Illegal driftnet use widespread in Indian Ocean: Greenpeace

Blades of seagrass float in the ocean above the world's largest seagrass meadow and one of the biggest carbon sinks in the high seas, at the Saya de Malha Bank within the Mascarene plateau, Mauritius 6 March 2021.
Reuters

Greenpeace has uncovered widespread use of illegal driftnets in the northwest Indian Ocean, which it says are decimating marine life in what is one of the world's most ecologically vulnerable fishing grounds.

A shoal of fish swim over seagrass on the Saya de Malha Bank within the Mascarene plateau, Mauritius 20 March 2021.
Reuters

During two weeks at sea, the environmental organisation says it filmed seven ships within 20 square miles (50 sq km) using driftnets to catch tuna. It detected another eight vessels on radar using navigational patterns that also suggested use of nets.

Corals are seen in a seagrass meadow and one of the biggest carbon sinks in the high seas, at the Saya de Malha Bank within the Mascarene plateau, Mauritius 18 March 2021.
Reuters

"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.

Greenpeace International activists aboard Rainbow Warrior display banners in front of the Maersk Launcher, a ship chartered by DeepGreen, during a protest against deep sea mining in the Pacific, 5 April 2021.
Reuters

Nicknamed the "walls of death" for the quantity of other sea life they catch in addition to the fish they are set for, the nets were banned by the United Nations 30 years ago.

Greenpeace shared footage with Reuters of sharks and manta rays that had been killed in the nets, set some 500 miles (800 km) east of Somalia.

Victor, a Greenpeace International activist from Fiji displays a banner in front of the Maersk Launcher, a ship chartered by DeepGreen, during a protest against deep sea mining in the Pacific, 5 April 2021.
Reuters

"Because of the issues of bycatch we're concerned about all fish in the Indian Ocean," it said, adding that the same area had also seen a huge increase in unregulated squid fishing.

"What's the point in a UN ban on driftnets when all the fishing vessels we saw are using driftnets?" asked Will McCallum, head of oceans for Greenpeace UK, in comments to Reuters.

Mauritian scientist and climate change activist Shaama Sandooyea 24, holds a placard reading Youth Strike For Climate, during an underwater protest at the Saya de Malha Bank to highlight the need to protect the world's largest seagrass meadow within the Mascarene plateau, Mauritius 6 March 2021
Reuters

"There is little to no enforcement in international waters... We need a global ocean treaty ... to resolve this enormous governance gap."

Nations are due to meet in August for negotiations over such a pact, designed to attempt to set up safeguards for parts of the ocean similar to reserves established on land.

The Maersk Launcher, a ship chartered by DeepGreen is seen during a protest against deep sea mining in the Pacific, 5 April 2021.
Reuters

Last month, representatives of 30 nations met to discuss ways to save fast-depleting tuna stocks in the Indian Ocean. The meeting ended without any new agreement.