Greenpeace activists staging a peaceful action against a trawling at Tarragona. (Photo: Pedro Armestre/Greenpeace)

Trawler from Tarragona targeted by Greenpeace action

SPAIN
Wednesday, October 17, 2012, 23:40 (GMT + 9)

A group of Greenpeace activists staged a "peaceful action" against a trawler in Tarragona to report that trawling is pernicious and destructive.

The environmental organization seeks to have this type of fishing banned, since it results in the destruction of marine ecosystems and threatens the future of artisanal fishing.

"It's a very aggressive type of fishery because nothing is left after trawling, and it is really harmful to traditional fishing," Conrado García, a spokesperson for the NGO, told EFE agency.

The target of the campaign carried out by the organization this time was the fishing vessel Xarinola, based in the port of Tarragona.

From inflatable boats, a group of activists carrying banners with messages like 'Trawling = Destruction' and 'This is not sustainable fishing' asked the skipper to return to port and cease this destructive practice.

Greenpeace explains that while coastal trawling represents only 27.72 per cent of the Catalan sector, it causes serious impacts on the fisheries sector and on the marine environment, as it destroys the bottom and generates numerous discards.

According to Celia Ojeda, head of Greenpeace Oceans Campaign, "there is evidence to suggest that many of the engines of these vessels have a higher power than the one that is permitted."

That, coupled with the lack of effective control of the depths at which they operate, "implies a lethal combination for our seas," she added.

"Greenpeace demands that, in the negotiations of the Common Fisheries Policy that are taking place, sustainable fisheries should have priority in the access to resources," Ojeda added.

Furthermore, she reported that this is something that so far the Spanish government "has not defended."

"The ocean belongs to everyone; fishermen have only permission to exploit its resources through fishing. We demand that it is managed in a sustainable way so that there are resources for today and for future generations," concluded the NGO representative.

By Analia Murias
editorial@fis.com
www.fis.com

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