Moroccan fish trawlers dumping tons of dead fish

Written by:
Hans Kruit, 17 December 2013

A graphic indication of unsustainable commercial fishing was conveyed by two environmental watch organizations, Greenpeace and Western Sahara Watch, have revealed severe unsustainable practices by Moroccan commercial fishing vessels who were seen dumping tons of sardines overboard into ocean waters off the Western Sahara.

Unsustainable commercial fishing for species like Bluefin tuna in the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean seriously affect the fate of species like the Bluefin tuna. Over all declines in fish populations in the word’s oceans are just one symptom of oceans spiralling downwards and threatening life on earth.

The indicated fish dumping occurred in November by a fishing vessel named Adrar. It revealed massive dumping of the sardines because the vessel’s owners were “not happy with the size of the sardines.”

Western Sahara Resource Watch added that this vessel alone has dumped as much as 1,000 tons of dead fish back into the ocean this year alone.

Judging of the shown size of these fish in the accompanying still photos, the dumping appeared to be a complete waste of fish that could be well utilized for food.

The idea of dumping so many fish does not bode well as an indication for marine fish populations.

“The combination of that (Moroccan) fleet with a new European fisheries agreement with Morocco is not sustainable, according to Greenpeace,” says Marie F. Palm, who is affiliated with Western Sahara Research Watch.

She added that Greenpeace is calling for the European Parliament to reject the renewed EU fisheries agreement in the waters off Western Sahara.

Although these sardines are not yet threatened like Bluefin tuna, the indication of so much fish dumping could eventually put these fish at risk as well.

Hans
source: Green Prophet