seamount

Deep sea conservation deep sixed in the Northwest Atlantic

28 September, 2007

High seas fishing nations failed to agree to comprehensive protection of cold-water corals and other vulnerable deep-sea ecosystems on the high seas of the Northwest Atlantic Ocean at the annual meeting of the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO), which concluded in Lisbon today. In 2006, the United Nations General Assembly (UN GA) called on NAFO and other regional fisheries management bodies to urgently protect highly vulnerable and unique deep-sea ecosystems such as seamounts, cold-water corals and hydrothermal vents from the destructive impact of bottom fishing.

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New research reveals clear scientific reasons for the bottom trawling to stop

15 November, 2006

Responding to new scientific findings about the correlation between seamounts, stony corals and high seas fishing grounds, the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition (DSCC) today challenged the few remaining countries opposing a moratorium to step out of the way. Matthew Gianni of the DSCC said, “all along the science has shown us that bottom trawling on the high seas needs to stop, until we can be sure it’s not damaging unique deep sea life.

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Protect the Kakadu’s of the deep

20 September, 2006

Ninety per cent of the world’s oceans are unexplored and only a tiny 0.0001% of the biology of the deep seafloor has been investigated, but the limited studies to date of these cold, deep, dark places find many wonderful surprises. Amazing new species, colourful luminescent life, cold water coral reefs 8,500 years old – 35m high, 40km long and 3km wide. Fantastical and beautiful.

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Seamounts: rest stops and filling stations for tuna and swordfish

11 September, 2006

Seamounts (underwater mountains) serve as oceanic filling stations or rest stops for commercially important fish species such as tuna and swordfish, scientists have concluded. At a workshop held in New Caledonia in March this year, scientists examined the pivotal role of seamounts in relation to commercially important pelagic species such as albacore (Thunnus alalunga), bluefin tuna (Thunnus orientalis), bigeye tuna (Thunnus obesus), yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) and swordfish (Xiphias gladius) and concluded that there is strong evidence of a link between these species and seamounts. (1) Pelagic fish are attracted to seamounts by high concentrations of zooplankton and mircronekton found around these deep-sea features.

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Scientists call on Australia to support the moratorium

4 November, 2005

58 Australian marine scientists have sent a letter to the Australian Prime Minister, John Howard urging him to “take advantage of an historic opportunity to secure significant protection for the world’s deep-ocean ecosystems on the high seas” by promoting the negotiation of a moratorium on high seas bottom trawling at this year’s United Nations General Assembly. (1) A week earlier, over 100 international marine scientists, conservationists and biodiversity experts attending the International Marine Protected Areas Congress (IMPAC1) sent a letter to Australian Ministers for the Environment and Fisheries, Senators Ian Campbell and Ian MacDonald, urging them to stop deep sea destruction by supporting a moratorium on high seas bottom trawling. (2) The letter was also sent to Heads of State attending the Pacific Islands Forum and delegates to the Commission on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), which met last week in Hobart.

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Industry Claims Exposed as False

14 June, 2005

The day after the United Nations Informal Consultative Process on the Law of the Seas (UNICPOLOS) ends, in a region of international waters described as a marine Jurassic park, Greenpeace captured a New Zealand bottom trawling fishing vessel on video – dragging up and throwing overboard giant, ancient, deep water corals (paragorgia), endangered black coral and a rare species of crab. “Again and again, we have caught the bottom trawling industry red-handed with the evidence of deep sea destruction in their nets. How many more pictures of clearfelled coral forests do governments need to see before they recognise that a moratorium on bottom trawling in international waters is urgently needed?” said Carmen Gravatt, Greenpeace oceans campaigner onboard the Rainbow Warrior during the three-week expedition to document the destructive impacts of deep sea bottom trawling in the Tasman Sea.

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Maritime Union backs action on bottom trawling

9 June, 2005

As Greenpeace activists onboard the Rainbow Warrior take action against bottom trawling fishing vessels in the Tasman Sea, the Maritime Union of New Zealand says it supports the direct action. Maritime Union General Secretary Trevor Hanson says it has become obvious that overfishing and bad practices such as bottom trawling are wrecking the environment, and would also destroy the industry that depends on the environment. According to Hanson it is time for New Zealanders think about the livelihoods of future generations as well as the environment. According to Glover and Smith, he’s right – fishermen have only 20 years before all deep-sea fisheries present in 2003 are commercially extinct. (1)

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