Every year on the 21 November fishing communities around the world celebrate World Fisheries Day and remind us that we need to ensure a healthy oceans ecosystem with plenty more fish swimming in the sea. More than two-thirds of the world’s fisheries have been overfished and unsustainable fishing methods like bottom trawling or the use of FAD's (Fish Aggregation Devices) threaten to deplete fish stocks.
Our pictures show the workings of the tuna industry, document unsustainable fishing methods as well as small scale fisheries around the world. We are campaigning for John West's recommitment to the elimination of FAD's from its tuna sourcing and have teamed up with NUTFA (New Under Tens Fishermen's Association) in the UK to promote sustainable fishing.
Boy playing on the beach at sunset in the fishing village Te O Ni Beeki in Betio, on Tarawa Island. Since the arrival of foreign fishing vessels in Kiribati waters, the catches for the local fishermen have been reduced.
© Christian Åslund / Greenpeace 2014
A yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) breaks the surface of the Pacific Ocean.
© Paul Hilton / Greenpeace 2015
Greenpeace activists prepare to board illegal fishing vessel Shuen De Ching No 888. Greenpeace is in the Pacific to expose out of control tuna fisheries. Tuna fishing has been linked to shark finning, overfishing and human rights abuses.
© Paul Hilton / Greenpeace 2015
Albacore tuna is stacked and weighed before being shipped to American Samoa to be used for canned tuna.
© Paul Hilton / Greenpeace 2015
A stunning two-storey sculpture is erected outside tuna company John West’s HQ to highlight the company’s destructive fishing practices and to protest against John West’s owner Thai Union’s links to human rights abuses.
© Kristian Buus / Greenpeace 2015
Greenpeace activists place a large mock-up of a SEALECT canned tuna in front of the Thai Union Headquarters, in Bangkok, to challenge the company to change their practices which harm the environment and are linked to human rights and labour abuses.
© Baramee Temboonkiat / Greenpeace 2015
Local communities, Greenpeace supporters, volunteers and staff joined "I Love My Ocean Camp II" at Pak Klong Keaw village, Prachuap Khiri Khan province, Thailand, to create nursery facility for marine animals.
© Chanklang Kanthong / Greenpeace 2015
Amina, a fisher, waits for the low tide to start fishing for crabs in Pemba, Quirimbas, northern Mozambique.
© Francisco Rivotti 2013
Albatross sitting on a FAD in the Mozambique Channel, Indian Ocean.
© Pierre Baelen / Greenpeace 2015
Artisanal fishermen set off in their dhow from Nosy-be, Madagascar,
© Pierre Baelen / Greenpeace 2015
Local fisherman on his boat, Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh, India.
© Shailendra Yashwant / Greenpeace 2004
The Greenpeace Coastal Champions Boat Tour ends with a grand finale in Hayle. Greenpeace and Nutfa travelled around the UK to campaign for fairer quotas for local fishermen. Pictured are actor Caroline Catz, fisher Jules Martin, John Sauven Executive Director Greenpeace UK, Dave Cuthbert NUTFA, and artist Kurt Jackson.
© Janie Airey / Greenpeace 2015
Various flags can be seen during the Rising Tide boat tour in Swansea, Wales
© SWNS / Greenpeace 2015