illegal fishing

Watch: Liberia arrests 13th vessel for illegal fishing in less than two years

The Liberian Coast Guard arrested a foreign-flagged industrial trawler caught plundering artisanal fishing waters, during a joint operation by Sea Shepherd and the Liberian Ministry of National Defense aiming to tackle illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing in the Republic of Liberia, West Africa.

Despite great efforts to conceal its identity, the 32-meter trawler ‘Bonheur’ was intercepted by the Liberian Coast Guard on 7 of November, after crossing into Liberian waters from...

https://safety4sea.com/watch-liberia-arrests-13th-vessel-for-illegal-fishing-in-less-than-two-years/

UK court fines fishing company, skipper £37,926 for fisheries offences

The Bristol Magistrates Court fined an Irish fishing company and the skipper of the vessel ‘FV Ellie Adhamh’ £37,926, on 13 November. The fine was imposed due to multiple fisheries offences.

The Royal Navy boarded ‘Ellie Adhamh’, an Irish registered 25 meters fishing vessel operated by an Irish company, during a routine patrol in the Celtic Sea on 29 April 2018. The Boarding Officer checked the vessel’s documentation, fish room and gear and numerous deficiencies were found. The vessel was then...

https://safety4sea.com/uk-court-fines-fishing-company-skipper-37926-for-fisheries-offences/

Vatican calls for measures to end abuses in fishing sector

Speaking at a World Fisheries Day panel discussion he UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization in Rome, on November 21, Vatican’s Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, Cardinal Peter KA Turkson, noted that the church should not remain silent to human rights abuses in the fishing sector.

Recently, a report by the Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF) presented ‘ten principles for global transparency in the fishing industry’. These principles aims to tackle illegal...

https://safety4sea.com/vatican-calls-for-measures-to-end-abuses-in-fishing-sector/

UK court fines company, owner and master for fishing without licence

The UK Marine Management Organisation (MMO) fined the master of a fishing vessel, a director of the company that owns the vessel and the company itself, £75,000 for fishing without a licence.

Namely, the company, which owned the vessel ‘Catatonia’, company director and the master of the vessel, were ordered to pay £75,000 by North Shields Magistrates’ Court, on 9 November.

The court heard how between January and September 2017 the ‘Catatonia’ conducted 31 fishing trips, while it did not have a...

https://safety4sea.com/uk-court-fines-company-owner-and-master-for-fishing-without-licence/

Japan conducts new whaling research in the Antarctic Ocean

Japan has launched a new whaling expedition in Antarctica, with the Japanese Government calling it scientific research. The fleet is now on its way to conduct the expedition in the Antarctic Ocean through March.

Japanese vessels left Japan on Monday, November 12, to carry out what the government calls ‘research whaling’ in the Antarctic Ocean until March.

The ships aims to catch 333 minke whales in the Japan’s fourth whaling expedition since their resumption in 2015, according to the government.

Ja...

https://safety4sea.com/japan-conducts-new-whaling-research-in-the-antarctic-ocean/

Two lancha boats interdicted over illegal fishing off Texas

US Coast Guard law enforcement crews detected and interdicted two Mexican lancha boat crews engaged in illegal fishing in US waters off southern Texas, on 3 November.

The USCG crews stopped a lancha with four Mexican fishermen engaged in illegal fishing. 62 red snapper totaling 212 pounds were seized. A second lancha with five Mexican fishermen were stopped with 126 red snapper weighing 176 pounds.

The equipment and fishermen from both lanchas were detained and transferred to border enforcement...

https://safety4sea.com/two-lancha-boats-interdicted-over-illegal-fishing-off-texas/

IMO, Pew Charitable Trust raise awareness for Cape Town Agreement

IMO has collaborated with the NGO ‘Pew Charitable Trust’, to organise a series of seminars for government officials and industry representatives in key developing countries, to raise awareness of the Cape Town Agreement and the benefits of ratifying it. The Cape Town Agreement addresses fishing vessel safety.

Commercial fishing is one of the world’s most dangerous professions, but the instrument which addresses fishing vessel safety, the Cape Town Agreement, is not yet in force,  because it...

https://safety4sea.com/imo-pew-charitable-trust-raise-awareness-for-cape-town-agreement/

Mexican lanchas interdicted by US Coast Guard

US Coast Guard law enforcement crews of Corpus Christi, Texas has detected and interdicted two Mexican lancha boat crews engaged in illegal fishing in federal waters off southern Texas.

On November 1, US Coast Guard crews stopped a lancha (motor boat) with four Mexican fishermen fishing illegally. The lancha had 20 sharks totaling 157 pounds (72 kg.) aboard the vessel. A second lancha with three Mexican fishermen was stopped October 27, 2018, with two Amberjack fish weighing 67 pounds (31 kg.)....

https://safety4sea.com/mexican-lanchas-interdicted-by-us-coast-guard/

Operation Albacore III concludes with three illegal trawlers arrested

With the departure of the M/Y Bob Barker from Port Gentil, Sea Shepherd announced conclusion of its Operation Albacore III, intended to protect Gabon’s sovereign waters from illegal fishing activities in cooperation with Gabonese Navy (Marine Nationale) and inspectors with the Gabonese fisheries enforcement agency (ANPA).

With the legal protections of the largest network of MPAs in Africa – nine new national marine parks and 11 new aquatic reserves created by President Ali Bongo Ondimba’s...

https://safety4sea.com/operation-albacore-iii-concludes-with-three-illegal-trawlers-arrested/

Watch: Ten principles to tackle illegal fishing

The Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF) published the ‘ten principles for global transparency in the fishing industry’, ahead of the Our Ocean conference. These principles aims to tackle illegal fishing and protect human rights in the industry.

The ten principles are simple, low-cost measures, which include publishing licence lists and giving vessels unique numbers.

Namely, the ten principles are the following:

  1. Give all vessels a unique number;
  2. Make vessel tracking data public;
  3. Publish lists...

https://safety4sea.com/watch-ten-principles-to-tackle-illegal-fishing/

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