Illegal Fishing in Chagos Marine Reserve

Greenpeace found two illegal Sri Lankan fishing boats inside the Chagos marine reserve and has called on the UK government to enforce protection of this Indian Ocean reserve from pirate fishing. Greenpeace is currently transiting from Mauritius to the Maldives as part of its Indian Ocean expedition and found in total three fishing boats deep within the Chagos marine protected area, established by the UK government in 2010.

In late 2012, Greenpeace is sailing the Indian Ocean to investigate the overfishing crisis there. We will be visiting local communities, listening and learning about the issues they face with their oceans. The food security and economic prosperity of the Indian Ocean region are at risk due to overfishing and destructive fishing practices, often conducted by large-scale foreign fishing fleets.