On 28 October, 2006, Greenpeace's Suva Local Group held a pirate awareness day at Suva port's Stinson Bridge. Docked just a few metres away was the Mahkota Abadi, a pirate vessel that was under investigation after repainting its name in port. The ship's previous name was Wen Teng No 688, a known pirate fishing ship.
In June 2006, Fiji hosted the World Music Festival in Suva. The festival aims to develop environmental programs through music. Artists from around the world joined regional talent for the popular event. For some of the 15,000-strong audience, it was a chance to speak out about overfishing in the Pacific. Many signed a Greenpeace petition to the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission, calling for a reduction of fishing to help tuna stocks recover.
Greenpeace was involved with the recent Tadra Kahani, which took place in Fiji. Tadra means dream in Fijian and Kahani means story in Hindi. The Tadra Kahani is similar to a rock eisteddfod. At the Tadra Kahani a variety of schools helped raise awareness about the region’s tuna stocks being depleted by using this theme in their dances. View images from the dances.
Traditional fishing in the Pacific Islands. With 70 per cent of the world's fisheries fully exploited, overexploited or depleted, we must protect the Pacific against increasing numbers of foreign industrial fishing vessels and pirate fishers.
Traditional fishers in the Marshall Islands are being overtaken by large, foreign, industrial fleets. Large foreign fishing fleets take close to two million tonnes of Pacific fish each year. The following slideshow features images from the the fishing practices in this region.
