Greenpeace completes joint surveillance operation with Maldivian coast guard

 
Laamu Atoll, Maldives, November 5, 2012 – The Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior has successfully held a joint surveillance exercise with the Maldivian coast guard targeting potential illegal fishing in the Maldives Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). 

The Rainbow Warrior is in the region as part of Greenpeace's Indian Ocean expedition against overfishing and carried out a joint surveillance operation with the coast guard ship Huravee, cooperating for a week. Greenpeace International patrolled 55,000 square miles of the south-west edge of the Maldivian EEZ.

"Illegal fishing is a massive problem in waters of coastal states with limited capacity to monitor these vessels’ activities. Illegal fishing is stealing fish and fishing jobs from Indian Ocean communities," said Sari Tolvanen, Greenpeace International campaigner onboard the Rainbow Warrior.

"Our oceans and the billions of people dependent on them need better control and enforcement of fishing regulations. Fishing companies that cheat the region of fish, jobs and a future have no place here or anywhere."

The local fishermen in the Maldives are finding their catches declining as industrial overfishing spreads across the region. The lack of proper management and pirate fishing is contributing to the demise of bigeye and yellowfin tuna and sharks that are targeted for the lucrative sashimi and shark fin trade. 

At the conclusion of the joint operation, the Rainbow Warrior arrived on Sunday at Laamu Atoll in the south of the Maldives, where Greenpeace International will hold talks with the government and key industry players about sustainable tuna fisheries.

Speakers at a one-day workshop to be hosted by Greenpeace on Monday include Dr Hussain Hassan, Minister of State for Fisheries and Agriculture, Ibrahim Athif, head of the International Pole and Line Federation and Dr Faathin Hameed, President of the Maldives Industrial Fishing Company Ltd.

Greenpeace is campaigning for responsible fishery management to end overfishing and to support a global network of marine reserves covering 40% of the world’s oceans. Both are necessary steps to restoring our oceans to health and to maintain living oceans and ample fish for future generations.