Greenpeace has accused industrial fishing of posing a significant threat to marine biodiversity, citing the alarming rate at which endangered sharks are being killed in the Pacific. According to Greenpeace, their activists, on board the Rainbow Warrior, observed a Spanish vessel, the Playa Zahara, engaged in longline fishing operations in the South Fiji Basin. Georgia Whitaker, a senior campaigner with Greenpeace Australia Pacific who was present during the operation, witnessed the killing of three endangered mako sharks within half an hour. She and a small team, including a trained shark handler, approached the Spanish vessel and freed 14 animals caught on its line, including eight nearly threatened blue sharks, four swordfish, and an endangered longfin mako shark. They also removed over 210 hooks and 20km of longline. Whitaker described the event as devastating, emphasizing the struggle of the sharks and the aftermath of their deaths.
The vessel’s crew claimed to have acted legally, primarily targeting swordfish. Data from the European Union to the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission shows that the Playa Zahara caught over 600,000kg of blue shark in 2023 in the Pacific Southwest. Patricia Rodríguez, a spokesperson for Viverdreams Fish, the company owning Playa Zahara, defended the operations as compliant with international law, stating that capturing species like the mako shark and blue shark was not prohibited and was within allowed quotas. Rodríguez accused Greenpeace of disinformation, alleging violations of maritime laws, theft of fishing gear, and risks posed to the crews.
According to Greenpeace’s analysis, nearly half a million blue sharks were caught as bycatch in the Pacific Ocean last year, marking the highest number recorded since 1991. The organization advocates for the ratification of the high seas biodiversity treaty, which Australia signed but has not yet ratified. A treaty requiring 60 countries for ratification to enter into force has, as of yet, seen only 32 countries ratify it. Shark fishing is a lucrative global trade, valued at an estimated $1 billion annually, with the global demand for shark meat doubling in the past two decades. Dr. Leonardo Guida, a shark scientist with the Australian Marine Conservation Society, expressed concern over the exploitation level, noting the threat of extinction faced by a third of shark and ray species globally. He emphasized the importance of sharks in the ecosystem and the potential consequences of their loss to food security and ecosystem stability. Guida advocated for the establishment of no-take marine sanctuaries as crucial for preserving marine life and understanding ecosystem responses to overfishing and climate change. These sanctuaries serve as essential for comparing impacted areas with protected ones, aiding in the resilience of ocean wildlife and informed fishery management.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/jun/06/endangered-sharks-being-killed-at-alarming-levels-in-pacific-greenpeace-claims-after-cutting-20km-of-vessels-longline-ntwnfb
