Feature story - March 30, 2006
Just 24 hours after the Esperanza took part in the arrest of a pirate fishing vessel at sea off the coast of Guinea in West Africa, Greenpeace activists exposed twelve pirate fishing vessels in Lithuania -- including our old friends "The Rostock Girls". The hulls of the vessels were painted with the banner “Stop pirate fishing”. We are demanding that Lithuania refuses blacklisted pirate vessels - and it looks like they are listening.
The blacklisted ship Juanitain the port of Klaipeda.
Activists paint the blacklisted ship the "Tifus" with "Stop pirate fishing" in Lithuania.
We catch up with the "Rostock Girls", pirate ships blacklisted for illegal fishing, in the port of Klaipedia, Lithuania.
This action is already the third against the very same trawlers.
You might remember our "Spanish chorus line" - we exposed the
blacklisted Georgian-flagged trawlers Eva, Isabella, Juanita and
Rosita in
Rostock harbour earlier this year, along with their sister-ship
Carmen as it tried to get service at the Polish shipyard in
Swinouscie earlier this month.
After talks with the Lithuanian fisheries inspectors, it seems
they are happy to have our help. We will be working with them, and
they have indicated that if our friend the Carmen approaches, she
won't get a warm welcome.
The port of Klaipeda currently hosts twelve vessels which have
been blacklisted by the EU, the North-East Atlantic Fisheries
Commission or Norway for involvement in illegal fishing. Klaipeda's
port is notorious for its poor feedback and registration system,
which enables pirate vessels and convenience-flagged ships to land
their illegally caught fish in Lithuania.
Our oceans campaigner Truls Gulowsen said, "It is completely
unacceptable that EU member states like Lithuania violate EU law by
giving these pirate ships shelter, fuel, service and
assistance."
Something fishy
According to a Swedish TV4 documentary in January a significant
proportion of the fishing in the Barents Sea is illegal and
unregistered with shady links to the Russian mafia and
Western fish product companies. Research carried out by
Greenpeace revealed that illegally caught cod sold by the companies
Kangamuit and Ocean Trawlers ended up on the European market in
well known supermarket chains and retailers.
Out of Africa
While the demonstration took place in Klaipeda, the Esperanza
was due to arrive in the West African port of Conakry,
having escorted a pirate fishing vessel from the fishing
grounds back to shore. The captain of the pirate vessel admitted
his catch was being sent to Las Palmas - the fish laundering
capital of the world. The Lian Run is also part of a family of
vessels some of which fish illegally and some of which have been
abandoned out to sea off the coast of Guinea, leaving
crew on board rusting death traps for months on end waiting for
a supply ship for food and fuel.
Ocean Defenders TV
Check out new footage of the Esperanza arresting pirates off the coast of Guinea, West Africa