Posted by michellefrey on 08/27/2008 4:01 pm

The North Atlantic right whale is very rare—there are only about 300 in existence today. Recent news that these magnificent whales may finally get a helping hand highlights the sad, sad state of the right whales. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) officials released a final analysis to slow down ship speeds and use shipping routes that avoid whale grounds along the U.S. east coast where the whales live.

But, what does this “final analysis” really do for the whales? Well, nothing right now.  In my mind it is like being engaged. There is the “promise” to get married, but also the possibility for the couple to go their separate ways. And, just how long will the engagement last? NOAA has promised to save the right whales, but how long will their “engagement” last? Will they elope and have the regulations enacted tomorrow, or will it drag on and on for months or years?

Did I mention that there were only 300 right whales left on the planet? Right whales have been fighting for increased protections for years and years. I remember going to a public testimony, probably about two or three years ago on this very same issue. NOAA had an open comment period and I was on hand to present thousands of public petitions in support of saving the right whales. But, sadly, there haven’t been any increased protections—just the promise that some day there might be. Is this good enough?

A 44-foot right whale washed up on a beach in Massachusetts on March 11th of this year. A ship strike is the probable cause of death.

Oh, and if these regulations do get implemented the U.S. government made some exemptions. The U.S. Navy is exempt from these rules about slowing down. And, the regulations will only be in place for five years—that is unless another round of “red tape” and bureaucratic analysis takes place.

While the government continues to use every stall tactic in the book, right whales continue to swim in harms way. Ship strikes are the largest known cause of death for the endangered North Atlantic right whale, particularly baby calves.

I have been lucky to see two right whales in my lifetime. One was during a whale watching adventure in New England (where I got insanely sunburned) and the other is a “squishy” toy that a colleague got for me. I hope my children will be able to see real right whales and not just the toy sitting up on my desk.

--Michelle

Posted by pribilof on 08/26/2008 10:06 am

Greenpeace applauds the decision by the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (NPFMC) to limit bottom trawl fisheries in the northern Bering Sea. Any cutback on this destructive fishery practice is welcome news. However, in this case, it’s misleading.

Industrial fishing, with the exception of the use of bottom trawlers, will continue in these areas. And provisions included in the decision raise alarm bells that plans may be in the making to eventually re-open the area to bottom trawlers to do their damage.

Bottom trawl lobbyists are pressuring the NPFMC to open more of this “northern boundary” because, as they themselves have testified before the Council, the fish are moving north due to climate change, and their boats have to travel further north to find fish. The other reason, one which they are not talking about, is that heavy fishing pressure in the southern Bering Sea has dramatically reduced populations of many groundfish stocks.

The size of the closure area is also misleading. As with the Aleutian Island bottom trawl closure adopted previously, a large percentage of this area of no trawl fishing is in an area where no fishing has taken place due to its depth and distance from on shore processors. No one fished there anyway. So while this is a forward-looking and precautionary step, action is urgently needed to address damage from bottom trawling that is occurring now in known coral and sponge habitats.  

Incorporating Greenpeace research, NOAA has identified several deep sea coral areas that currently lack protection. Last year, Greenpeace used submarines and a Remote Operated Vehicle (ROV) to survey seafloor habitats in two underwater canyons along the highly productive Bering Sea shelf break. Zhemchug Canyon, the world’s largest, had never been explored.  We found at least 14 species of coral, and more than 20 species of sponge – including one that was previously unknown to science. Alarmingly, we also saw documented considerable evidence of fishing impacts – trenches dug through the seafloor, and broken and overturned corals.

Virtually none of the Bering Sea or Gulf of Alaska is protected from all fishing, despite the growing body of evidence of the value of marine reserves in fisheries management.  Fully protected marine reserves can help speed the recovery of fish stocks and degraded habitats, and have proven to increase yields in surrounding areas due to a spillover effect. By serving as experimental controls, marine reserves can also help us understand the impacts of climate change on our oceans and fisheries.

It’s time for the NPFMC to take a more ecosystem-based approach, and to protect the habitats that sustain Alaska’s fisheries. So far, most of what we’ve seen has looked good on paper but has had little impact on the status quo. And in the meantime, fish stocks continue to dwindle, critical habitat continues to be destroyed, and fishing communities continue to await relief.


-- George

Posted by michellefrey on 08/19/2008 4:33 pm

In certain regions of the Gulf of Mexico, there is not enough oxygen in the water to support marine life. Fish either suffocate or relocate to other areas. And, it’s not a tiny little area—it’s a big area we’re talking about. It is around 8,000 square miles, that’s about the size of New Jersey. But, what happened to the oxygen? Where’d it all go? Scientists point north, hundreds of miles up the Mississippi River to corn country.

Up in corn country, farmers use a boatload of chemicals to make their cornfields more productive. Two chemicals that are of particular concern are nitrogen and phosphorous. They are used in many fertilizers. But, when the rain shows up to nourish these crops, the water causes the fertilizers to runoff the farmland and into the mighty Mississippi River.

And, with this summer’s historic flooding in the Midwest, even more runoff from farms has been going into the mighty Mississippi. And, all of this creates a mighty mess once it gets to the Gulf of Mexico.

Just imagine how much fertilizer makes its way to the Gulf of Mexico? The Mississippi River collects all these chemicals throughout its entire length and all of it ends up in one place—the Gulf of Mexico.

Like I mentioned above, the fertilizers are used to help crops grow—well, the same is true for making algae grow in the Gulf of Mexico. These fertilizers land in the Gulf and the algae just love it. They go crazy for it and there are algae blooms and the algae grows like wild!

When all the algae die and fall to the bottom of the seafloor, this is where the story takes a turn for the worst. The algae dies and decomposes—but, since decomposition requires oxygen to make it “work” these huge masses of dying algae consume oxygen, and lots of it.

So much oxygen is taken from the sea that sealife suffocates and dies. The poor slow-moving creatures like clams, small crabs and snails have little chance to escape the oxygen-depleted waters.

Fishermen and environmentalists are actually on the same page and working together to fight this problem. Fishermen see their livelihood vanishing just like the fish in the Gulf and environmentalists want to restore the balance of the sea.

And, the Gulf of Mexico isn’t the only place where dead zones are occurring—these dead zones are scattered all across the globe.

--Michelle

 

 

Posted by michellefrey on 08/15/2008 12:14 pm

When I hear a piece of news, I usually take it with a grain of salt. So, earlier in the week when I read an article about humpback whale populations making an incredible recovery, let’s just say I was very skeptical. The reason I was skeptical, is because time and time again we hear that animals are taken off the endangered species list—only to help developers build in a certain area or air quality standards get relaxed, not because of “so-called” improved air, but because industry wants to loosen emission regulations.

Recently, the IUCN (World Conservation Union) reported that humpback whales have downgraded from Vulnerable to Least Concern, meaning it is at low risk of extinction.

I am really happy that humpback whales are doing much better! And, the credit goes to conservation efforts and the fact that humpbacks have been protected from commercial hunting.

But, my worry is now that the humpback whale has been “down-graded” some of their protections will be lifted. They will receive less habitat protection and many will feel that they are now in the running for commercial hunting once again. Why waste all the good work protecting them, just to go back in and decimate their populations again?

It’s also interesting to note that while some species have started to recover, no whale population has reached the level it had before industrial whaling began. Whales species are either recovering very slowly, or not recovering at all. Clearly, commercial whaling is neither sustainable nor necessary in the 21st century.

I hope the news of the humpback recovery is just the beginning! If resources continue to be put towards recover efforts and commercial whalers can keep their “hands-off”—then, it truly will be a good day for the humpbacks.

--Michelle

Posted by pribilof on 08/10/2008 11:49 am

One of the most used comments bantered in the halls of the hotels where the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (NPFMC) holds their meetings where many of the decisions are already decided with the big, wild, commercial fishing industry with the public is “best available science.” The NPFMC usually holds their meetings at the Hilton hotel in Anchorage four times a year. And, although no one says it, the process is a “good ol boys” conference. My brother is fond of telling me; the industry writes the regulations. But, even though the cards are stacked up against me and others who have concerns and try to offer alternatives toward habitat protections, I attend. Its part of my responsibility. I often feel like my attendance is futile and a waste of time. Anyway, “best available science.”

The use of that term as an acceptable tool to manage our fisheries seems to me is like saying: “best available truth.” Remember the most famous question ever asked in all of humanity? “What is truth?” And so I wonder, what is “best available science. What does that mean and how does that help our people in the villages?”

Well, NPFMC, Mr. Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez of the U.S. Department of Commerce, we have a problem. What does your “best available science” or “best available truth” tell you about our out of control salmon by catch problems in Western Alaska? The problem is this. Really huge, large, big industrialized fishing machines, called boats, use huge, large, big nets and go out into the waters of southern Bering Sea, just north of the Alaska Peninsula to fish for 3.2 billion pounds of pollock, the total allowable catch from both the Gulf of Alaska and the Bering Sea. And as they vacuum up these fish, a very important food source of the foods we depend upon for our survival, they “accidentally catch”  hundreds of thousands, and millions of salmon during the past 30 years, in their pursuit of happiness. This is by catch. In 2004, they caught, as far as we know, 63,000 king salmon. In 2005, 75,000 kings. Chum salmon took a huge hit. In 2004, 447,000 chums, and in 2005, 700,000 chums. That’s according to their best available truth. If I remember correctly, in 2007, they said they caught 117,000 king salmon while in pursuit of happiness, their happiness. Never mind our people’s food security in our villages that depend on these fish for survival. The song and dance is getting old. Outside multinational fishing companies, meeting with the federal government in a hotel somewhere destroying our home. Destroying our dreams. Destroying our children. And saying, well, sorry. It’s legal. It may be, but it is immoral.

A really good friend of mine once told me: “our commercial fishing season for king salmon on the Kuskokwim River lasted for 60 minutes, all year!” And he has a family, Children. And he cannot do anything, anything about it, because like you and me, he is poor. He cannot afford to attend one of them meetings in a hotel somewhere to testify for three minutes about his concerns, nor, like you and me, he cannot afford a lawyer or a lobbyist. And so, he hears “best available science” spoken from reputable scientists and NPFMC members. And to further add salt to the wound, the Council will say, we are only an advisory council. Mr. Gutierrez makes the final decision. Know what? Uncle Ted in his wisdom thru the Magnuson Stevens Act set it up like this.

Well, the NPFMC says they have a solution to deal with this salmon by catch, stolen fish problem. Here it is, in brief. Lets not force our good buddies who go out to the Bering Sea to fish for a share of the 3.2 billion pounds of pollock they catch every year to suffer to much. After all, they are our buds. Lets let them continue stealing food from the people on the Kuskokwim River, but, really, not too much. Lets put a cap on how much they can take out of the mouths of our children. Now, really. And further, lets let one of the biggest fishing companies who participate in this immoral practice, Trident Seafoods, give that fish to Bean’s Café to feed the hungry. Peter stealing from Paul to feed people? And now, others are caught up in their circle of destruction, being used to make themselves feel better about what they are doing and getting a huge tax write off to boot. See how this “best available science” and “best available truth” works? And so the question: “what is truth?”

The only real solution to this problem is stop it. Stop the insane practice of by catch. Stop raiding our people’s food. Stop. And use your “best available science” to figure out how not to do it any more. After all, you use that statement to justify what you do. And, in many cases, you give the scientists who use that statement, grants to provide research to justify that behavior. We the people in Western Alaska have had enough of supporting your pursuit of happiness. We need to pursue ours and that of our children. Please, level the playing field. Your quarterbacks are just too “best available.” You can afford it. We cannot even afford to feed our children.


George Pletnikoff is Unangan from the Pribilof Islands. He now works for Greenpeace as the Alaska Oceans Campaigner in Anchorage. He can be reached at george.pletnikoff@greenpeace.org

Posted by michellefrey on 08/01/2008 2:52 pm

Growing up, I always loved listening to Bryan Adams. I think I may have even had a couple posters of him hanging up on my bedroom walls. So, when I found a YouTube video of him being interviewed by the BBC and wearing a Release Junichi and Toru t-shirt I just had to share it with everyone.

Junichi and Toru are Greenpeace anti-whaling activists who were being held for 23 days without charge for uncovering a whale meat smuggling scandal in Japan. Currently, the activsts are out on bail and awaiting trial. You can read more about their story on the Greenpeace website.

I'll post the video up here, but after watching the video for 8 minutes, the talk show hosts don't even ask him about the t-shirt. How upsetting. But, hopefully people will want to learn more and will be able to google it and find the Greenpeace information.

 

Posted by michellefrey on 07/25/2008 2:50 pm

Yesterday, Ahold (aka Giant, Stop&Shop and Martin's Food Markets) announced they are going to stop selling orange roughy, Chilean sea bass and shark.  These 3 fish rank among the most imperiled on the Greenpeace seafood red list.

It was kind of wild to hear that people are still eating shark and it’s being sold in stores, but I’m excited that Giant Foods has committed themselves to removing these fish from their seafood counters. It’s a great step in the right direction for protecting the oceans.

In a ranking report released last month, Greenpeace called on the top U.S. supermarkets to improve their seafood purchasing policies and move towards sustainable seafood practices. It looks like Ahold got the message and is willing to improve their store practices to help the oceans.

You can encourage the other top U.S. supermarkets to get in the game by taking action today and writing them a letter!

-- Michelle

Posted by jhocevar on 07/15/2008 1:07 pm

Covering nearly 70% of the surface of the planet, the oceans are not escaping the impacts of global warming. Bleaching is threatening our spectacular tropical coral reefs, and melting sea ice is reducing critical habitat for seals, polar bears, and other marine mammals. And everywhere in between, rising temperatures are starting to change currents, migration patterns and even species composition. The fish that used to live in a particular area are often no longer there. On top of that, acidification, global warming’s evil twin, is turning the oceans into a corrosive bath that is rapidly becoming inhospitable to clams, corals, and everything else that forms a calcareous skeleton.

So when Randy Olson asked me to review his new movie, a “global warming comedy,” I have to admit I was curious to see where he was going to find the humor in all this. As it happens, Sizzle is a very funny film, sometimes even spit-out-your-drink funny.

Similar to Randy’s last film, Flock of Dodos, which focused on Intelligent Design, Sizzle tries to grapple with questions about the causes of global warming, the seriousness of the problem, and the degree to which humans can do anything about it. For Randy, the hordes of scientists involved in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and most people who read the news, these are not controversial topics. The science is clear: global warming is happening, humans are a major cause, and we can and must do something to reduce greenhouse gas emissions immediately.

Of course, some people don’t see it that way, and Randy takes his low budget camera crew out to get their stories. Other than the guy who works for Okie Senator James Inhofe, who looked like an attack dog in search of someone to bite, the climate skeptics come across as surprisingly nice guys (if occasionally hapless). Most of these interviews are followed with a scene with Randy muttering “that’s not true” or “he’s got it all wrong,” and there are some strong segments from scientists like Naomi Oreskes, but in general there’s not much of an effort to debunk the skeptics. The sense you get is that there’s really no need – everyone knows the truth already. But if that’s true, why bother with the skeptics at all?

So I was left wishing for a little more exploration of the forces behind the skeptics. Greenpeace has researched this in depth, showing how leading climate skeptics tend to be funded by ExxonMobil. If something smells funny, follow the money.

Dr. Oreskes saves the day by convincing the crew to abandon plans to film yet another scientist and to go to New Orleans instead. In the most emotionally compelling part of the film, Randy and his crew see firsthand the impacts of the kind of disasters global warming will cause. The film points out that the biggest victims will be poor people, whether in Africa or in the richest nation on earth.

If there’s a take home message, other than the fact that it IS possible to find humor in even the most dire topics, it may be a reminder that it’s probably not going to be the newest data, powerpoint slides, or speeches from scientists that convince people to take action. The stories are there, but we may need more story tellers like Randy if we’re going to wake people up in time.

John H

Posted by greenpeace7 on 07/03/2008 11:11 am

A group of Japanese lawyers watching over human rights abuse around the G8 Summit has issued a statement about the arrest and detention of Greenpeace activists. The activists were arrested after exposing a whale meat smuggling scandal in Japan.

The following is the lawyers' statement:

Lawyers' Network for Human Rights Observation around the G8 Summit (WATCH)

On April 20, 2008, Aomori Prefectural Police and Tokyo Metropolitan Police Public Security Division arrested two Greenpeace Japan activists for theft and trespassing. The activists are accused first of stealing a cardboard box that contained the meat of a whale harvested by a Japanese scientific whaling ship, and which had been stored in a delivery company in Aomori; and secondly they are accused of handing over the stolen whale meat to the Tokyo District Public Prosecutor's Office. The police also searched Greenpeace offices as part of their investigation.

According to the arrested activists, their act was not a mere act of theft or trespassing, rather it was intended as a denouncement of the embezzlement of whale meat by the crew of a scientific whaling ship financed with tax payers' money. Furthermore, the activists had already submitted a report in which they disclosed the details of their plan. Also they had declared that they were willing to appear at the Tokyo District Public Prosecutor's Office anytime. There was therefore no reason to suspect that they would conceal evidence or that they would flee; this removes the justifications for the detention of the two activists.

Despite this lack of legal premises for detention, the Aomori Prefectural Police and the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Public Security Division are still detaining the activists, an act which is unjust, illegal and illegitimate.

This spectacle on the eve of the G8 Summit has provoked expressions of concern in different parts of the society. Both mass media and activists are concerned that the police intend to intimidate the whole civil movement. The evening paper of Niigata Nippo as of June 20th says: "It is disturbing that there could be a link between the arrests and the G8 Summit. The police behavior can be interpreted as a warning against radical civil organisations which do not refrain from illegal acts to achieve their aims. If this assumption is true, it is very alarming (...) The implementation of law should be strict, but with no political intentions."

It is clear that the police intend to intimidate the civil movement before the G8 Summit by carrying out disproportionate control, even if it means risking international protests on the eve of the Summit. The fact that the Public Security Police lead the investigation underlines this stance.

The arrest of the two activists is not only a human rights violation with regard to the unjustifiable arrest, detention and investigation, but also a challenge against the freedom of expression. Police repression against the activists' denunciation obstructs the legitimate activities of both Japanese civil society and international society and is therefore internationally unacceptable and subject to global criticism as an affront to humanity.

The Lawyers' Network for Human Rights Monitoring around the G8 Summit is concerned that this incident will obstruct the use of freedom of speech, the protest activities and the denunciation activities concerning crimes against public interest. It thereby strongly demands that free activities and free spaces granted in the Japanese Constitution de jure be guaranteed de facto.

TAKE ACTION 

 

Posted by michellefrey on 06/27/2008 11:30 am

You may have noticed the news on the Greenpeace website about two activists that were arrested in Japan for their undercover work to expose a stolen whale meat scandal as part of Greenpeace's campaign to save the whales.

These two activists are still in jail and are being detained without a formal charge. In order to put pressure on the Japanese government to release these innocent activists, Greenpeace is having a demonstration at the Japanese Embassy in Washington, DC. I'll be joining them. If you work in the DC area, I encourage you to take a couple minutes on your lunchbreak to join in too. The more people that show up, the better!

--Michelle

 

Posted by greenpeace7 on 06/24/2008 11:29 am

This is a rough translation of the final blog that Junichi Sato wrote before he was arrested in Tokyo for allegedly stealing a box of whale meat, itself stolen from the Japanese taxpayers, that he presented to police as evidence of widescale fraud in the whaling industry:

June 20 2008

Whale Meat Embezzlement News No.11: toward IWC and G8

It is sad but it seems like this is the last update of this blog for a while. Last night TV news reported that Aomori police would arrest us.

As I have been continuously saying publicly, I will keep supporting and helping the investigation of what we have done and of the embezzlement of whale meat by the Nisshin Maru’s crew.

We have been helping the investigation. For example, we gave written reports of what we have done to Aomori police, even before I was asked.

I will continue in this supporting spirit.

One month has passed since we revealed the whale meat embezzlement. We have received many supporting and opposing opinions from many people since then. We were even contacted by someone who had further information about the whale meat embezzlement.

Every opinion and all information is very important. Please keep sending it to us.

As my knowledge of the embezzlement grows deeper and deeper, I have re-realized that the corruption runs deep in the research whaling program, which has been conducted by Amakudai-politicians with more than 10,000,000,000 yen in tax money.

Our arrest was reported when this major corruption began to become clear.

I wish this to be a good chance for the Japanese people to think again about the research whaling with a calm mind.

It is true that the whaling issue is not as famous as many other issues. When the whaling issue is discussed, it tends to conclude something like “Whaling is Japanese culture” ”We do not want to prohibit eating whales by Westerners.”

This kind of cheap and easy discussion has become a curtain for the corruption to hide behind.

We should think, as taxpayers, if there is a necessity to use our tax money to conduct this research whaling, which only a very few people profit from.

I want to ask to hearts of people who has been involved to this embezzlement.

Is it OK to keep being silent?

There are many people who know about it.

There was a whale meat eating party at Nagata-Cho(governmental and political center city) on 11 June. Rich whale meat was served to many invited politicians. The whaling is supposed to be “scientific.” Do you think there is no problem using the byproduct this way?

Japanese whaling will be discussed at the IWC starting from next week. It will be interesting to see how the Japanese government will act.

It is certain that the centre of people’s interest will be if Japan can protect the Southern Ocean cooperated with international bodies.

I believe that the crews of Nisshin Maru should contribute to the non-lethal cetacean research since they have special skills and experiences. I believe this is the positive resolution. Prime Minister Fukuda, what do you think about launching a scientific research proposal which includes the impact of global warming in the Antarctic before G8 meeting?

If Japan really wants to be a leading country in environmental issues, I ask the Japanese government to deal in a way which shift this international conflict to international co-operation.

Please support a true discussion about this whaling issue.

I would appreciate it if you would read all my back blogs about the embezzlement.

I believe and hope the Tokyo Prosecutor’s office will reveal the truth.

Greenpeace Japan

Junichi Sato

Junichi is being held without charge in a small whaling town. Demand his release:
http://members.greenpeace.org/action/start/203/

 

Posted by michellefrey on 06/18/2008 11:34 am

It’s no secret, I hate grocery shopping. It has turned into a weekly chore that I dread and try to get through as quickly as I possibly can. I know I need food to eat for the week, but there are ultimately too many food choices for me to make and too many people cluttering the aisles.

As a consumer, buying up products at the supermarket, I have a say in what kind of products do well or fail miserably. And, now a new Greenpeace report shines a light on how seafood purchases do just that. If supermarkets sell endangered fish, we buy these poor fish and the need to continue fishing for them continues.

It’s amazing how much seafood sales affect the oceans. Greenpeace put together a red list of fish that are in jeopardy. By encouraging supermarkets to keep these fish off the shelves, the oceans can become healthier and more robust. But, I’m sure that’s not an easy task. Supermarkets rely on the bottom line and need to stay profitable.

This is where us consumers can flex our muscles! Even if you hate grocery shopping, like I do, you can pass up the red list fish next time you’re at the supermarket. You can even badger the supermarket manager each time you visit to encourage them to stop selling seafood that is damaging the oceans. It’s worth a try.

Another cool thing I noticed on the Greenpeace site was the ability to check out (pun intended) how your supermarket stacked up in their new report. They looked at what kind of seafood each supermarket sold and how sustainable their purchasing practices were. It looks like all the stores failed, but some failed less miserably than others did.

The oceans seem so vast and limitless. But, when I hear about the destruction that’s going on, I wonder what the heck can I do to help! And, now I’ve found at least one way I can contribute to promoting healthier oceans and a more sustainable future.

-Michelle

 

Posted by jessmil on 05/26/2008 11:10 am

Posted by jessmil on 05/22/2008 11:04 am

When I have time I love standing at the bow and watching the waves. Sometimes hundreds of flying fish rise up out of the water all at once and glide over the surface ahead of our ship for an astonishing distance before disappearing into the big blue. I'm always hoping to see dolphins but I haven't been as lucky as some of the crew - yet. We've seen quite a few birds too and even had a brown footed booby stay with us for 2 days. I was delighted to have an animal on board but the deck crew weren't happy about it at all. By the time the booby left I realised why... the deck underneath the mast at the bow was totally covered in bird poo.

Living and working on board is very different to being on land. Each day, before anyone starts their job - the toilets, showers, alleyways, mess, laundry and lounge all need to be cleaned and everyone is expected to share these duties. On Saturdays we give everything a special, big clean. Sakyo signed up to do the showers last Saturday while I was scrubbing the alleyways. The drains needed to be opened up and this brought out the most disgusting smell I have ever come across. I had to try really hard not resurrect my cheese toastie but Sakyo went right inside one of the showers and closed the door in order to give it a good clean. I thought he might actually die in there and was about to attempt a rescue operation when he surprisingly came out by himself - looking a dodgy shade of green I might add. If anyone is thinking of working on board a Greenpeace ship - my advice to you would be to avoid cleaning showers on Saturdays - at all costs.

Lately I've had a craving for orange juice but haven't seen any since I arrived on board so I went to ask the cook with the cutest face I could possibly muster and managed to get my hands on some grapefruit juice (a triumph in itself!). As I poured myself a cup of liquid gold I immediately attracted several other crew members towards me like honeybees to nectar. It's funny how so many things that you take for granted on land suddenly end up being a treasured rarity at sea. Last night I opened up the fridge and found a bottle of organic orange juice in there. I felt like I had won the jackpot on a slot machine! Perhaps there is an orange juice fairy on board who has finally granted me a wish I have been silently making every morning.

Another treat we had was when the folks on board from Japan and Korea made an Asian feast. I pitched in and Sakyo showed me how to make vegetarian sushi. It's actually a lot easier than I thought and we managed over 30 long rolls with different fishless fillings. The crew absolutely loved it and the cook enjoyed a well deserved evening off.

The ship has been getting a makeover while we've been on the move - and a lot of new paint has gone on (obviously it's important to look good while saving the planet!) but now we're all gearing up for action again. As I write this the paintbrushes are being packed away and Dingo, our helicopter pilot, is pulling the covers off Tweety.

I'd better go and get ready

             - Lisa 

Posted by jessmil on 05/18/2008 12:28 pm

Solomon Islands talk about the impact of overfishing on their country and their lives.

Posted by jessmil on 05/16/2008 12:03 pm

oceans campaigner.

Our work reaches out to the 20 Pacific Island countries in this region to move towards a sustainable and equitable fishery. I am from Fiji and as a Pacific Islander allow me to point out that the Pacific is about to hit a catastrophe with the global tuna industry that could see an end to our poor countries' economy and most importantly the livelihoods of my fellow pacific islanders.

Let me give you some shocking facts about the Pacific and I will tell you a bit about why Greenpeace is here in the Pacific and why we do what we do best and that is confront the truth, tell the world by bearing witness and speak the unspoken.

The Pacific contains the last relatively healthy tuna fishery left in the world. Most of our island countries have nothing else but their huge ocean resources to survive on both as an economic need and an important livelihood that most of our people depend on for survival. The ocean for us defines and makes us who we are and I see that this is slowly being taken away from us.

Posted by jessmil on 05/15/2008 4:18 pm

Posted by jessmil on 05/13/2008 4:19 pm

Posted by jessmil on 05/09/2008 3:04 pm

I was on standby from 5.30am but it wasn't until 11.00am that we we finally got close to the reefer. Being on standby for that long really starts to get to you, The tension and the adrenaline really puts you on the line.

Boats were launched and we took off towards the reefer, radio contact was done already and Lagi our campaign leader came with us. When we arrived at the reefer some of our crew were welcomed on board. The captain and crew were very helpful and even our photographers were allowed on the reefer, which was really nice of the captain. I stayed in the inflatable for a while and bobbed alongside the ship for about 2 hours and then finally the radio contact was made asking me, my wantok Danny (from Papua New Guinea) and Sakyo (a Japanese activist) to also board the ship.

We managed to get on the boat without any mishap and I am still surprised that I actually climbed up that ladder because I am afraid of heights. But with the encouragement from my fellow crew on board the African Queen I managed to climbed up that ladder with shaky knees! Thank you Helena for your patience and encouragement from the rest of the team. We were invited to go down to the cooler which was half full with tuna of various sizes. We climbed down the ladder to document the cargo of tuna in there.

Being in the cooler, I got a close look at all the fish and it made me really sad because the smallest tuna that I could see was the size of my palm. No wonder there is a decline in the tuna stock because these foreigners took whatever size of tuna that they could get their hands on. I was filled with rage when I came out of the cooler I had to sit down for a while to get my emotions back together. In order for the Pacific to have tuna stocks for our children tomorrow we need to act now.

Images © Greenpeace/Paul Hilton

Posted by jessmil on 05/08/2008 4:52 pm

So i have to apologize for not posting recently.  Sadly, my time on the Esperanza has come to a close, for now.  I am back in Washington DC and watching the rest of the tour from here.  As the Esperanza continues to defend the Pacific, I will do my best to keep you all informed.  Let me know if there are questions you have about what I post and I'll do my best to get answers from the crew.  Stand by everyone, this fight is far from over! 

Posted by jessmil on 04/23/2008 5:59 pm

Last night, as the sun was setting, I got my first glimpse of land in 3 weeks. When I woke up, I could see that we were passing islands. The Esperanza pulled into Honiara, Solomon Islands this morning. The ship and crew were greeted with a traditional welcome, which if I hadn't gotten a head's up earlier probably would have scared me, a little. In the challenge part of the welcome, island warriors wave long spears around and scream at you. The entire crew were led by the captain off the ship and the warriors continued screaming and waving the spears. The proper response to this challenge is to hold still and stare straight ahead without a reaction. After a few minutes of challenge, the warriors all walked to one side and the captain walked forward. We had passed the test. There was some press there and a group of men playing pan flute drums to greet us.

Gordon Darcey Lilo the Minister for Environment made a speech welcoming Greenpeace to the Solomons and recognized the work we have been doing in the Pacific Commons. And Joel (the Esperanza's Captain) also made a speech thanking the people of the Solomons for welcoming us.

Afterwards, all those that welcomed us came onboard for a press conference and a look around the ship. Photos from our work in the Pacific over the last few years hung in the helicopter hanger and people seemed to be really interested in them.

We're in Honiara for the rest of the week and there will be an official open boat on Saturday 10:00 to 5:00. If you are in the Solomons be sure to stop by and take a tour of the Esperanza!

Posted by jessmil on 04/20/2008 04:00 am

At 8:30 this morning, I stood on the deck of the Esperanza staring out at a ship in the distance. We had spotted a fishing vessel in international waters and had sent a team to see if they were actually fishing. As the information came in, we learned that it was a purse seiner from the U.S. and it just started to pull in the net. Purse seine vessels surround schools of fish with curtain-like nets to catch tuna. A rope along the bottom of the net is pulled like a drawstring and the whole catch is hauled onboard. A purse seine net can be over one hundred meters long and catch up to 3000 tons of fish in one trip.

We launched the boats immediately and set off towards the U.S. vessel, Cape Finisterre, to give them the same message we had given the Korean fishing vessel, Olympus just a few days earlier. It’s time for international commercial fishing vessels to stop overfishing the Pacific Commons. As we approached, I could see the net being pulled in and loaded on the deck of the ship, it looked massive.

Henry and I, both from activists from the U.S., deployed a banner demanding “Pacific Marine Reserves Now!” as Lagi, our oceans campaigner from Fiji delivered the message via radio to the U.S. purse seiner Captain. The Cape Finisterre continued to pull in their net and reload their skiff (a small boat used to set and retrieve the net when fishing with a purse seine) and seemed to go about their business. We learned over the radio that the vessel would not be leaving the Pacific Commons. Alain, our boat driver moved the boat closer to the Cape Finisterre and Henry and I painted the side of the vessel with the words “Tuna overkill.”

I looked at the hull of the Cape Finisterre with mixed emotions. I was embarrassed because every country that fishes in this region has the scientific data that shows that bigeye and yellowfin tuna are in trouble and they chose to ignore the warnings - including the U.S.. And I felt proud to be here with Greenpeace taking action against overfishing in the Pacific Commons. It’s time for the Cape Finisterre and other ships like it know that the world is watching. We will not let their destruction the tuna population of the Pacific Commons go unreported.

Posted by jessmil on 04/18/2008 11:55 pm

This morning I woke up still pretty sore from spending a whole day in the RHIBS on the open ocean Wednesday. I glanced over at the alarm clock and realized I had more than an hour before I had to get up for breakfast. I looked out the porthole of my cabin and I could see the sky starting to turn bright pink. I could tell it was going to be a beautiful sunrise. I decided to stay in bed a little longer and my mind drifted back to our day of action on the South Pacific.

I thought about how fast the Koren purse seiner was moving next to our boats (doing almost 13 knots), about the fishermen watching us from the deck, the salt water spray that was pelting me in the face but my mind kept flashing back to the flying fish that were escorting us to the Korean purse seiner.

We launched the boats from the Esperanza with almost a 30 minute ride ahead of us. About half way through, a flying fish shot out of the water, flew for what seemed like forever and then shot back into the water. A few seconds later, a few more flying fish came up for a flight and dove back into the ocean. This continued for a while with varying size to the groups that joined us on our trip to the fishing vessel.

It felt good to have a few of the locals accompany us that morning. Being in the middle of the ocean, you can go for hours and sometimes days without any visible sealife. That morning, the flying fish were a nice reminder that we aren't just fighting for the tuna. That we are fighting for the health of this ocean and all of the things that live in the delicate balance of these eco-systems.

Flying fish are found in all the major oceans, mainly in the tropical and subtropical waters of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans. Their pectoral fins are unusually large and what allows them to take flight above the water. The fish usually fly out of the water to escape from predators such as tunas, swordfish, mahi mahi and other larger fish.

 

Posted by jessmil on 04/17/2008 03:29 am

Today I witnessed the kind of fishing practices that are threatening to drive the tuna fisheries in the South Pacific to near collapse. In a time span shorter than a normal day at work, I witnessed both a purse seiner and a FAD (Fish Aggregation Device) both set in international waters, both by foreign vessels.

At 9am, a Korean purse seiner appeared a short distance from the Esperanza. After Tweety went up to confirm the location and nature of the fishing vessel, we launched two boats and headed to the Korean purse seiner. Our Korean translator contacted the fishing vessel and informed them they must immediately leave the area we are defending as a no-take marine reserve. While the conversation appeared to be very polite, the only change I noticed was the vessel speeding up and the crew seeming to be getting their fire hoses ready. As the crew from the Korean ship came out on deck, we deployed banners demanding an end to the overfishing of the Pacific Commons. As we arrived back at the ship, the crew told us they had spotted a FAD while the boats were out with the Korean purse seiner. The boats were sent out once again, this time with a dive team ready to document the FAD.

Following the documentation, the Esperanza confiscated the FAD by hauling it onboard. This was no small feat as the FAD was more than 80 meters long.

While we have no idea how many of these devices there are out here, tonight we can all go to bed knowing there will be one less.

The seven hours I spent in the hot equatorial sun of the South Pacific have left me exhausted, a little bruised and very determined. I am grateful to be here in the South Pacific as the Esperanza fights to defend the Pacific Commons from overfishing.

Posted by jessmil on 04/15/2008 11:47 pm

Big news here in the South Pacific today. The president of Palau announced the Fisheries Protection Act of 2008. With an acknowledgment that large scale fishing operations are responsible for the decline of the world’s fish stocks, especially tuna, President Remengesau has proposed a bill that would protect migratory fish in Palau’s waters. The proposed bill would prohibit the commercial export of fish like tuna, billfish, and sharks from Palau and would ban foreign fishing vessels from Palau waters.

“If these activities are allowed to continue unchecked, the world faces the collapse of the marine ecosystem that supports the planet. It is Palau’s obligation as an international leader in environmental conservation to take this step,” the president said.

Catching these fish and exporting them on a non-commercial basis would still be allowed. And foreign fishing companies that already hold permits would be allowed to continue to fish until their agreements expire in 2012. Afterwards, no foreign fishing vessels would be allowed to enter Palau’s waters to fish.

President Remengesau hopes the bill will help leave these fish for the Palauan people and possibly develop the sport-fishing industry of Palau. But this is not the first time Palau has been a champion for oceans. In 2006, Palau signed into law a ban on bottom trawling and called for a moratorium on bottom trawling for the Pacific at the opening session of the United Nations Working Group on Marine Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction.

While the president acknowledges that the government might lose money when it loses its revenue from commercial permits in the beginning of 2012, it seems he is hoping it can be made up in donations.He thinks that the money will be made up in donations by environmental organizations. The proposed piece of legislation even sets up a trust fund to accept these donations.

Posted by jessmil on 04/06/2008 11:13 pm

Actually published April 13, 2008

We have finally left the Lautoka Wharf. I've only been with the ship for a few days at dock but I think I'm so anxious to start sailing that it has felt much longer. We took a RHIB out to photograph the departure of the ship and I was able to be crew for the short trip. We were only on the water for about an hour but I was grateful to be able to watch the ESPY pull away from the dock. Sunday is supposed to be day off for the crew so most people will do their own thing today. My bag arrived 2 hours before we had to be on the ship for customs. I'm thinking it's about time for me to finally get settled in my cabin.

Posted by jessmil on 04/03/2008 11:07 pm

Actually published April 13, 2008

Last night was my first night onboard the Esperanza.  I arrived to the ship around 4 pm, it turned out they had actually pulled in earlier in the day and had been in Lautoka for a few hours already.  It was really nice to meet the people that I will be living and working with for the next month and to see a few familiar faces from time I have spent on the ships before.  After dinner, I tried to keep my eyeballs open for a few more hours in an attempt to get over my jet lag.

This morning, I woke up, went out onto the deck for a bit and read. As ports go, Lautoka is beautiful and it was a really nice place to start my day. After breakfast, everyone that was just joining the ship met up for introductions and then we got a tour of the ESPY. The ship seems so big and kind like a maze to me at this point.

I've spent the last few hours on the phone trying to track down my luggage. The ship is set to depart on Saturday and I'm really hoping that I'm able to get my bag by then. Otherwise, I might have to spend some time tomorrow exploring my options for clothing in Nadi.

Posted by jessmil on 04/02/2008 10:44 pm

Actually published April 13, 2008 

I finally arrived in Fiji this morning! My flight was delayed a bit and wouldn't you know it, despite a 4 hour layover in LA my bag didn't make it onto the plane to Nadi. That aside, I was very happy to land here in Fiji and even happier to have one of my colleagues here in Fiji at the airport to pick me up. The Esperanza is set to pull into Lautoka this afternoon and I'm very excited to see her. I've spent a little time on the Arctic Sunrise but this will be my first time setting eyes on the Esperanza. I've been dreaming about her for weeks.

After a short drive to Lautoka, I was dropped me off at the hotel so that I could make an attempt at getting rid of my jet lag before the rest of the crew showed up. I had a small breakfast at the little restaurant they have at the hotel and then went back to room for some much-needed shuteye. I woke up a few hours later and decided to head into town. I was looking to see if I could exchange some money and maybe buy something a little lighter than a black dress to wear until my luggage arrives.The town of Lautoka is a busy town with plenty of places to shop, tourist centers, jewelry stores and restaurants. The people are incredibly friendly and it's not unusual for visitors to be greeted with a “Bula” as they pass on the street.

I'll be joining the Esperanza for the next few weeks. This is my first time onboard one of our ships for more than a week or so and I just can't wait. I can remember being in High School and my sister and I sitting on our beds thinking of ways we could convince Greenpeace to let us on one of their zodiacs.Fifteen years later, here I am about to join one of our ships. I can’t find the right words to describe exactly how I'm feeling but I promise to my best to describe it over the next few weeks.

Posted by jhocevar on 03/08/2008 1:09 pm

Remember Omega Protein, the Houston-based company that has been turning millions of pounds of Chesapeake Bay fish into cat food, fertilizer, and chicken feed?  Omega targets menhaden, which has been dubbed "the most important fish in the world" for it's role as food for everything from whales to striped bass as well as it's value as a dead zone-fighting filter feeder.  Well, it's not just a Chesapeake problem, or even just an Atlantic one - Omega takes as much or even more menhaden out of the Gulf of Mexico.  Fishermen and environmentalists have been raising concerns about Omega's operations in the Gulf for a long time, especially about the enormous amount of bycatch they take.  Along with all those menhaden, the fleet vacuums up highly desirable sportfish like red drum and snapper and even some sharks.

Fortunately, the great state of Texas is responding to concerns and taking some important baby steps towards holding Omega accountable.  Measures are under consideration which could cap the amount of menhaden the company could take from Texas waters, and force Omega to allow independent fisheries observers on their boats.  If you ask me, Texas should just kick Omega out completely, but... this is still a good move in the right direction.

 

Together with Aaron from Gulf Restoration Network, Tom Wheatley from Marine Fish Conservation Network, and Jim Smarr from the Recreational Fishermen's Alliance, I met with Robin Riechers, the Science and Policy Director of TX Parks and Wildlife's Coastal Fisheries Division.  He's also the point person for TX on the Gulf Regional Fishery Mgt Council. 

Robin seemed impressed to see enviros working alongside sportfishing groups, but couldn't promise us much.  The state is waiting to hear from more people on this before they take action.  We know they're hearing from Omega, which is calling out all the stops trying to prevent any regulation of their fishery (as usual).  If you live in Texas, drop them a line and let them know you agree that the fishery needs a hard catch limit, with observers on board.  And while they're at it, they should ban spotter planes too - fishing with airplanes?  Come on! 

Thanks for reading -

John H

 

 

Posted by michellefrey on 02/27/2008 08:56 am

On the last day of the Boston Seafood Show our school of fish gave out awards to those dealers with the most unsustainable fishery practices. After being at the show for three days, it was pretty clear who the worst ocean offenders were.

Our school of fish went up to each of the winner’s booths and congratulated them on their award and slapped the award up on their booth. “I’m a dying species,” said the bluefin tuna, “I give you this award on behalf of my fellow fish and ask you to improve your practices so my family will be saved.”

Many of the winners were really happy at first when they received their award. They smiled and thanked us. But, their faces quickly turned grim when they actually read the award and the offenses they were being charged with.

“We’ve been looking everywhere for you,” said the orange roughy. “You better get a good look at us, take a picture even, because we won’t be around much longer.”

 
It was clear that we had gotten our message across. People took pictures and gathered around the booths while the awards were given out. Our activity is sure to have a ripple effect as the unsustainable seafood awards story makes its way around the offices of the seafood dealers and sellers.

Other than smelling like a giant fish stick by the end of three days at the Boston Seafood Show, I also took away some interesting information. We talked to many, many people from all corners of the seafood business. And, most, if not all of them agreed that sustainable seafood practices were absolutely the way to go. But, they insisted they were sustainable, themselves. They were quick to point the finger at other dealers and sellers and tell us how “green” they were.

But, that logic just didn’t make sense. The first step in a recovery process is to admit the problem at hand. We haven’t quite gotten there with the seafood sellers, but at least we started a dialog with them. And, now they know that Greenpeace (and it’s awesome supporters) are keeping an eye on them – holding them accountable to be better stewards for the ocean environment.

Ocean protection starts with all of us. We need to succeed because our oceans are in serious trouble and need our help to survive.

--Michelle

 

Posted by michellefrey on 02/26/2008 2:48 pm

 

Yesterday, we pulled out the karaoke machine and our endangered fish sang their hearts out! They were singing to save their species from destructive fishing, tuning in to the seafood buyers and sellers as they walked by the Greenpeace booth.

As you can see from the photo, this orange roughy is giving the song all she’s got. As she tailored the words to “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” to “Fish Just Wanna Stay Alive” visitors to our booth got the message loud and clear.

These fish also have a message for you… You can help too. Greenpeace needs to find out what seafood is being sold in your grocery stores. Are they selling fish from the Greenpeace Red List? Do they have a sustainable seafood policy? We need you to be our eyes and ears in you community.

I took the survey to my grocery store a couple of weeks ago and it was really easy. I just printed out the survey that we have posted online. I walked up to the seafood counter with my survey and my trusty pen. Then, I scanned the fish in the glass display, referencing the fish on my survey. If I saw a fish on the survey that was also in my store, I knew I had just obtained information that could help Greenpeace with their seafood campaign.

I even put the call out to my friends and family to help. My mom goes to the grocery store a couple times a week. So, she was excited to help out. She said she was nervous that someone was going to ask her what she was doing checking out their seafood, but no one actually did. She was a super sleuth and you can be a super sleuth too.

It really takes about 10-20 minutes to scan your seafood counter and frozen fish cases.

Our singing fishes will croon for you – if you can spare the time to help out!

 

Posted by michellefrey on 02/25/2008 11:45 am

 

 

On the second day of the Boston Seafood Show I decided to walk around to the other booths to see what was on display. To my surprise, one dealer had a banner advertising shark fin! I also found many examples of other fish from the Greenpeace red list including orange roughy, monkfish and swordfish.

So far, the people here have been very friendly to us. Our ocean campaigners are talking with them and seeing some common ground. The seafood sellers and dealers recognize the need for healthy oceans and sustainable practices. For the most part, they don’t disagree with us there. Where our campaigners are seeing a divide is on the way to get from how they are doing business now to how to get to a more sustainable business. We are trying to talk to them to bridge that gap. We are continuing to get our perspective out there and continue to push for more sustainable fisheries.

People are also really enjoying our fish costumes. Many have stopped by to ask if they can try it on and have their picture taken – glady!

Later on this afternoon our booth will be filled with a school of singing fish! That’s right, our fish are feeling musically inclined. They will belt out tunes on the Greenpeace karaoke machine, tailoring the words slightly to hit our target audience.

Stay tuned for pictures of the singing fish – you won’t want to miss that.

--Michelle