In Chile, the world's scientists are already meeting in advance of the 60th International Whaling Commission (IWC), which will be held there in late June. At this time of year, the eyes of the world turn to the deadlocked struggle between pro-conservation and pro-whaling countries as they clash over the future of whaling at the IWC meetings. And recent events have not been going well for the whalers - in recent weeks we have seen just how desperate the pro-whaling nations are to play down not only the recent scandal of stolen whale meat in Japan, but also the saga of exporting whale meat from Iceland and Norway. Both stories highlight the extent to which the whalers are routinely flouting not only international opinion but also the global ban on commercial whaling and the trading of whale meat.

It’s been reported that, after a gap of 20 years, Iceland and Norway may have resumed the export of fin and minke whale meat to Japan. These countries continue to blatantly defy the International Whaling Commission’s ban on commercial whaling, and any trade in whale meat also undermines the ban on trading in whale products under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.
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Bottom trawling, possibly the most destructive fishing method yet devised by man, is to be regulated across the whole North Atlantic ocean. The process, which involves dragging nets weight down by metal girders across the seabed, is notorious for its wastefulness. Besides legitimate target species such as cod, plaice and sole, vast quantities of corals, sponges and other deep sea creatures are destroyed as bycatch. The devastation caused is so great that Greenpeace has been calling for some time for a moritorium (suspension of activity) on bottom trawling. Now it looks as though some progress may be being made.

September 2005: Greenpeace activists disrupt the IUU fishing activities of the factory trawler 'Murtosa' in the Barents Sea

If you've been following our oceans campaign over the past year or so, you'll know that many fish stocks around the world are in a dangerously depleted state. And while we've had some success here in the UK persuading major retail chains to take a responsible attitude about where the seafood they sell comes from, far too many of the fish we eat still come from unsustainable sources - either from destructive and wasteful fishing methods like beam trawling, or from illegal 'pirate' fishing.

Follow the crew of the Arctic Sunrise on their campaign for Marine Reserves in our North Sea Tour blog

The Arctic Sunrise is currently in Bergen, on the west coast of Norway, to stock up on essential supplies and for some crew changeovers. I'm one of a five-strong contingent from the Greenpeace UK office who arrived here late on Sunday night after a 30-hour ferry trip from Newcastle and I'll be your webmaster for the second half of our North Sea Marine Reserves Tour.

Follow the crew of the Arctic Sunrise on their campaign for Marine Reserves in our North Sea Tour blog

It's half past eight at night, and we've just left Bergen. It's still shorts and t-shirt weather on the deck of the Arctic Sunrise, and many of the crew are out enjoying the scenery as we pass snow-capped mountains en route back to the North Sea.