Mogadishu, Somalia (CU)_ Greenpeace, an international non-governmental organisation for environmental conservation, recently uncovered a fishing practice which was banned by the United Nations 30 years ago since it significantly decimates marine life and threatens food security as well as local economies.
During two weeks at sea in the northwest Indian Ocean, the organisation had filmed seven ships within 20 square miles, using illegal driftnets to catch tuna.
Drift netting is a fishing technique where nets are hung vertically, closer to the surface of the sea, without being anchored to the bottom. These nets are nicknamed as “walls of death” since they catch large quantities of other sea life, such as sea turtles and whales, in addition to the fish they are set for.
“If yellowfin tuna continues to decrease at the current rate then food security in the region, as well as local economies is going to take a huge hit,” Greenpeace said.
“What’s the point in a UN ban on driftnets when all the fishing vessels we saw are using driftnets?” inquired Will McCallum, head of oceans for Greenpeace UK, in his comments to Reuters.
In addition to issues of bycatch, the organisation has also noted a huge increase in unregulated squid fishing in the Indian Ocean, which has been recognised as another cause for concern about marine life in the region.
He claims that with no sufficient enforcement in international waters, a global ocean treaty is the ideal solution to resolve this enormous governance gap.
Although representatives from 30 nations met last month to discuss measures which can be used to save fast-depleting tuna stocks in the Indian Ocean, however, the meeting ended without an agreement. Nevertheless, nations from across the globe are expected to meet in August to negotiate over a pact similar to the one recommended by McCallum.
