Press release - 12 April, 2006
Greenpeace activists have gone aboard an illegal cargo vessel full of fish taken from Guinean waters. Greenpeace and the Environmental Justice Foundation have been following the Binar 4 for the last six days from West Africa to Europe and the activists will continue to “police” the vessel until Spanish authorities confiscate its illegal cargo. While the ship was waiting to enter port it was branded a pirate with the slogan “ Stolen Fish” painted five times across both sides of the hull.
Greenpeace activists paint 'STOLEN FISH' on the illegal cargo vessel Binar 4 full of fish taken from Guinean waters. Greenpeace and the Environmental Justice Foundation have been following the Binar 4 for the last six days from West Africa to Europe and will continue to 'police' the vessel until the Spanish authorities confiscate its illegal cargo.
The Binar 4 was documented by the environmental and human rights
groupson April 6th, illegally transferring fish caught in Guinean
waters. TheGreenpeace ship MY Esperanza then followed it to Las
Palmas, where itintended to launder the fish through the port and
onto the Europeanmarket.
"The Guinean authorities have confirmed this ship broke the law.
Wewill ensure that no further laws are broken before the
authorities inLas Palmas confiscate the stolen fish on board," said
Sarah Duthie,Oceans campaigner for Greenpeace.
More than 11,000 boxes of fish are on the Binar 4, taken from
one ofthe poorest regions in the world and the only place where
fishconsumption is falling. The authorities in Las Palmas have so
farrefused to authorize the landing of the illegal catch.
"We are encouraged to see that Spain and Guinea have taken
actionagainst this vessel and we hope that this is the beginning of
a moreeffective cooperation to improve control of pirate fishing
vesselsattempting to enter Las Palmas." Said Helene Bours of the
EnvironmentalJustice Foundation.
For the last three weeks Greenpeace and the Environmental
JusticeFoundation have carried out a joint investigation in West
Africa duringwhich over 100 vessels were documented. The evidence
gathered suggeststhat almost half the vessels observed were engaged
in, or linked toillegal fishing activities.
VVPR info: Contacts:On board the MY Esperanza: + 47 514 079 86Sara Holden: Greenpeace International CommunicationsSarah Duthie: Greenpeace UK, Oceans CampaignerHelene Bours: Environmental Justice Foundation Oceans CampaignerIn Las Palmas:Sebastian Losada: Greenpeace Spain, Oceans Campaigner: + 34 626998254Laura Perez: Greenpeace Spain Communications: + 34 626 998 251Photo and Video:Franca Michienzi: Greenpeace International Photo desk: +31 6 53819255Maarten van Rouveroy: Greenpeace International Video desk: +31 6 4619 7322