Posted by jossc — 8 May 2007 at 10:57am
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Follow the crew of the Arctic Sunrise on their campaign for Marine Reserves in our North Sea Tour blog
Marlin, swordfish, tuna, snapper, sea bass and cod. What have they all got in common, apart from the obvious? Well, they are all large predatory species which occupy the top spot (or close to it) in the food chain in their respective neigbourhoods. Or at least they used to. Last November, an international group of ecologists and economists, led by Boris Worm of Dalhousie University, published a study that made headlines around the world.
Life on a ship is special, there's nothing else like it.
You're thrown together with a small group of people in a small space, in a big void. In these conditions you get to know people much faster than you usually do in normal life. I've met a lot of people onboard who I really like, and I know I'm going to miss when I leave the ship. And then, of course, I've encountered one or two who I like a bit less.
I've visited places I hadn't been to before - Bergen and the Shetlands so far - and done the things I came here to do - bobbed around in a dry-suit in front of a trawler, holding a 'Cod in Crisis' sign to get the message out that the North Sea needs marine reserves.
Posted by Willie — 6 May 2007 at 9:00am
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Follow the crew of the Arctic Sunrise on their campaign for Marine Reserves in our North Sea Tour blog
A couple of rock doves passed over the Arctic Sunrise this morning, heading for nearby cliffs on Fetlar. These birds are typically found on cliffs like those around Shetland, but are probably better known as the feral pigeons that have colonised the artificial cliffs we have built in our towns and cities.
On Friday morning we left the shelter of Shetland, where we had spent a day at anchor in a secluded bay off the northerly island of Fetlar. I've never been there before, but it was a lovely spot to stop. We didn't go onto land, which was a shame because some of the crew had been practising their ceilidh dancing especially since we were headed towards Scotland's most northerly isles.
Posted by Willie — 4 May 2007 at 3:00pm
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Follow the crew of the Arctic Sunrise on their campaign for Marine Reserves in our North Sea Tour blog
Since we left Fetlar we have engaged with a lot of fishing vessels north of Shetland, mostly Scottish boats but also German and Norwegian. Where possible we have tried to communicate with them, particularly those involved in catching cod, either as a target species or as bycatch. And we have had some interesting conversations with them.
Posted by Willie — 4 May 2007 at 12:00pm
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Follow the crew of the Arctic Sunrise on their campaign for Marine Reserves in our North Sea Tour blog
We often talk about 'destructive' fisheries on the oceans campaign - so I thought it was maybe time I explained what that means when we talk about cod. A purist could say that all fishing is destructive, in that it destroys the fishes' life at least, I guess.
Out on the North Sea, aside from the vessels and the oil platforms we pass, we're always surrounded by life. And no, I don't just mean the ship's crew.
North Sea cod stocks are in crisis; it has been classified as a ‘threatened and declining
species’ since 2002. Unless a fishing ban is implemented, cod will become commercially extinct in the very near future.
This report explains what needs to be done to tackle the cod crisis, including "a zero catch" allowance and the creation of marine reserves.
Posted by jossc — 2 May 2007 at 11:02am
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Follow the crew of the Arctic Sunrise on their campaign for Marine Reserves in our North Sea Tour blog
The Arctic Sunrise is currently in Bergen, on the west coast of Norway, to stock up on essential supplies and for some crew changeovers. I'm one of a five-strong contingent from the Greenpeace UK office who arrived here late on Sunday night after a 30-hour ferry trip from Newcastle and I'll be your webmaster for the second half of our North Sea Marine Reserves Tour.
