‘On board the Cape Mugford off the Grand Banks — AS FATE would have it, when the seas settled down after six days of gale-force winds just enough to permit the launch- ing of a Zodiac, the fog pulled « back to reveal, lying dead ahead, trailing its giant drag- net, the notorious Spanish trawler Ria de Pontevedra, which had previously been busted for illegal fishing.

“We' ve got ourselves a pirate!” someone yelled. Of course, the fleet of some 20- . odd Spanish trawlers were all eco- logical pirates, even though, accord- ‘ing to the letter of maritime law, what they were doing was perfectly ‘ legitimate. . : There is simply no limit on the

. size of nets or catches in internation- ,

- al waters, you see. Anything goes.

:.' Not many people realize the _.,Grand Banks were once part of the - Spanish Main, under the hegemony .

‘of the Spanish Empire.

-, Angry Spaniards now want to ,; ‘vall the Banks the “Canadian Main, “a! Theyre right. Canada’s receat ™ fishboat seizures, ‘attempted seizures “.. and net-cutting exercises have all . ‘been illegal, which means the “Canadian fleet of seven ships and a “submarine out here to Ostensibly “save the turbot” has: been behaving ‘like a pirate navy.;

But as far as I’m concerned, it’s .

- going to take armed intervention:.

sooner or later‘to preserve what's left ging is the clear-cutting of the ocean.

_of nature. Might as well get on with it while there’s something teft to ght over. '. Ideally, it will be armed interven- : tion, at the United Nations level,: which could be arranged simply ‘through giving the Security.Council one more task: protection of the’ : planetary biosphere. ‘Then we'd get some action! In ; the meantime, we'll have to settle ~ for the likes of Brian Tobin, Paul: - Watson and Greenpeace (which hartered the Cape Mugford and invited me along as a reporter), all, “mixed up in the same battle zone, long with Spain, the European ° Union, ‘and — lurking in the back-' ground, the secret player causing all

We

Hunter

personal

this trouble on the high seas _— Japan.

Should have known. What we discovered just outside the 200-mile limit near the Flemish Cape, was an enormous trawler — bigger than anything the Spanish had, bigger than any of the gunships, fisheries patrol boats or Coast Guard vessels.

¢ It was a Japanese ship, registered

in Tokyo, with its nets out. When ; Greenpeace expedition leader Kevin “ Jardine demanded to .know over the radio what the vessel was up to, the

captain said he was “doing research”

‘for the Northwest Atlantic Fishing Organization (NAFO), The Cape Mugford’s skipper, Bruce Davis, noted the huge gouts . of water being pumped from the Japanese ship’s hold and observed

~ that the big wawler was not only pro-

cessing fish, taking more than any Spanish ship we'd seen yet, it was also dragging the bottom. You have to appreciate that drag-'

Worse, actually, because nothing

escapes. There’s just flattened rubble

left in the wake of these nets. In the radiophone investigation that fol- lowed the discovery of the Japanese ‘ship quietly plying its trade out on the “Nose” of the Banks — going . ahead with Canadian consent — we

were to learn that the market for tur- ‘bot is to be found mainly in Japan. ,- The Spaniards are only catching them because the Japanese are pay- ing. Why is Canada beating up on * Spain, while playing footsy with «Japan?

We saw the “research vessel” back i in St. John’s harbor later.

“It would be interesting to know

_ the full political stor'y behind the tur-

Nourish Your Hair _ from the Inside Out with:

| Prarie Naturals®

Wild Rose. . §$ a Shampoo

“Ultra Sil $d 198

‘Vegetal Silica ast Eh. | Save $5” Offer Ends Apr. 30/95

"Save up to 20% _ off entire line

49

7 180 caps

bot war.

Note how, through his turbot offensive, Brian Tobin took al] the attention away from the reopening of the seal hunt. Can this just be a coin- cidence? I don’t buy it.

In previous years, Canada took a Jot of international heat as a bad guy over the sealing issue. This time, the hunt has been cranked up under a cover of activity on the turbot front.

And how serious was the activity off the Grand Banks anyway? So far, how many foreign boats has Canada

prevented from fishing? Exactly one, *

the Estat — which was released,. along with its catch, and went home to a hero’s welcome in Spain.

Paul Watson did as well as that single-handedly two years ago, when he drove a Cuban trawler off. the fishing grounds.

is that all Canada can do, with all her gunships and jets and choppers and subs — match the record ofa lone eco-vigilante?

In any event, two Greenpeacers and I got to close in on the Ria de Pontevedra, ou high-speed rubber inflatable spending almost as much time in the air as in the water.

What a rush!

Fd forgotten. Deep-sea, heavy- weather Zodiac riding -—~ someone should make it an official Olympic sport. Too bad it rips through fossil fuels like you wouldn’t believe. |

It’s pretty hairy going over the side of a heaving ship into the sea in a Zodiac, but once you’re down and the line is unhooked, you realize what a wonderful invention the rub- ber high-speed inflatable is.

In the end, all the Greenpeacers were able to do was slow the Ria de Pontevedra down a few knots.

With its monstrous drag net in tow, } doubt that the ship could have stopped if it wanted to. Somehow that reminded me of the stupidity of dinosaurs. ;

After that, the Cape Mugford had to return to port for supplies.

The political wars go on, the dragging goes on, with the Grand Banks chewed down to the bone, as though by jackals. Take note, West Coast, the East Coast is dying. Sorry, no happy ending. - ‘

north’ shore, Read Home & Garden and you could have no mow problems!

COMPARE at

w. Go) “de

INCLUDES sottd pine sofa bedframe. triple fosm core futca, Scotchquarded futon cover, plows and pillow covers. While quantities last.

259 €. Ist St.. RVan

FACTORY FUTON ane he al

Entrance in tear Mon.-Sat. 11-6 pm Sunday 12-5 pm

CUSTOM DRAPERIES, TRACKS AND VALANCES Labour $8.50 per

panel unfined, $9.50 lined.

CUSTOM 1 BEDSPREADS a BLINDS At low, low prices.” For FREE Estimates call-987-2966 {Ask about Seniors’ Discounts): Serving the North Shore for 24 years

“ALL-ART Framed & Unframed

ALL CUSTOM

FRAMES Wood & Metal

Join BCTEL Mobility’s 50/50 plan before April 30th, 1995 and for $49.95 a month you get.

+ Unlimited local calling for the fi ist 50 days and 50 nights +50 minutes of weekday business airtime. ,

* Unlimited local calling every weekend ©

* Includes 36 months of detailed billing ° 7 * Save $108 activation / Ist year annual system atcess fee

* Special $99 purchase price on Nokia pocket phone :

NORTH VAN. o . 987 Marine Drive .. ©

988-3300 — Parking In rear).

“COMMUNICATIONS INC.-

LANGLEY ‘5303300

VANCOUVER - 689-3300

“BURNABY , 436 3300

COQUITLAM

» SURREY

"spe ADVANTAGE: SALES, SERVICE & RENTAL: sau: 3300 :

» 944. 3300 “ . + MOBILE SERVICE VAN -. FREE SERVICE LOANERS :