Stolen tuna in the hold

Photo | May 9, 2008

Refrigerated vessels known as reefers can be the ‘poacher’s pockets’ for pirate fishermen, mixing legitimate catches with illegal hauls. The hold of the Philippine flagged Kenken 888 was full of juvenile yellowfin and skipjack tuna from six different ships and was seen close to a known pirate fishing vessel. It is estimated that in addition to the legitimate known catch in the Western Central Pacific, a further 36% is taken by illegal boats. A first step to make piracy history is to ban trans shipments at sea.

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