The master finished with a line..

“The Master fished with a line, but not with a net; when shooting he did not aim at a resting bird”

Confucius, The Analects, Book 7 (VII) Chapter 26 (XXVI), Dover Thrift Editions, 1995

While reading The Analects for my own personal enjoyment I came across this gem, indeed I came across many but this particular one made me think of Greenhouse and our own mission. Although like many Greenies I’m vegetarian and so I do no catch my own food myself (I may be prone to picking the occasional fruit however), this statement, written many Many MANY years ago reflects an attitude of consciousness with which today we are struggling with.

I have mentioned that I do not catch my own food, in this industrialized world, a few percentage of the world does. It would be better if we did, because then at least we cannot fake that we do not know where it came from.

This phrase, which constitutes a whole chapter of the Analects- as the book is made up of sayings of Confucius and his disciples- ironically sums up in at least the attitude two of our major projects at the moment. The third being the EndEcocide project which is broader although it fits with the saying.

The Master fished with a line, but not with a net

Greenhouse Malta forms part of the fish4tomorrow coalition which apart from Greenhouse consists of Sharklab Malta, GetupStandup and Din l-Art Ħelwa. This coalition works towards implementation and awareness raising on sustainable seafood. Together we have produced a short video  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3TicdB8s7A  to introduce the issue. We have compiled a study and are currently working on a website and a seafood guide. Get to know more on the issue here 

When shooting he did not aim at a resting bird

Currently in Malta, this could be applied to mating birds. Spring is the time when nature is alive, where most of the events happen. This is the time when birds catch a breath some breath and repopulate as well as migrate. Spring Hunting makes no sense, even for the hunters, because if the numbers go down in spring, they will go down not only that year but for many years to come. And if this barbaric practice is kept up for many years, do the math and the number will be somewhat close to 0, 0 birds in the sky that is. CASH- the Coalition against spring Hunting which at the moment consists of, apart from Greenhouse, Alternattiva Demokratika, Birdlife Malta, Coalition for Animal Rights, Din l-Art Helwa, Flimkien ghal Ambjent Ahjar, Friends of the Earth Malta, Gaia Foundation, Moviment Graffiti,  Nature Trust (Malta) and the Ramblers Association of Malta is actively working to abolish spring hunting and are collecting signatures to hold a referendum. Greenhouse is also collecting signatures on their behalf and whoever wants to add their own, please contact us on our email 

The third ongoing project which we are part of is EndEcocide in Europe. This group is working through an European citizen’s initiative (ECI) to make ecocide- that is the extensive destruction of ecosystems- illegal in Europe and this could also have impact apart from the EU. Greenhouse has been translating the website into Maltese (should you notice any spelling mistakes, do let us know!!) and helping spreading the word. In the future we hope to hold an informative event on the subject- any expressions of interest for the event or anyone willing to help should send an email. For more information visit the website 

In the end, what these projects and others that we are involved in such as the Animal Rights Coalition, have in common is the attitude of care and being conscious of what is going on and acting in reaction to it. Signing or joining in any or all of these causes, will not take you much time, but will definitely leave an impact. For anyone that has some time to spare, I also suggest you grab a copy and read the Analects- it is one of those books that will sometimes make you go ‘huh?’, sometimes make you go “I knew that!” and sometimes will leave you to ponder on something for a day.

Adieu for now! I will leave you with this very flattering image of Confucius.

Marthese

Greenhouse Malta

Freshers Week 2012

Hey there Greenies!

So.. Freshers is now over... We want to say thank you first of all to our members who took the time to man the stand excellently and also of course to you all who came and talked to us, showed great interest, and shared your views... it is really good to meet so many people that are genuinely interested in what we do!
For those who missed it, our stand had several different topics crammed into the space available: mainly human rights, animal rights and the environment

our jam-packed stand :)

For The Humans

For our brothers and sisters, we set up an Amnesty letter-writing section for the case UA 270/12. This was quite a controversial case, and it was interesting to see your different views about it. At the end of the week we have over 35 signed letters, one of which holds the signature of a member of the EU parliament. These will be sent off next Monday in time for the 18th October deadline. If anyone is interested in letter writing, please refer to the letter-writing facebook group where we will be posting related events, and feel free to contact us for a ready-to-sign letter for this case.

We also had a section dedicated to fair trade merchandise. This was provided to us by L-Arka Fair Trade Shop, which is located in St Paul Street, Valletta.

some fair-trade items we were selling and the famous Amnesty Letterbox :)

For The Animals

For our furry, feathered and scaly friends, we were promoting the 8hour Petition, which is against inhumane lengthy animal transportation, and also distributing some contact details of sanctuaries around Malta, with particular emphasis on Noah’s Ark.
We were also distributing some informative material about shark conservation (European Shark Week) and educating fish consumers with our very own campaign for sustainable fishing and consuming, fish4tomorrow.

fish4tomorrow leaflets

For The Environment

This is where we really got cracking! First off we launched our seed-growing venture with the distribution of free seed bags... check out our previous blogs for info on how to grow your own seedlings! We also had a small re-using display, showing useful stuff we made out of everyday waste, and some hand-made items for sale. Last but not least we had our usual notebooks made out of re-used scrap paper.

 

seed bags

notebooks

bracelets can be found on sale here

All in all a great outcome :] Don’t forget, we will soon start promoting our next event, a nature walk with Ramblers Malta – the date is yet to be confirmed but we are hoping you’ll keep the 20th free just in case ;) Later on this month we will also announce the date for our talk on Petitioning and Letter-Writing – combined with letter-writing for what promises to be a very interesting case! 

Yes we are being mysterious on purpose to keep you intrigued ;)

Follow us on our facebook group and page, and through this blog. If you have any queries do not hesitate to drop us a line via email.

:)

Stay Green!

Elena
o.b.o. Greenhouse

Vacancy: Campaign Coordinator, fish4tomorrow

Vacancy: Campaign Coordinator – fish4tomorrow

fish4tomorrow (f4t) is a coalition of environmental and youth NGOs in Malta that aims to raise awareness on the environmental problems resulting from destructive fishing practices and achieve sustainable consumption of seafood consumed in Malta.

Although Maltese, as islanders, are fish eaters, a recent survey conducted by f4t showed that 70% of respondents did not consider sustainability when choosing what fish to eat. The survey also found that several fish species (such as tuna, swordfish, grouper etc) from unsustainable, over fished, vulnerable and/or badly managed fisheries, or those that have high levels of by catch, were popular or highly popular among the respondents. In addition to local consumers, over 1.2 million tourists visit the Maltese islands and consume seafood. There is currently no scheme in Malta that promotes sustainable sea food consumption and a survey conducted in 2010 showed that many fish species from over fished and badly managed fisheries as well as juvenile catch were among the most popular seafood sold by restaurants. The consequences of unsustainable fisheries in Malta are not limited to fish species, but also impact the communities that have traditionally relied on fishing for their livelihood.

We are looking for an enthusiastic and passionate person to take up the role of Campaign Coordinator of the campaign. The campaign is run by a core team of representatives from each of the NGOs that form part of the coalition; Greenhouse, Nature Trust (Malta), Sharklab (Malta), Din l-Art Helwa & Getup standup.

The duties and responsibilities for Campaign Coordinator include:

· fund raising

· overseeing all campaign activities, projects and events

· dealing with all external correspondence

· coordinating research efforts

· coordinating meetings and interviews with political and social representatives

· overseeing all press releases and branding activities to ensure a clear and singular message

· to oversee all fish4tomorrow's internal and external communications to ensure that is is clear and that the campaign's values are adhered too

· managing and coordinating the team of volunteers

· ensuring that all work allocated to the volunteer team is carried out

· manage all public relations matters

· instilling a sense of teamwork, enthusiasm and motivation amongst the volunteer team and to act as a creative catalyst to the campaign

· to recruit members to the Team of Volunteers and deal with HR matters for the Campaign

The essential qualities which the campaign coordinator must possess:

· Fluent in Maltese and English

· Leadership skills

· Excellent communication skills

· Practical experience in fund raising

· Comfortable with media exposure

· Organised and systematic with the ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously

· Ability to work on own initiative with the ability to prioritise and organise own work

Desirable skills:

· Self-motivation

· Experience in marketing

· Experience in project management

· Interest in the issue of sustainable seafood consumption and the fisheries industry

The position is available for a minimum of 8 months or longer subject to funding.

To apply please send a C.V. to info@naturetrustmalta.org. Closing date 30 March 2012.

For further information on the campaign visit our facebook page www.facebook.com/fish4tomorrow

Size Matters!

Artisanal fishers and civil society groups are united in calling for the CFP reform to deliver sustainable European fisheries. On Monday October 10 2011, representatives of these groups are rallying for their voice to be taken onboard in the CFP reform. They will launch a joint declaration “Size Matters – Quality Counts” on the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP).

The following day there will be a hearing in the European Parliament on the socio-economic viability of small-scale and coastal fisheries. (Photo and text courtesy of Ocean2012 and Corey Arnold)

Greenhouse has signed the decleration in support of Ocean2012 along with fellow local NGOs Nature Trust Malta and Sharklab (Malta).

Scale Matters: Quality Counts. Securing sustainability through the CFP Reform

We, the undersigned organisations, representing artisanal coastal and inland fishworkers, development and environmental NGOs and other stakeholders, share a common interest in placing European fisheries on a sustainable footing by supporting the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) in ways which ensure the recovery of fish stocks and habitats, the promotion of best practice, a just allocation of fishing access based on social and environmental criteria, and an equitable distribution of the benefits derived from these activities.

New fisheries policies that reward best practices with preferential access to fish resources, and target capacity reduction programmes so as to eliminate the most harmful fishing methods would go a long way to placing European fisheries on a more sustainable footing.

This was recognized in the European Parliament resolution on the Green Paper adopted in February 2010. The resolution highlighted that, although local fishing communities should be given primary access to fish stocks, access rights should no longer be based solely on the criterion of historical catches. Rather, environmental and social criteria should gradually be introduced to determine who should have access to fishery resources, where the use of such criteria could foster a dynamic that would lead to improved fishing practices and a more environmentally, socially and economically sustainable fishing industry. (1)

A significant proportion of the European fleet is small in scale and fishes in a non-intensive manner, using a range of seasonally diverse fishing methods on a range of species, with a relatively low impact on the ecosystem. This artisanal segment of the coastal and inland fisheries generates considerable ancillary jobs and provides the social, economic and cultural fabric that sustains many communities, where it makes an important contribution to food supplies and political, social and economic stability. This has been highlighted in the 2009 Statement from the Brussels Workshop on Common Fisheries Policy Reform in the European Union and Small-Scale Fisheries (2) and in the 2010 La Coruña Statement (3), amongst others. However, the qualitative aspects of different fishing gears and practices have been largely overlooked by the Commission in its reform package.

Coastal artisanal fishers are likely to be marginalised under the compulsory regime of Transferable Fishing Concessions as proposed by the Commission. Such a regime will favour the most economically powerful enterprises rather than the most sustainable fishery activities. However, if treated fairly, managed responsibly and given well defined fishing access, these kinds of fishery activities have the potential to deliver healthy fisheries and sustainable livelihoods over the long-term.

European Commission projections show employment in the fish catching sector is set to decline by 60% over the next 10 years, with the heaviest losses falling on the artisanal sector, which employs around 65% of the fisheries workforce.

We therefore call on the Members of the European Parliament, the Member States of the EU, and the Commissioner for Fisheries and Maritime Affairs to turn the tide by:

• Providing priority access to fish resources to those who fish in the most environmentally and socially sustainable way. Sustainability criteria should rank access to resources, favouring those who have the least impact on the marine environment, who can demonstrate compliance and who operate within and contribute to local communities;


• Revoking the compulsory nature of the proposed Transferable Fishing Concessions (TFCs) scheme and providing a range of tools to be selected and adapted to enable the allocation of access to fishing opportunities based on sustainability criteria;


• Including firm timelines for the development and adoption of multiannual plans that apply the appropriate measures through genuine bottom-up, participative co-management processes, through co-management committees, and giving due weight to sustainable development while ensuring the involvement and collaboration of all segments in the sector and stakeholders; and


• Establishing and applying clear conditions and protocols to avoid conflicts between different users targeting shared stocks or common fishing grounds.

40+ Fishing Boat Association

5 Terre Academy

Acció Natura

African artisanal fishing organisations confederation (CAOPA)

An Taisce

Archipelagos

Asociació de Naturalitstes de Girona (ANG)

Asociacion de Armadores de Artes Menores de Catalunya (ADAMEC)

Asociación de Defensa Medioambiental Salvemos Monteferro

Asociación para la Investigación del Mar (AIMARES)

Associació Catalana d´Oceanògrafes i Oceanògrafs (ACOIO)

Association des Ligneurs de la Pointe de Bretagne

Associazione Locale-Globale

Ateneu Juvenil, Cultural i Naturalista de Girona

Baltic Environmental Forum

Baltic Wolf

BirdLife Europe

Birdwatch Ireland

BLOOM association

Blue Ventures

Bridport Commercial Boatowners and Fishermen's Association

Cadgwith and Helford Fishermen's Association

Cardigan Bay Fishermen's Association

Centre d’Etude, de Recherche-Action et d’Appuis pour le Développement (CERAD)

Coalition Clean Baltic (CCB)

Coalition for Fair Fisheries Arrangements (CFFA)

Coastwatch Europe

Cofradía de Pescadores de Cedeira

Cofradía de pescadores de l'Estartit

Collectif Bar Européen

Comité Local des Pêches Maritimes et des Élevages Marins du Var

Community Atgaja

Community of Arran Seabed Trust Limited

Confraria de Pescadors de Sitges

Cooperativa Porto de Abrigo

Coral Cay Conservation

Cornish Handliners Association

Danish Society for a Living Sea

Danmarks Naturfredningsforening

Deepwave

DEPANA - Lliga per a la Defensa del Patrimoni Natural

Deutsche Umwelthilfe

Dingle Oceanworld

Donegal Small Islands Fishermen

Eastbourne Fisherman’s Protection Society

Ecologistas en Acción

Eko-Unia

Environmental Centre for Administration and Technology

Environmental Information Center

EuroNatur

Fair Oceans

Federación Galega de Cofradías de Pescadores

Finnish Association for Nature Conservation

Fish Fight

Fishermens Federation for Small-scale fishery in Sweden (SYEF)

Fishing For Jobs

Fondazione Cetacea

Fundació ENT

Fundació Mar

Fundación Lonxanet para la Pesca Sostenible

Fundacja Sprzatanie Świata - Polska

Galway Atlantaquaria

Gent del Ter

Gesellschaft zur Rettung der Delphine

Global Water Partnership

Goede Vissers

Greenhouse Malta

GreenLife

Greenpeace

Hastings Fishermen's Protection Society

Iberian Biodiversity

Instituto Internacional de Derecho y Medio Ambiente (IIDMA)

International Collective in Support of Fishworkers (ICSF)

Irish Bass

Irish Seal Sanctuary

Irish Wildlife Trust

Irukandji Aquatik Films

Kenna EcoDiving

Klub Gaja

Latvian Anglers Association

Liffeysound Radio

Lighthouse Foundation

Lithuania Association

Lithuanian Entomological Society

Lithuanian Fund for Nature

Lithuanian Ornithological Society

M.E.E.R.

Marefondum

Marevivo

Marine Conservation Society

Marine Network of Friends of the Earth, England Wales and Northern Ireland - MARINET

Mediterranean Association to Save the Sea Turtles (Medasset)

Mediterranean Platform of Artisanal Fishers

Mediterrània-CIE

Mudeford and District Fishermen's Association

National Association of Small Boat Owners of Iceland

National Sea Life Centre Bray

Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union (NABU)

Nature Trust (Malta)

Nederlandse Elasmobranchen Vereniging

NEREO

Netherlands Inland Fishers Association

New Economics Foundation

New Under Ten Fishermen's Association

Noé Conservation

North West Traditional Fishermen

O Glaros

Observatori de deute en la Globalització

OCEAN2012

Oceana

OceanCare Switzerland

Oceanográfica: Divulgación, Educación y Ciencia

Orford and District Inshore Fishermen’s Association

Our Earth Foundation

People Uniting and Generating Aid for Development (PUGAD)

Pew Environment Group

Polish Ecological Club

Poole & District Fishermen's Association

Pro Wildlife e.V.

Prud’homie de Pêche de La Seyne-sur-Mer

Prud'homie de pêche de Sanary

Rede de colectivos Foro Social de Cangas

Reef Check

Scottish Creelers and Divers

Sea First Foundation

Seas At Risk

Share the World's Resources

Shark Trust

Sharklab

Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity

Societat Catalana d’Educació Ambiental

Society for the Conservation of Marine Mammals (GSM)

South Coast Fisherman's Council

Stichting de Noordzee

Submarinistas en Acción

Sustainable Development Initiatives (DVI)

Sustainable Inshore Fisheries Trust

Swale Fisherman`s Association

Swanage Fishermen's Association

Swedish Professional Fishermen's Association (SYEF)

Swedish Society for Nature Conservation (SSNC)

Tethys Research Institute

The Fisheries Secretariat

The Gowienica Rivers Association

Union Intersyndicale des Petits Métiers de Pêche de Méditerranée (UIPMPM)

Verdegaia

Veterinaris Sense Fronteres (VsF)

VinVis / AKTEA

WWF Mediterranean Programme Office

(1) European Parliament report and resolution on the Green Paper on the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy (2009/2106(INI)), Paragraph 40

(2) Statement from the Brussels Workshop on Common Fisheries Policy Reform in the European Union and Small-Scale Fisheries: Paving the way to sustainable livelihoods and thriving fishing communities (pdf)