Pirate fishing: it ain't pretty.
For the last few weeks, we may have seemed a bit quiet. But now
we cantell youwe've been working undercover with a team from the
human rights groupEnvironmentalJustice Foundation (EJF).
Working in West African waters, we have unmasked a trail of
piratefishing and stolen food leading directly from Africa into
Europe andbeyond. In partnership with the Environmental Justice
Foundation, wehave unmasked 61 pirate vessels that are stealing
food from a poorcountry that is losing millions of dollars a year
in stolen fish.
From on board the Esperanza, we havedocumented 61
foreign-flagged vessels in the waters of West Africa. Ofthese, 19
had been involved in illegal fishing activities in the past.An
additional 21 could not be identified, as their names were
hidden.
Two Guinean enforcement officials, with powers of arrest,
havenow joined the Esperanza, which will continue to carry out
surveillanceoperations in the region.
Five unidentified vessels were spotted in waters inside
theGuinean 12 milezone - waters reserved for local fishermen. Local
fishermen simplycannot compete with these pirate ships. They have
been forced, often inunstable canoes, to fish further and further
from shore. Collisions arenot uncommon. Legitimate local fishermen
have died while the piratescontinue to steam further inshore.
We have also witnessed an illegal transfer of fish from
twovessels to a largerefrigerated vessel, or reefer. (Guinea
outlawed such transhipmentslast year.) Transhipping is one of the
major ways in which piratefishing fleets hide their catches and
launder them through Europe.
West Africa is the only region in the world where
fishconsumption is falling. According to an estimate from the the
UKDepartment for International Development, cash and food starved
nationslike Guinea are losing US$100 million each year in stolen
fish.
Internationally, pirate fishing is worth billions of USdollars a
year - 20 percent of the total fish catch. It is estimatedthat just
in sub-Saharan Africa it nets US$1billion dollars annually,while in
the waters of the Southern Ocean, up to 50 percent of thevaluable
Patagonian Toothfish may come from illegal activities. In theBaltic
Sea 40 percent of the cod caught in 2002 - 2003 was estimated
tohave been illegal.
Despite the fact that pirate fishing is devastating to oceanlife
and the livelihood of some of the world's poorest people, notenough
is being done to stop it.
Helene Bours of the EJF said, "It is complete hypocrisy for
governments to talk aboutencouraging aid to Africa at the same time
as allowing the food and income theyneed to be stolen."
Our Oceans Campaigner onboard, Sarah Duthie, said the
solutionmust come from governments taking action such as closing
ports topirate fishing vessels and making sure companies are
prosecuted.
Help us to ensure that governments stop just talking about
pirates and workactively to make piracy
history - sign up now as an Ocean Defender.