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Sharks have been around for hundreds of millions of years, and they protect incredible ocean ecosystems like coral reefs and seagrass beds. Humans are destroying them. Here's how - and what we can do to protect them.
#sharkawarenessday
#fishforwardeu
🚨 One week to go until our webinar on May 3rd 🚨
Join us and global experts in conversation on illegal fishing and human rights abuses by China's distant-water fleet, and what we can do to help improve
#transparency
in fisheries.
Sign up here:
A boat where four crew members died in appalling circumstances was also shark finning, at a rate of up to 20 per day while at sea for 13 continuous months. Human rights abuses and environmental destruction at sea must end - greater transparency can help.
Sharks are being targeted by vessels fishing illegally, which is having devastating impacts on ecosystems and threatening many species with extinction. Here's how to fix it.
#fishforwardeu
A quarter of shark & ray species are at risk of extinction. Better monitoring of their populations, greater
#transparency
for fisheries & a high seas treaty to protect the ocean are all urgently needed to save these vital species.
#FishForwardEU
Breaking: a very rare shark, a megamouth, has been identified by EJF's community science programme in Liberia. It's only the 103rd megamouth ever seen, and the second in West Africa. We must protect
#oceans
as we don't know what's out there.
#fishforwardeu
⚠️ Fisheries that millions of Ghanaians depend on are at risk of collapse.
This is driven by rampant illegal fishing and overfishing by Chinese-owned trawlers. A culture of corruption has allowed it to go unpunished.
Our new investigation is out now 👇
Widespread abuse and illegal fishing remains rampant in Taiwan's distant water fleet:
➡️ 24% of crew reported physical abuse
➡️ 92% reported wages being withheld
➡️ shark finning reported on half the vessels
New investigation from us:
We urgently need greater
#transparency
in the fishing sector.
“This is the only way we can be sure that we, as consumers, don’t end up eating slave-caught fish and driving the destruction of our ocean”, says
@steventrent
.
Our new investigation of China's distant water fleet 📽️
Good news: Greenland has suspended oil exploration, saying "the future belongs to renewable energy".
The age of fossil fuels is over. Governments should use every power at their disposal to build a cleaner, safer, global
#CircularEconomy
.
BREAKING 🎣🚨
Our investigations have found the 🇨🇳 fishing fleet is responsible for systemic illegal fishing & human rights abuses in the Southwest Indian Ocean (SWIO).
These findings undercut China’s claims of supporting sustainable development in the region.
Our investigations have found horrific abuses of crew and ocean wildlife on board the Chinese distant-water fleet.
🇨🇳 and market states must do more to hold perpetrators accountable and ensure products linked to these abuses do not make it to supermarket shelves.
🎥
Today is
#WorldReefDay
. If we don't rapidly cut emissions, there might not be many more: 99% of corals could be lost by 2050 at 2°C of global heating.
To protect corals and the extraordinary
#wildlife
they are home to, it's time for ambitious, sustained
#ClimateAction
.
"It's wrong, it's been proven, and therefore we must abstain."
French Ambassador
@O_Poivre_dArvor
and German Commissioner for the Ocean
@OceanUnger
explain why they oppose deep-sea mining, and call on other nations to "raise their voice" in opposition too 📽️
#DefendTheDeep
🎙️ Upcoming webinar on May 3rd: join us and global experts in illegal fishing and associated human rights abuses to explore the scale and impacts of the Chinese distant-water fleet - and how simple reforms for
#transparency
are essential.
Sign up here:
"I am terrified about where society is heading right now.
The climate crisis is being caused by the fossil fuel industry which has been lying to us for decades.
The only way out of this emergency is to stop fossil fuels as quickly as we can." -
@ClimateHuman
#PeoplesCOP27
Success for sustainable
#fisheries
! Liberia has refused licenses to a fleet of Chinese supertrawlers, which would have taken nearly twice the nation's sustainable catch of key species. This protects local livelihoods and marine ecosystems.
#FishForwardEU
One of our most popular videos this year was
@gordonjbuchanan
explaining why commercial wildlife markets must be banned to protect us from pandemics and wildlife from exploitation and cruelty. Help us shut them down by signing here:
The Maasai people are defending their ancestral land against the Tanzanian government, who want to use the land for a luxury hunting and safari company. The government has falsely claimed that the environment has been degraded by overpopulation.
Bottom trawling in marine protected areas is highly damaging for wildlife and our climate.
If this destructive form of fishing continues in the places which should be allowing wildlife to recover, they are little more than lines on a map.
“Women are the strongest pillar.” This
#InternationalWomensDay
we are celebrating the amazing female fishmongers of Liberia. These women make up over half fisheries workers and are a crucial to building sustainable fisheries in Liberia.
#fishforwardEU
Our investigations have found horrific abuses of crew and ocean wildlife on board the Chinese distant-water fleet.
We must shed a light on these crimes by holding the perpetrators of these abuses accountable and ensuring the seafood on our shelves are abuse-free.
🎥:
Dolphins are being deliberately targeted by Taiwanese fishing vessels to use as bait to catch sharks, as this footage reveals. Greater
#transparency
, including remote electronic monitoring through cameras, is needed to stop these crimes and protect
#wildlife
.
#FishForwardEU
Trans-shipment, the exchange of fish at sea, allows serious human rights and environmental abuses to go undetected and unchecked.
It should only happen under very close monitoring. Transparency is a vital first step towards a healthy, sustainable ocean. Here's why 👇
The UK's woodlands are reaching a "crisis point", with plantations dominant and 93% in poor condition. Thriving forests are important for
#wildlife
, tackling the
#ClimateCrisis
& our happiness. Planting new trees cannot replace protecting existing forests.
How do you know the fish on your plate wasn't caught by a slave?
Without
#transparency
, you can't. The Chinese distant water fishing fleet is responsible for shocking human rights abuses and environmental destruction. We need action now. Our new report:
Illegal, unreported & unregulated (
#IUU
) fishing devastates our
#ocean
and enables horrific human rights abuses.
On the International Day to
#FightIUUFishing
, we call on global governments to introduce
#transparency
measures to end illegal fishing & protect people and planet.🧵
Upcoming webinar: join us on May 3rd to discuss illegal fishing and human rights abuses in China's distant water fishing fleet.
We'll be talking about how
#transparency
, innovation and collaboration can resolve these problems.
Sign up to join us here:
🚨 NEW PETITION 🚨
EJF is calling on the UK Government to protect our ocean and commit to stop deep-sea mining before it starts.
You can use your voice to help us take a stand by joining our call to
#DefendTheDeep
.
Sign the petition👇
Whales keep our ocean healthy, and make sure that
#BlueCarbon
stays locked up in the ocean. They are a key ally in the fight against the
#ClimateCrisis
. For them to protect us, we need to look after them. Sign our open letter to
#KeepItInTheSea
:
Good news: turtle nesting season in Ghana is underway 🐢🥳
Our turtle patrollers sent us this video today, celebrating the start of the season and hoping for more growth in turtle populations this year 🎥
#HealthyTurtlesHealthyOceans
@sciencemuseum
Will the exhibition also examine the lack of consent from Indigenous people affected by Adani's plans in India and Australia, Adani breaking environmental laws, and the massive climate impact of their huge coal extraction plans?
Flags of convenience are a massive loophole in fisheries governance, allowing vessel owners to sail under a foreign flag to avoid stricter regulations in their home country.
Too often, illegal fishing is allowed to sail under the radar. We must end the use of these flags.
If the EU wants to cut carbon emissions, protect
#wildlife
, and prevent the potentially irreversible destruction of key habitats, there's one simple step to make massive progress on all these goals: ban bottom trawling in Marine Protected Areas.
It's time for action. New EJF 📽️
Dear world leaders:
The ocean is our greatest climate ally. It needs you to be an ocean ally. At
@COP26
this year, will you stand up for the ocean, and protect Earth's life support systems? It's now or never. Time to act.
Sign the call for action:
Those responsible for illegal fishing and human rights abuses must be held accountable.
#Transparency
in global fisheries supply chains is essential, to protect people,
#wildlife
and the ocean. Our new investigation:
To offset the worst of the
#ClimateCrisis
, we need genuine net-zero by 2035, not accounting tricks but a real, rapid end to our reliance on carbon.
Our new Climate Manifesto is a roadmap to a sustainable future. Read it here:
We must stop the plundering of
#wildlife
sanctuaries for short-term gain.
Bottom trawling is devastating for our ocean, and for all of us too: it releases huge amounts of carbon into the atmosphere. It has no place in any Marine Protected Area. Our new short film 🎥
Trans-shipment allows vessels to stay out at sea for months or even years, avoiding inspections in the process. This means they can plunder our oceans undetected, and human rights abuses are harder to track.
Our short film on this activity:
“It didn’t matter whether the shark was big or small, even babies inside the sharks' belly - we took them all.”
Protected species are being illegally caught & killed by China’s distant water fleet, our latest investigation reveals.
@edwardwhitenz
reports:
No picture better illustrates the struggle to stop
#ClimateBreakdown
.
On one side the ruthless, mechanised extraction of land for fossil fuels. On the other the people and communities resisting it.
The
#L
ützerath coal mine is a crime against our future - it must be stopped.
One of the reasons pangolins are threatened is because of commercial wildlife markets. You can help protect pangolins, and many other species, by signing our petition to ban these markets, globally, for good.
#LoveLifeLoveWildlife
Today marks a milestone in the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing:
Japan has just passed a law that sets the stage to align it with EU's and USA's rules.
That would mean the world’s 3 largest seafood markets all saying NO to
#IUU
.
In Europe's Marine Protected Areas, bottom trawling is widespread. They catch indiscriminately and destroy fragile habitats.
To protect
#wildlife
, the climate and the ocean, we are calling for one simple step: a ban on bottom trawling in EU Marine Protected Areas. Our film:
"It was 3:30am when I jumped. There were two possible outcomes – we would escape, or we would be killed." Our investigations have revealed awful abuse of workers trafficked onto fishing vessels.
#Transparency
in
#fisheries
is sorely needed.
#fishforwardeu
⚠️ BREAKING:
#DeepSeaMining
threatens life on Earth as we know it - we must stop it before it begins.
Our new report reveals how mining would disrupt an essential carbon store, threaten fisheries and food security, and cause irreparable biodiversity loss.
Illegal, unreported & unregulated (IUU) fishing driven by China’s distant water fleet is devastating coastal fishing communities in Ghana.
As 🐟 populations decline & income sources become scarce, local fishers are left to suffer. We must act now to protect their livelihoods. 🧵
We're very proud to announce
@gordonjbuchanan
is joining us as a Patron. Gordon has been making extraordinary films about the wonder and fragility of the world’s endangered species and habitats for 30 years, and is a tireless campaigner for nature. We are delighted he's on board!
⚠️ There are attempts to weaken
@EP_Environment
report on
#EUbiodiversity
.
The report sends a strong message that we need to scale up ⬆️ nature and ocean protection and restoration. It must not be watered down.
MEPs - step up: Don't vote for AMs/split votes 🗳️
Whales are extraordinary ecosystem engineers, helping CO2 move from the atmosphere to the deep ocean.
Alongside decarbonisation, healthy ocean ecosystems are vital for tackling the
#ClimateCrisis
. If we protect the ocean, it will do the same for us.
#KeepItInTheSea
Somalia’s famine is already forcing people to flee from their homes.
Many of them will become climate refugees forced to migrate to refugee camps such as Dadaab in Kenya.
Below are the stories of 3 women who migrated for days to reach the camp.
⚠️ EU fishing vessels are illegally dumping 🐟 overboard to make space for more valuable catch, an eyewitness reports.
🎥 All vessels with high discarding risk should have cameras on board.
New film from us with
@seashepherd
footage 👇
@Europe2022FR
@JobvdBergEU
@NOAAFisheries
Dolphins are being killed for shark bait on Taiwanese fishing vessels, as this secretly recorded footage shows. Illegal fishing, made possible by a lack of
#transparency
, threatens
#wildlife
like dolphins and sharks.
#FishForwardEU
#WorldWildlifeDay
"Climate change is caused by the rich and the people who will suffer are the poor. And that is a moral issue" -
@SaleemulHuq
.
The climate crisis is a crisis of injustice. A fair future is one where those suffering are prioritised. This year, we need
#ClimateJusticeNow
.
What's the connection between the vessels Wisdom Sea Reefer from 🇭🇳, Renown Reefer from 🇧🇿, Uthaiwan from 🇨🇲, and Honor from 🇲🇩?
If you guessed ‘they are the same vessel, suspected of illegal fishing & hiding it’, correct! Let's talk about flags of convenience. (1/9)
🎥 NEW FILM 🎥
#Norway
’s biggest asset manager, Storebrand, has described the government’s plans to become the first nation to start mining in its own waters as ‘close to madness.’
CEO Jan Erik Saugestad explains the threats deep-sea mining poses to biodiversity and investors:
Today is European Fish Dependence Day, when the EU has used up its own seafood resources and must rely on imports. EJF has been working with coastal communities in Ghana and Liberia to end illegal fishing & overfishing. Read more here:
#fishforwardeu
The latest
#IPCCReport
has again confirmed the immense human suffering the
#ClimateCrisis
brings.
Those driving this crisis must increase their support to the most vulnerable communities, who did the least to cause it but suffer its worst impacts.
#ActOnTheScience
Great news: Today, the Royal Thai Government announced an end to new commercial fishing licences for bottom trawlers at
#UNOceanConference2022
.
With this step, Thailand is setting a bold example that should be applauded and followed throughout the region and internationally.
"We are exhausted, we are frustrated, we are angry...because our leaders are failing us...We have to mobilise stronger than ever, and for those of us who can't join us, then move the hell out of our way."
@kavnaidu
calls for
#ClimateActionNow
at
#COP26
#PeoplesPlenary
.
Bottom trawling has a devastating effect on
#wildlife
, and also accelerates the
#ClimateCrisis
.
Banning it in Marine Protected Areas, and introducing the
#transparency
needed to make sure bans are upheld, is vital for the future of our ocean.
Deep sea mining companies falsely claim that seabed mining will provide new income for developing nations.
In reality, nations will be left with the costs of the destruction mining causes - increasing global inequality whilst private companies profit.
Climate breakdown is the issue defining this moment in time – it's time for us and our leaders to rise to the occasion.
We must rapidly end our reliance on fossil fuels if we hope to preserve our world for future generations - here's how we can do it:
Bottom trawling comes with a vast carbon cost & leaves lifeless ocean deserts in its wake.
Continuing to allow bottom trawling in marine protected areas plunders
#wildlife
sanctuaries, accelerates the
#ClimateCrisis
and collapses fish populations. It must be banned in MPAs.
Trans-shipment, the exchange of fish at sea, allows serious human rights and environmental abuses to go undetected and unchecked. An end to trans-shipment and
#transparency
for
#fisheries
is a vital first step towards healthy, sustainable
#oceans
. Here's why 👇
#FightIUUFishing
For
@COP26
to be a success,
#ClimateJustice
must be put first, and everyone should have a seat at the table to make sure this happens.
But some voices are missing. Before and during COP, we are changing that by sharing their perspectives in this
#COPMissingVoices
thread 👇
We cannot allow constant noise from mining operations to drown out whale song from our
#ocean
.
On
#WorldWhaleDay
, we call on global governments to stop destructive
#DeepSeaMining
before it starts, to protect all marine life that depends on deep sea ecosystems to survive.
Mangroves are precious ecosystems 🍃🌊
They are home to extraordinary wildlife and sequester significant amounts of carbon. They support coastal communities in a whole host of ways, from enhancing livelihoods to keeping storm surges at bay 📽️
"We are engaged in a truly unprecedented and fundamentally dangerous experiment with the one planet we know that can support us and all other known life" -
@MichaelEMann
.
There's still time for
#ClimateAction
but it must be deep and decisive.
#DeepSeaMining
would worsen global inequalities.
Profits from mining activities will overwhelmingly benefit the world’s largest economies, saddling developing nations with the worst environmental risks.
The seabed is the common heritage of humankind - it must benefit us all. 🧵
Deep-sea mining would devastate the deep ocean and wipe out unique wildlife before we've even had a chance to discover it.
Can you join us in calling on the UK government to stop deep-sea mining?
You can add your name here in 2 clicks 👇
#DefendTheDeep
Today is
#WorldOceansDay
! To mark the occasion, here's some of what our campaigners around the world have been doing to protect our blue planet recently.
First up, let's visit Thailand, where our Net Free Seas project is getting killer 'ghost nets' out of the ocean 📽️🧵 (1/9)
🚨 Less than 1,000 signatures to go until the UK Government must respond to the petition to
#StopDeepSeaMining
. 🚨
Every signature matters in the fight to protect deep sea ecosystems from this existential threat.
✍️ Sign and share the petition today.👇
EJF's investigation uncovered illegal shark finning, killing of dolphins and turtles, and human rights abuses in Taiwan’s tuna export industry.
EJF will be writing to Taiwan's president, calling on the country to take action. Please sign and share.
Flags of convenience are a useful tool for unscrupulous operators to hide illegal fishing, human rights abuses and the destruction of the oceans we all depend on. Our new report on how this happens & what needs to change 👇
#EndOverfishing
#FishForwardEU
⚠️Breaking: NGOs call out Norwegian Prime Minister’s mistaken claim that deep-sea mining can be done without harming ocean life 🐙
Claims like this are unsupported by science and pile risk onto fragile, irreplaceable ocean ecosystems. Full statement:
The temperature at which turtle eggs are incubated affects the sex of the hatchlings.
Researchers found that even under low emission models, 99% of turtles born in Cape Verde would be female. This has serious implications for the future of the species.
EU consumers are inadvertently supporting illegal fishing and severe
#overfishing
in Ghana. Industrial trawlers authorised for EU exports are linked to illegal foreign ownership, and are implicated in the collapse of Ghana's fisheries. New from us:
"But there is hope. And that hope is us. We are activists, scientists, entrepreneurs, civil society." -
@AbigaelKima
Abigael's opening address is a call to action and an affirmation of hope that marginalised voices can have an impact at
#COP27
.
#PeoplesCOP27
The
#HighSeasTreaty
is a historic success that makes the global goal to protect 30% of our
#ocean
by 2030 possible.
Nations must now act to implement & enforce marine protections for vast swathes of the high seas to ensure a healthy, thriving ocean.
#BBNJ
Bottom trawling has a devastating effect on
#wildlife
, and also accelerates the
#ClimateCrisis
.
Banning it in Marine Protected Areas, and introducing the
#transparency
needed to make sure bans are upheld, is vital for the future of our ocean.
🚨 BREAKING NEWS 🚨
🇨🇭
#Switzerland
has agreed to support a moratorium on deep-sea mining - a strong signal to all nations to take a stand before July
@ISBAHQ
meetings that will shape the fate of the deep.
We must
#StopDeepSeaMining
before it starts. 👇
EJF has found horrific abuses of crew and ocean wildlife on board the Chinese distant-water fleet.
🇨🇳 and market states must do more to increase scrutiny of these perpetrators, hold them accountable and ensure products linked to these abuses do not make it to supermarkets.🎥
How will deep sea mining affect our ocean?
🐙 Machines will bulldoze all life on the seabed, destroying ocean ecosystems.
☣️ Polluting wastewater will be released back into the ocean.
🐳 Noise & light pollution will severely impact marine life.
Watch our explainer animation 👇
"We don’t need commitments, we don’t need just ambitions - we need actions."
@kevinossah
has had enough of empty promises. We have to act now to reach
#RealZero
and put
#ClimateJustice
first. Everything else is just a distraction.
#ClimateMomentum
The deep sea needs your help 🫵
🐙 Deep sea life cannot argue the case for its own survival - it is up to us to stand up and protect it from the existential threat of deep sea mining.
Join us in calling on the UK government to
#StopDeepSeaMining
.👇
The ocean is a precious common heritage for all of us. Its exploitation should have complete
#transparency
, including cameras on board fishing vessels.
This will prevent environmental and human rights abuses, says Lamya Essemlali of
@SeaShepherdFran
.
"In short, deep-sea mining will mean vast destruction we can’t predict, to produce minerals we don’t need. It would disturb our planet’s largest carbon sink, and harm countless species we haven’t even encountered yet."
EJF's
@steventrent
in
@BylineTimes
:
"How can negotiations about the future remain inaccessible to those with the biggest stake?"
@SohanBMYP
& Sheela Patel are right - those most affected by the
#ClimateCrisis
should have a meaningful seat at the table in climate talks. Their article 👇
The
#PeoplesCOP27
event brought a groundswell of people from 56 countries together to show the global demand for climate action.
Their voices were amplified by our expert speakers, panellists and moderators to offer a real alternative for those excluded from
#COP27
.