Greenpeace attacks the major players in the intensive fishing

Greenpeace has launched a campaign Tuesday against 20 European factory ships, mainly Spanish and Dutch, but also British and French. At issue: the violation of the legislation of the European Union by overexploitation of the oceans.

In his entitled "monster ships, scourge of the oceans," the NGO says the purpose of his action: "show how a number of industrial fishing barons use a wide range of tricks to circumvent the regulations" implemented at European level in the field of fisheries.

"The operators of these vessels use tricks - like changing the identity and their flag vessels or use of screens and corporate tax havens - to increase their access to fishing or to circumvent the rules and regulations. They create relatively few jobs, while endangering the health of our oceans, "said Saskia Richartz, head of fisheries policies and oceans for Greenpeace Europe.

The boat monsters who practice intensive fishing ...

Among the boats that are blacklisted by Greenpeace, five sail under the Spanish flag. Two buildings are owned by the Spanish company Albacora, and four by the Dutch family group Parlevliet Van der Plas BV, under various flags of the EU. But the organization also pin the tuna Franche Terre, Mayotte registered to and owned by the French shipowner Sapmer-SA based in Reunion. Greenpeace accuses of having Sapmer including "use of public aid to development aid for overseas territories and circumvented the rules governing subsidies" for European launch in the tropical tuna market with twenty ships.

... And circumvent EU rules

To identify the 20 vessels blacklisted, NGO used a list of criteria. Four of them are related to the actual size and power of the ship, others relate their participation in fishing in overexploited areas or deep-sea fishing (often where there was a negative impact on fisheries local) the use of flags of convenience and violations of human rights and the right to work on ships. Greenpeace has also considered whether the owners and operators of vessels practiced aggressive expansion strategy by building new ships without any proper management plan for their business is established.

Advocacy for sustainable fisheries

The "monsters" are targeted by environmentalists, according to the NGO, part of a European industrial fleet of a hundred ships that threaten the conservation of fishery resources and because of "major environmental and social damage."

The organization expects the European Union to request the removal of these vessels, in order to meet the objectives of the new Common Fisheries Policy, which encourages member states to achieve sustainable fisheries.

Saskia Richartz reaffirmed "the EU governments must stop condoning overfishing, remove the boat monsters industrial fishing fleets and encourage low-impact alternatives [environmental]."