheries are grossly ill-treated by weak institutions and political decisions - most recently at the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission, where the influence of European industry resulted in the meeting failing to agree on measures to combat overfishing.
Will McCallum from Greenpeace UK's Protect the Oceans campaignsaid:
“These devastating scenes are just a glimpse of our lawless oceans. We know that many other fishing fleets operate in the shadow of the legislation. By reducing its ambitions to serve the interests of industrial fishing companies, the European Union is complicit in putting pressure on this fragile ecosystem and benefiting from the lack of control over the global oceans. We cannot allow the fishing industry to continue operating as usual. We need to get this right so that billions of people who rely on healthy oceans can survive. "
Well-managed fisheries are vital to the food security of coastal communities around the world, especially in the Global South. The population around the Indian Ocean accounts for 30% of humanity, and the ocean provides three billion people with their main source of protein. [2]
The report also shows how destructive fishing practices, particularly fish aggregation equipment used by European-owned fleets, are transforming the habitats of the western Indian Ocean on an unprecedented scale, with around a third of the fish populations assessed being overexploited. The Indian Ocean accounts for approximately 21% of the world's tuna catch, making it the second largest region for tuna fishing. [3]
Regional fisheries organizations are unable to act decisively to protect marine life. Instead, a handful of governments that support close corporate interests can take advantage of marine resources, the report shows.
"The world's leaders have an opportunity to change the fate of the high seas by signing a strong treaty on the global ocean with the United Nations," said McCallum. "This landmark treaty can create tools to reverse ocean destruction and revitalize marine ecosystems, protect priceless species and preserve coastal communities for generations to come."
Please note:
[1] The report High stakes: The environmental and social impact of destructive fishing on the high seas of the Indian Ocean can be downloaded Here.
[2] FAO (2014). High-level expert body on world food security. Sustainable fisheries and aquaculture for food security and nutrition.
[3] 18 ISSF (2020). Status of the world fishery for tuna: November 2020. In the ISSF Technical Report 2020-16.
[4] Will McCallum is Head of Oceans at Greenpeace UK
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Photos: Greenpeace
Photo / Video: Greenpeace.
