Greenpeace campaigners attempted to free endangered bluefin tuna from a fishing net in the Mediterranean Sea this afternoon.
Using high-speed inflatable boats, they tried to manoeuvre the net to allow the fish, some of the last remaining bluefin in the ocean, to escape.
However, their attempts were met with fierce resistance from the French tuna fishing vessel. They were soon joined by other tuna ships.
Two Greenpeace inflatables were sunk after being slashed with knives and run over and a grappling hook was shot through the leg of one campaigner. The injuries to the campaigner, Frank Hewetson from London, are not life threatening, although he is being rushed to hospital on land.
Oliver Knowles of Greenpeace, onboard the Rainbow Warrior in the Mediterranean, said:
"Greenpeace is shutting down this fishing operation to protect our oceans and the future of the bluefin tuna. We are taking action where politicians and fisheries managers have not.
"Many, including Greenpeace, have warned for years that without urgent action, the bluefin will disappear."
Greenpeace is demanding that the region's bluefin fishery be closed immediately to allow the species time to recover from decades of overfishing. Additionally, they are also asking for bluefin spawning grounds to be set aside as part of a large network of protected marine reserves.
Globally, over 90% of large fish, such as tuna, have disappeared from our oceans, and some scientists warn that all commercial fisheries could collapse in the coming decades.
Greenpeace is campaigning for a global network of marine reserves- areas of ocean off-limits to fishing, mining, drilling and other extractive activities to cover 40 percent of the world's oceans, including the Mediterranean.
For more information, contact:
Oliver Knowles, Greenpeace International oceans campaigner (onboard the Rainbow Warrior) +31 20 712 2675
Marta San Roman, Greenpeace Communications (onboard the Arctic Sunrise), +31 20 712 2616
Steve Smith, Greenpeace International communications +31 643 787 359
Greenpeace UK press office: 020 7865 8255
