fishing

Tuna are fish, and they are wild animals. But to many people, they are simply understood as food. It can be a bit confusing when the short hand of ‘tuna’ is used, as it covers a whole family of species, from the relatively-tiddly and widespread skipjack, right up to the majestic but beleaguered bluefins.

Every ten years the European Union’s set of laws on fishing, the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), gets an overhaul. Today sees that process get its final approval and rubber-stamping from Members of the European Parliament, as they formally approve the last piece of legislation. So it’s a good time to pause and take stock on what CFP reform means, and why this time round has been a game-changer.

We know climate change is the biggest threat facing our planet, which is why it is Greenpeace’s priority campaign across the world. Today’s report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)’s highlights the enormous impacts and consequences climate change is having on our oceans. This must act as a wake-up call for everyone who depends on, or cares about our oceans and the vast array of life within them.

These are the most important messages from report - and they mean for our oceans.

Have you heard the one about Greenpeace controlling the French Navy? No, me neither. But you might be forgiven for being confused by some recent reports about the Russian trawler seized in West Africa.

Pirate fishing is a big problem. Sometimes it’s fishing over quota (catching more than you should, or species that you shouldn’t), sometimes it’s fishing in ways or places you shouldn’t. Overfishing may seem like a victimless crime – but it isn’t, and the ultimate effect is bad news for our oceans, the creatures that live in them, and the humans whose livelihoods or future food source depends on them.

Q: when is a fishing boat not a fishing boat?

A: when it’s actually a floating factory.

No, it’s not a good joke. It’s not much of a joke at all.

When I was little, salmon and shrimps were posh, fancy food, served up at celebrations and the like. Fast forward a few decades and both of those have descended to becoming everyday food, available in pre-packed sandwiches and cheap meals in every supermarket.

But cheap and available at what real cost?