Gore's message loses bite
By
Rebecca Keeble
ONLY
one week after Live Earth, Al Gore's green credentials
slipped while hosting his daughter's wedding in Beverly
Hills.
Gore
and his guests at the weekend ceremony dined on Chilean
sea bass - arguably one of the world's most threatened
fish species.
Also
known as Patagonian toothfish, the species is under
pressure from illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing
activities in the Southern Ocean, jeopardising the sustainability
of remaining stocks.
The
species is currently managed by the Commission for the
Conservation of Antarctic Living Marine Resources, the
body which introduced a catch and trade documentation
scheme as an attempt to tackle illegal poaching of this
species.
Working
with non-government organisations, the Humane Society
International's focus is now on pursuit of illegal fishing
operators who, in the rush to cash in on the highly
valued species, plunder stocks with no regard for sustainability.
It
has been estimated that more than 50 per cent of toothfish
traded is illegally caught, and includes juveniles vital
to the ongoing toothfish population.
For
many years HSI has expressed concern over the huge numbers
of seabirds that die each year on the hooks of illegally
set demersal longlines, threatening the long-term viability
of those populations.
Yet,
while legal operators in the Southern Ocean are obliged
to follow strict environmental rules, illegal operators
undermine the sustainability of their fishing operations.
Recently,
HSI petitioned the US Government asking that they certify
and sanction Spain for allowing Spanish nationals known
to engage in pirate fishing operations to continue to
harvest toothfish in a declared conservation area.
Success
would allow the US Government to embargo Spanish toothfish
imports until such time as Spain demonstrates compliance
of its nationals with international law and agreements.
As
we await a response from the US, thousands of endangered
seabirds die, while the sustainability of the Patagonian
toothfish and the legal fishing industry inches closer
to the brink of extinction.
A
strong and concerted effort by Governments, the fishing
industry, the conservation community and by the public
which drives consumer demand, is required to put an
end to pirate fishing operations in the Southern Ocean
- otherwise the ecological sustainability of the toothfish
is at risk.
And
Al Gore could choose something else to eat.