Greenpeace contribution to the Hearing on Bluefin Tuna organised by the Fisheries Committee of the EU Parliament. Brussels, 28 June 2007

1. Contribution to the Hearing
on Bluefin Tuna
Fisheries Committee of the European Parliament
Brussels, 28 June 2007
Sebastián Losada

2. The bluefin tuna fishery
s High risk of collapse
s High rates of illegal
fishing
s EU fleets involved in
illegal catches

3. Greenpeace observations at sea

4. Use of EU spotter planes
Use of spotter planes by the EU fleet
Use of European airports by spotter planes

5. Use of spotter planes
by 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.

6. Use of spotter planes
by 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.

7. Use of spotter planes
by 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.

8. 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 spotter
planes by EU
flagged vessels

9. 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.
Use of EU airports
by spotter planes

10. Illegal fishing 24 hours into the new rules
The spotter plane I-GEMK while overflowing
the Ligny Primo, Maria Antonietta and Luca The spotter plane I-GEMK at Lampedusa
Maria on 14 June 2007 airport on 19 June 2007
The Ligny Primo and the Luca Maria
overflown by spotter plane I-GEMK on 14
June 2007
The Ligny Primo together with the Luigi
Padre at Valetta on 16 May 2007

11. Illegal fishing 24 hours into the new rules
Spotter plane N415D photographed while Flying sheet of spotter plane N415D Greenpeace has obtained
overflowing the Ligny Primo, Maria signed by his pilot Javier Esteban. The documentation (available
Antonietta and Luca Maria on 14 June document proves that the spotter plane
2007 was on 13 June 2007 in Lampedusa. upon request) showing that
at least 11 different spotter
planes have been operating
in June 2007 from the Italian
airport of Lampedusa.

12. 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.

13. 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.

14. 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.

15. Spotter planes owned by tuna associations?
s How much vessels are
owned by this tuna
producers association?
s How much tuna have they
caught?
s What farms are they
working with?
s Their catches and the
output of their farming
process should be
considered IUU fish and
therefore their marketing
been prohibited

16. Transhipments
Reefers

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

18. Transhipments
The Jean Marie Christian VI and
the Astraea 102, flagged to
Panama, transhiping bluefin tuna
on 12 June 2007

19. 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.

20. 2006 ICCAT annual meeting

21. SCRS advice, 2006
s 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.
s Current fishing mortality is more than 3 times
the level which would permit the stock to
stabilize at the MSY level.
s This combination of high F and low SPR is
considered to result in a high risk of fisheries
and stock collapse.

22. A recovery plan for bluefin tuna?

23. EU Amnesty to illegal fishing by EU vessels
s EU fleets are highly involved in illegal
catches.
s The EU opposed the creation of a WG
to identify those responsible for
illegal catches.
s EU regulations allow the EU to make
countries “pay back” their over
harvest.

24. ICCAT Circular #1823/06: Information
submitted by the EC on illegal fishing

25. Dossier Photos Medisamak “De palangriers non
enregistrés à l'ICCAT Pèchant en Mer Méditerranée”

26. ICCAT Circular #1823/06
Photo evidences

27. To be analysed
The use of EU ports by no registered vessels
In 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 vessels
In the picture the Slebech flagged to Sierra Leone, was observed by
the Rainbow Warrior while towing two cages

28. Conclusions
s Greenpeace has provided evidence of non
compliance with the new ICCAT management plan
by the EU fleet.
s Greenpeace asks the EU Parliament to investigate
this accusations further including initiating
infringement procedures and investigating fraud
where subsidies have been abused.

29. Conclusions
s 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
s 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