Bluefin Tuna Wars

Sea Shepherd activist cuts the bluefin tuna
fishing net in the Mediterranean.

Photograph: Simon Ager/Sea Shepherd

The anti-whaling crusaders, The Sea Shepard's in their awesome ship Steve Irwin, are off the coast of Libya, working to free the illegal tuna caught there in enormous catch nets.

These tuna are illegally fished off Libya, sent to processing plants in Italy and are black market sold to buyers in Japan.

The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society released around 800 tuna from a cage being towed behind the Italian trawler Cesare Rustico. “Immediately and without warning, the Steve Irwin was attacked with a barrage of flares aimed at the wheelhouse and the crew on deck."

No reports of any injuries. The Steve Irwin said it requested the assistance of Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise to set free an estimated 800 caged tuna, but they refused to help. The Steve Irwin was told that under no circumstances would Greenpeace enter waters claimed by Libya.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/jun/18/sea-shepherd-release-bluefin-tuna-libya

http://www.independent.com.mt/news.asp?newsitemid=107917