![]() ![]() It was determined that the fleet of vessels was operating in the South Indian Ocean since September, 2015. The catch comprised mainly of blue sharks but also numerous non-target species of smaller pelagic fish, critically endangered Bluefin tuna, dolphins and seals.įollowing the initial interaction with the fleet, Sea Shepherd began an intelligence gathering into the activities of the fleet. The crew of the Steve Irwin documented the activities of the vessels and confiscated a 4 kilometre section of their gear, in which the bodies of 321 animals were recorded. The “Rogue 6” vessels, registered to China, were determined to be using large-scale pelagic driftnets, a type of fishing gear banned by a United Nations moratorium in 1992. ![]() The Steve Irwin acted on this information when it departed from Fremantle, Western Australia on the 18th of Janaury, 2016.Ī week later, when the Steve Irwin intercepted the vessels, they turned out to be a fleet of 6 vessels fishing in the high seas of the South Indian Ocean. The blog entry mentioned a fleet of vessels displaying unusual behaviour in the South Indian Ocean. The presence of the fleet first appeared via a blog entry made by SkyTruth, an organisation that maps fishing activity using satellite Automatic Identification System (AIS). Given that the Chinese authorities are choosing to proceed without the evidence, I can only hope that the electronic submissions made to the authorities over the past 3 months have provided them with sufficient evidence to successfully conduct the investigation and find the perpetrators of these fisheries crimes guilty.” However, the offer has been turned down by the authorities who have instead decided to undertake a private investigation.Ĭampaign leader Siddharth Chakravarty said, “The evidence on board the Steve Irwin forms the most crucial part of the upcoming investigation. Sea Shepherd has offered to hand over the evidence in this case, comprising of 4 kilometres of driftnet, marking beacons, physical sightings, in addition to eye-witnesses, photographs and log-book entries, to the Chinese authorities. Over the last 3 months, Sea Shepherd has provided the authorities with undeniable proof of this fleet’s engagement in illegal fishing with their operations violating 11 different International regulations and Chinese law. The 6 illegal fishing vessels of the Fu Yuan Yu fleet are now in China and the final investigation into their fisheries crimes is now in the hands of the Chinese authorities. Final outcome of illegal driftnet vessels rests with the Chinese authorities ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |