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This ship had been at anchor for two months - this man - the 2nd mate - didn't know when help would arrive.
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Zizi - Greenpeace translator from China - shouts a greeting. A man
sticks his head out a door, then picks his way across the deck. He's
the 2nd mate, and says that he's waiting for a new crew, He doesn't
know when they'll arrive. The trawler itself has been anchored here for
three months.
We'd been told that there was a graveyard of abandoned pirate fishing vessels anchored here, 70 nautical miles (130km) off the coast of Guinea. We didn't expect to find living people on board the dying ships, in appalling conditions.
Earlier, on a functioning trawler, a group of young Chinese fisherman explain that some of them at have been at sea for two years, and that their trawler hasn't visited a port in eight. On other, anchored, ships we hear similar stories - of engines that don't work, of crews that never arrive, of engines that don't work. Some of them are running out of food, and don't know when supplies will come.
This is the hidden story behind pirate fishing - the conditions of near-slavery imposed by ruthless fishing companies in the rush for quick money. The men on board aren't pirates - they're the victims, left to rot on broken-down trawlers, half a world away from their families.
These trawlers might be engaged in illegal fishing activities, stealing fish from the countries of West Africa, but it seems that the fishermen themselves are just pawns of some brutal corporate policy, where human life is cheap, and profits take priority. These ships seldom, or ever, visit a port. They're re-supplied, refuelled, re-crewed and transhipped (unloaded) at sea.
The owners and crews don't seem to do any basic maintenance, apart from keeping the engine and winches running. There's no glass in the portholes, and the masts are a mess of useless wiring. These floating deathtraps don't carry any proper safety gear.
Fisheries inspectors have told us of where the fish actually goes. Caught by Chinese and other trawlers, it's transhipped to several different vessels. 'High value' stock goes to Las Palmas, in the Canaries and off to the dinner tables of Europe. The 'dirt' fish is transhipped to Africa. The Chinese fishermen, it seems, barely get a look in. 'Happiness' indeed.
Check out the crew blog for more details!
We'd been told that there was a graveyard of abandoned pirate fishing vessels anchored here, 70 nautical miles (130km) off the coast of Guinea. We didn't expect to find living people on board the dying ships, in appalling conditions.
Earlier, on a functioning trawler, a group of young Chinese fisherman explain that some of them at have been at sea for two years, and that their trawler hasn't visited a port in eight. On other, anchored, ships we hear similar stories - of engines that don't work, of crews that never arrive, of engines that don't work. Some of them are running out of food, and don't know when supplies will come.
This is the hidden story behind pirate fishing - the conditions of near-slavery imposed by ruthless fishing companies in the rush for quick money. The men on board aren't pirates - they're the victims, left to rot on broken-down trawlers, half a world away from their families.
These trawlers might be engaged in illegal fishing activities, stealing fish from the countries of West Africa, but it seems that the fishermen themselves are just pawns of some brutal corporate policy, where human life is cheap, and profits take priority. These ships seldom, or ever, visit a port. They're re-supplied, refuelled, re-crewed and transhipped (unloaded) at sea.
The owners and crews don't seem to do any basic maintenance, apart from keeping the engine and winches running. There's no glass in the portholes, and the masts are a mess of useless wiring. These floating deathtraps don't carry any proper safety gear.
Fisheries inspectors have told us of where the fish actually goes. Caught by Chinese and other trawlers, it's transhipped to several different vessels. 'High value' stock goes to Las Palmas, in the Canaries and off to the dinner tables of Europe. The 'dirt' fish is transhipped to Africa. The Chinese fishermen, it seems, barely get a look in. 'Happiness' indeed.
Check out the crew blog for more details!