oh dear! UK Trawlers vs Greenpeace!

[Mr T.]

Trawlers answer protest with dead dolphins
By Charles Clover, Environment Editor
(Filed: 16/03/2005)

Three dead dolphins with their stomachs slit, apparently to make them sink, were found by protesters near French fishing vessels in the Channel yesterday. An hour earlier, Greenpeace protesters had stopped two French boats from pair-trawling for bass 40 miles south of Plymouth as a school of dolphins surrounded the boats.

The two trawlers are part of a fleet estimated to kill thousands of dolphins every year. Greenpeace's flagship, the Esperanza, left Falmouth last month to campaign for a ban on pair-trawling for sea bass, which they say could lead to the extinction of dolphins in the Channel.

British government observers last year recorded over 150 dolphins killed by just one pair of trawlers.

[Lou]

Do French trawlers sink if you slit them? Shall we try?

The sooner the correct authorities realise that their short term views are going to eventually lose us all the better. That goes for all you fish-eaters too - buy only the recommended fish to help conserve what we do have. See the Good Fish Guide on the MCS website for the long and short of it!

[chrisch]

Originally Posted by Lou

The sooner the correct authorities realise that their short term views are going to eventually lose us all the better.

But they do. So does the industry. What you are watching is a scrabble for the last of the economically viable fishereries before the start of the new era when all fish will be farmed.

The fishing industry cares as little for the environment as G W Bush....

Chris

[D.D.J]

Originally Posted by Lou

Do French trawlers sink if you slit them? Shall we try?

The sooner the correct authorities realise that their short term views are going to eventually lose us all the better. That goes for all you fish-eaters too - buy only the recommended fish to help conserve what we do have. See the Good Fish Guide on the MCS website for the long and short of it!

i share the same views with you there. one thing that i actually don t eat is fish...might sound strange but i just don t. its weird as i don t mind eating other like pork, ham etc. just don t like the idea that i m eating what i dive with.guilty consious really.but i agree that we need to conserve what we have.

[chrisch]

Originally Posted by D.D.J

i share the same views with you there. one thing that i actually don t eat is fish...might sound strange but i just don t. its weird as i don t mind eating other like pork, ham etc. just don t like the idea that i m eating what i dive with.guilty consious really.but i agree that we need to conserve what we have.

Sorry to spoil your day, but what do you think the little piggies eat???

Chris

[resting rifleman]

tried to post url but failed miserably! check out the mca website for info on battle being waged against trawlers.

https://mcanet.mcga.gov.uk/public/news/

ah, that gets you there, see 'western approaches'.

[Bren's Edit: here ya go mate. Article now here]

Press Notice No: Duty 1

Thursday, March 17, 2005

ACTION BETWEEN UK REGISTERED TRAWLERS AND GREENPEACE IN THE WESTERN APPROACHES

The MCA has today taken action in the dispute between UK-registered trawlers and a Greenpeace vessel following the protest by Greenpeace against the indiscriminate catching of dolphins while the fishing vessels were trawling for bass off the Cornish coast.

Letters have been issued to all the vessels involved, including the UK-registered fishing vessels `Ocean Crest’; `Ocean Dawn’; `Ocean Star’; and `Sunrise’ and Greenpeace's Dutch-registered vessel ‘Esperanza’, reminding them of the importance of keeping the safety of both personnel and vessels, and the prevention of pollution, paramount.

They have been further reminded of the requirements of the International Regulations for Prevention of Collision, and the International Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter.

The current action between UK registered trawlers and the Dutch registered Greenpeace vessel and operatives in the Western approaches is outside the United Kingdom’s territorial water limit, but falls within both the UK Search and Rescue region and the UK Pollution Control Zone.

The Agency has taken this action at the stage where the lives of both protestors and fishermen have been endangered, collision regulations have been given low priority, international distress signals have been misused, and metallic buoys with hazardous chains and grapnel hooks have been dumped at sea.

There is also now a distinct potential for serious pollution should a vessel not involved in the fishing/ protesting run into the dropped buoys, or find that the collision regulations are not being strictly observed by the fishing vessels or Greenpeace vessels.

The Agency is closely monitoring events as they unfold along with other interested parties in the South West.

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) is an executive agency of the Department for Transport. The agency is concerned amongst other issues with reducing the rate of accidents and deaths within the UK Search and Rescue region and coastline, and minimising the number of incidents of pollution from shipping activities in the UK Pollution Control Zone.


Posted by: Joanne Groenenberg

For further details contact:
The Maritime & Coastguard Agency Duty Press Officer
Office hours: 023 8032 9401

[Adrian Kelland]

Originally Posted by resting rifleman

tried to post url but failed miserably! check out the mca website for info on battle being waged against trawlers.

https://mcanet.mcga.gov.uk/public/news/

ah, that gets you there, see 'western approaches'.

My parents used to say "grow up you two".

I wonder what other boats will be damaged by the bouys/hooks dropped by Greenpeace.

[dry suit diver]

Originally Posted by Adrian Kelland

My parents used to say "grow up you two".

I wonder what other boats will be damaged by the bouys/hooks dropped by Greenpeace.

never mind the marine life that may be damaged by the hooks.

[Adrian Kelland]

Originally Posted by dry suit diver

never mind the marine life that may be damaged by the hooks.

I did wonder about that. I have assumed they are big bouys/hooks to catch and damage the nets. The kind of size that the mammals may well see and avoid. Either way it is stupid.

[dry suit diver]

If the dolphins are caught up in a net and the net catches these hooks ,likely outcome is dead or maimed dolphin.It could be argued that the dolphins would die in the nets anyway but why do something that could cause further harm in the name of conservation.

Sometimes I wonder about the common sense these activist posses.