Environmental activists disrupt Brussels seafood conference

Greenpeace activists have disrupted a major trade conference in Brussels in a protest over tuna fishing.

More than 80 campaigners from 15 countries forced the closure of exhibition stands of five large tuna suppliers at the European seafood exhibition.

Activists chained themselves to stands and covered them with fishing nets and erected banners in 13 languages saying; 'Time and Tuna running out'.

The protest was aimed at companies who are being urged to stop trading in threatened bluefin, yellowfin and bigeye tuna until stocks recover. The European commission is among those which have expressed concern about over fishing of tuna in parts of the Mediterranean.

A large banner with the same message was hung from the front of the Brussels Expo, the venue staging the three-day event.

A message was also broadcast through the exhibition halls' public address systems urging traders to buy only sustainably-caught seafood.

"These companies are major players in the tuna industry and are jointly destroying tuna stocks by over fishing and using destructive fishing methods", said Sebastian Losada, of Greenpeace.

"Blatant over fishing will lead to commercial extinction of many tuna stocks in the near future unless urgent action is taken."

"Tuna stocks are at a critically low level with too many vessels fishing for too few fish. High levels of by catch of other marine life is a serious problem", said Losada.

"If the industry doesn't shift towards sustainable seafood there will simply be no fish left to trade, and their businesses will be closed forever."

Greenpeace has recently contacted leading retailers and bulk users of seafood to ask them to ensure what they sell is legal, sustainable and fair.

Losada added, "Greenpeace is disappointed to see that while some retailers are now in the process of implementing sustainable seafood policies there remains a very high volume of unsustainable seafood on offer at this important trade show.”

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