[Birdbycatch] [SEABIRD] Toothfish Pirates move in on Mozambique (fwd)

[Elizabeth Ann Mitchell]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Mon, 6 May 2002 14:17:40 +0200
From: John Cooper <jcooper@botzoo.uct.ac.za>
To: seabird@groa.uct.ac.za, birdbycatch-list@fishlink.net
Subject: [SEABIRD] Toothfish Pirates move in on Mozambique

NOTE: not about seabirds as such but will be of interest to those 
working on or following the seabird/longline story, espeaailly in 
the Southern Ocean.

John Cooper

*************************************8

Fishing Pirates flaunt Toothfish regulations and move in on Mozambique

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


Cape Town, Thursday April 11, 2002:


The Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition (ASOC) has learnt that
Toothfish Pirates are moving in on the Southern African port of
Maputo, Mozambique in an attempt to avoid the regulations put in
place by the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine
Living Resources (CCAMLR) to conserve the species.  Information
gathered by ASOC-Southern Africa, ASOC-Latin America and ASOC member
Greenpeace in Australia, highlights that since the middle of March,
at least three suspected Pirate(1) fishing vessels have landed or
attempted to land Toothfish in Maputo. One is a known pirate vessel
with South African connections.  The other two vessels were sighted
in Antarctic waters claimed by Australia and fly the flag of a CCAMLR
member-state.

ASOC has information showing that a vessel called the 'Notre Dame'
flying a Bolivian flag offloaded 135 tonnes of Toothfish in Maputo in
mid-March.  The 'Notre Dame' is believed to be the formerly named
longliner 'Mare', which until the middle of last year flew a Namibian
flag and was allegedly managed by the South African fishing company
Hout Bay Fishing Industries.  Hout Bay Fishing Industries is
currently under investigation in South Africa for involvement in
illegal fishing for Patagonian Toothfish and other fish species.
Prior to being named the 'Mare' the vessel was owned by Hout Bay
Fishing and fished under the name of 'Mare Serenitiatis' for rock
lobster.

ASOC has been following the activities of the 'Mare' since February
of 2001 when it was docked in Cape Town harbour and used a tuna
long-line permit issued by Namibia to gear-up as a longliner.
Information obtained by ASOC indicated that the vessel was going
fishing for toothfish.  It did not have authorization from either
South Africa or Namibia to do so.

In May 2001, the Mare docked in Walvis Bay and offloaded over 40
tonnes of Toothfish without valid documentation indicating that it
was legally caught. Fish caught in CCAMLR waters require
documentation to ensure they are caught in accordance with CCAMLR
conservation measures. CCAMLR members must ensure that all Toothfish
entering their markets comes from a documented source.

In late July 2001, the Namibian government withdrew the Mare's
license to fish for tuna, on the basis that it had violated CCAMLR
Conservation Measures for the conservation of the Toothfish.  South
Africa and Namibia are the only two countries in Southern Africa that
are Party to this International Convention.  The vessel then seemed
to 'disappear' for a time, popping up in various Southern African
ports for bait and supplies.

Karen Sack, ASOC's Southern Africa Co-ordinator says, "the plunder
of the Toothfish in the Southern Ocean highlights the lengths to
which fishing pirates will go to access the lucrative international
market for endangered fish species.  Vessels seem to change names and
flags regularly, while their true owners hide behind shell companies
so as to avoid detection.'

Sack adds, 'the Mozambiquan government seems to be doing what it can
to ensure that Maputo does not become a haven for Toothfish Pirates.'
 She strongly urged the South African Government and CCAMLR to
provide support to Mozambique so that the Toothfish Pirates who have
been closed out of South Africa and Namibia, do not simply set up
shop in a neighbouring State.

According to Greenpeace Australia, two fishing vessels, believed to
be the same ships landing in Maputo were sighted in January this year
within Australian claimed Antarctic waters managed by CCAMLR. When
approached by Australian scientists on the Australian vessel the
Aurora Australis, the vessels said they were "looking around" and
denied any connection with fishing longlines found in the area. Both
vessels were flying false flags and bore false names.

The 'Arvisa 1'(2). and the 'Dorita', currently flagged to Uruguay -
a CCAMLR member, are denying they are the same vessels sighted in
January.  ASOC has learnt that the 'Arvisa 1' offloaded just over 100
tonnes of Toothfish in mid-March in Maputo.  Greenpeace has
photographic evidence of these vessels within CCAMLR waters, and yet
the pirates are saying they caught the fish outside of CCAMLR waters.

ASOC is very concerned that Uruguay may not be adequately 'policing'
those of its vessels fishing for Toothfish, thereby undermining
CCAMLR's attempts to conserve this species.  It also underlines the
need for Governments to ensure that established International
Agreements work together to regulate fishing activities that are
negatively impacting on high-demand fish species . ASOC believes that
the Convention on Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) has the muscle
to deal with such rogue states and could work hand in glove with
CCAMLR to effectively regulate the Toothfish trade and close-out
markets to illegally caught fish.  Countries like South Africa
(which is estimated to have lost over R3 billion in this resource to
pirate fishing since 1996) should move promptly to nominate Toothfish
for a CITES Appendix II listing.

Notes to Editor:

1. Pirate fishing vessels include those which engage in illegal,
unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing.

2. The 'Arvisa 1' (previously renamed the 'Camouco') has a notorious
history as a pirate vessel. She was caught by the French Navy
fishing illegally within French waters around the sub-Antarctic
Crozet Island in September 1999.

Contact:

ASOC Southern Africa Co-ordinator Karen Sack in Cape Town on + 27 +21 465
1289 or +27 +82 481 1061; e-mail: ksack@iafrica.com.



************************************************
Karen Sack

Co-ordinator, ASOC Southern Africa
PO Box 13371, Mowbray 7705, South Africa
Tel/Fax: +27 +21 465-1289
Mobile: +27 +82 481-1061
E-mail: ksack@iafrica.com

Website: www.asoc.org
**************************************************

___________________________________________________

                         John Cooper

                     Chief Research Officer            
                      Avian Demography Unit 
                Department of Statistical Sciences
                      University of Cape Town
                          Rondebosch 7701
                            South Africa

                      jcooper@botzoo.uct.ac.za
                   www.uct.ac.za/depts/stats/adu
                       Phone:  +27-21-650-3426
                       Fax:    +27-21-650-3434