Spadare or – a much more evocative name – walls of death . Deep-sea driftnets are intensive fishing practices officially banned by the United Nations thirty years ago due to their danger to marine species.

According to the new report by Greenpeace International High Stakes: The environmental and social impacts of destructive fishing on the high seas of the Indian Ocean , spadare continue to be widely used in the Indian Ocean, with dramatic consequences for ecosystems. 

Spadare killer, the Greenpeace complaint

Deep-sea driftnets ” are particularly dangerous tools for marine species such as turtles and cetaceans . Known in Italy as spadare, they continue to be widely used in the Indian Ocean where shark populations, also due to these practices, have collapsed. almost 85% in the last fifty years “.

“Seven boats were filmed lowering walls of nets over 21 miles in length causing the ‘accidental’ capture of endangered species such as the huge manta rays known as sea devils […]. Governments continue not to act to stop the plundering of our oceans, while fundamental resources for coastal communities and precious marine species are decreasing dramatically due to overfishing ”.

The complaint, contained in the new report by Greenpeace International High Stakes: The environmental and social impacts of destructive fishing on the high seas of the Indian Ocean leaves no room for misunderstanding: in the northwestern Indian Ocean, where the ship Arctic Sunrise – historic theater of countless environmental battles – carries out its mission,Intensive fishing practices are decimating populations of sharks and other endangered species . All this, in general silence. 

According to the organization, the influence of European industry ” is felt and prevents serious measures from being taken to combat overfishing while species such as yellowfin tuna could see their populations collapse as early as 2024 “.

Greenpeaceit was also able to verify how squid fishing is rapidly expanding, with over one hundred fishing vessels operating in the area without international regulation. The criticality of the situation risks jeopardizing the survival of a biodiversity basin which represents, on the one hand, an invaluable treasure from an environmental point of view, and on the other a fundamental resource for coastal communities .

Indian Ocean to be protected and enhanced

“ The Indian Ocean proves to be a crucial ecosystem in the challenge to protect the seas. From safeguarding marine biodiversity to sustainable promotion to socially responsible fishing, the changes needed to protect the Indian Ocean could pave the way for the protection of oceans around the world, ”writes Greenpeace at the opening of its report.

At the forefront of addressing the most pressing environmental challenges, the Indian Ocean is the smallest of the ocean basins. It extends mainly in the southern hemisphere for nearly seventy-five million square kilometers, from the southern tip of South Africa to the west coast of Australia.Surrounded by thirty-six coastal states and eleven inland nations, the populations living along its coasts represent 30% of humanity , totaling three billion people.

The region is home to immense biodiversity : it contains as much as 30% of global coral reef coverage, 40,000 square kilometers of mangroves, some of the largest estuaries in the world and nine major marine ecosystems. A treasure chest that would be worth protecting, yet the area is affected by a dangerous amount of destructive fisheries.

The overexploitation of fish resources is also well accompanied by the devastating effects of the climate crisis, which is transforming the region, multiplying the pressures on wildlife and local populations.

For these essential reasons, Greenpeace hopes for the rapid creation of a Global Ocean Treaty capable of promoting sustainable fishing practices, creating ” tools that can turn back the clock on the destruction of the ocean, resurrect ecosystems. marine, protect priceless species and ensure support for coastal communities for generations to come “.