7 May 2007

Greenpeace hails bottom trawling restrictions

3:44 pm on 7 May 2007

Greenpeace says an agreement in Chile to restrict deep sea trawling is consistent with efforts by Pacific countries to protect its oceans for future generations.

More than 20 nations have agreed not to bottom trawl beyond areas where the practise is already being carried out in the South Pacific.

The agreement follows a U.N. General Assembly resolution aimed at getting tough on the practise which drags huge nets across the sea floor.

Greenpeace's Oceans Team leader, Nilesh Gounder, who is based in Fiji, says the move is consistent with a Pacific leaders meeting last October, which signed a declaration to better protect irreplaceable ocean and marine resources.

"Rather than to destroy these very fragile and vulnerable ecosystems now, we need to do everything that we can to protect these ecosystems. And then we see this meeting in Chile as making a step forward in protecting deep sea life."

Nilesh Gounder.

Countries with fishing interests will meet again in September to continue work to establish a regional fishing agreement.