Crew members from the Esperanza are on the Africa Queen inflatable boat, alongside an anchored trawler. This ship is more rust than metal - it's literally rotting away. The foredeck is covered in broken machinery. The fish deck is littered with frayed cables, and the mast lies horizontally, hanging over the starboard side. A large rusty Chinese character hangs on railings above the bridge, facing forward. It reads 'happiness'.
This ship had been at anchor for two months - this man - the 2nd mate - didn't know when help would arrive.
Zizi - Greenpeace translator from China - shouts a greeting. A
mansticks his head out a door, then picks his way across the deck.
He'sthe 2nd mate, and says that he's waiting for a new crew, He
doesn'tknow when they'll arrive. The trawler itself has been
anchored here forthree months.
We'd been told that there was a graveyard of abandoned pirate
fishingvessels anchored here, 70 nautical miles (130km) off the
coast ofGuinea. We didn't expect to find living people on board the
dyingships, in appalling conditions.
Earlier, on a functioning trawler, a group of young Chinese
fishermanexplain that some of them at have been at sea for two
years, and thattheir trawler hasn't visited a port in eight. On
other, anchored, shipswe hear similar stories - of engines that
don't work, of crews thatnever arrive, of engines that don't work.
Some of them are running outof food, and don't know when supplies
will come.
This is the hidden story behind pirate fishing - the conditions
ofnear-slavery imposed by ruthless fishing companies in the rush
forquick money. The men on board aren't pirates - they're the
victims,left to rot on broken-down trawlers, half a world away from
theirfamilies.
These trawlers might be engaged in illegal fishingactivities,
stealing fish from the countries of West Africa, but itseems that
the fishermen themselves are just pawns of somebrutal corporate
policy, where human life is cheap, and profits takepriority.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 theengine and winches running. There's no glass
in the portholes, and themasts are a mess of useless wiring. These
floating deathtraps don'tcarry 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
severaldifferent vessels. 'High value' stock goes to Las Palmas, in
theCanaries and off to the dinner tables of Europe. The 'dirt' fish
istranshipped to Africa. The Chinese fishermen, it seems, barely
get alook in. 'Happiness' indeed.
Check out the crew blog for more details!
Ocean Defender TV
Check out the new video blog from off the coast of Guinea where Sara reveals what we've really been up to lately