Namibian vessel seized

A SECOND Namibian fishing vessel has been seized for alleged illegal fishing – this time in Mozambican waters.

The Antillas Reefer is owned by Omunkete Fishing, which also owns the Paloma V, the vessel seized by New Zealand in May for alleged illegal fishing in the Southern Ocean. According to the Mozambican news agency, Agencia de Informaçao de Moçambique, a licensed Mozambican fishing vessel alerted their authorities to the presence of the Namibian-flagged Antillas Reefer off the coast of the central province of Zambezia on June 23.The country’s fisheries authority investigated and ordered the ship to head south and dock in Maputo habour.The ship and its 36-member crew, most of them said to be Spanish, arrived in Maputo on July 5.Fishing inspectors found 43 tonnes of sharks, four tonnes of shark fin, 1,8 tonnes of shark tail, 11,3 tonnes of shark liver and 20 tonnes of shark oil.The total value of the catch was put at around N$38 million.Also found on board, according to the agency’s report, were 65 tonnes of bait (frozen squid and fish), and “illegal fishing gear”.The vessel was using long lines, with anchors and weights that could keep the lines at depths of up to two kilometres, allowing the vessel to catch deep-sea sharks.”The ship was unlicensed, it was taking species that may not be fished in Mozambican waters, and it was using banned gear.In addition, the captain’s statements about the cargo proved to be untrue – he seriously understated the quantity of shark fins and liver on board,” the report said.The Mozambican Fisheries Ministry fined the ship’s owner N$34 million and confiscated the ship and everything on board.The Director of Fishing Operations in the Namibian Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources, Peter Amutenya, yesterday told The Namibian that the Antillas Reefer belonged to Omunkete Fishing, the owners of the Paloma V seized in New Zealand in May.The Paloma V had tried to offload 100 tonnes of toothfish and 83 tonnes of nurse shark at a New Zealand harbour.New Zealand authorities have called for an international ban of the Paloma V.”The news of Antillas Reefer is very discouraging and a serious concern to Namibian fisheries,” Amutenya said yesterday.”It’s not good, seeing that the same company crossed paths with the law in New Zeeland not so long ago.”He said the Mozambican authorities would forward their findings to the Namibian fisheries authorities, after which “the consequences will be discussed”.Amutenya, who is also the Chairman of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), said the Antillas Reefer and Paloma V were the only two Namibian vessels to have been a granted a special licence by CCAMLR.The arrest of the Antillas Reefer comes only a few weeks after an illegal fishing conference was held in Windhoek, at which Namibia and seven other coastal SADC countries agreed on tough measures to curb illegal fishing and the landing and marketing of such catches at their ports.The Namibian tried to obtain comment from James van Zyl of Omunkete Fishing yesterday, but there was no answer.According to the Mozambican news agency, Agencia de Informaçao de Moçambique, a licensed Mozambican fishing vessel alerted their authorities to the presence of the Namibian-flagged Antillas Reefer off the coast of the central province of Zambezia on June 23.The country’s fisheries authority investigated and ordered the ship to head south and dock in Maputo habour.The ship and its 36-member crew, most of them said to be Spanish, arrived in Maputo on July 5.Fishing inspectors found 43 tonnes of sharks, four tonnes of shark fin, 1,8 tonnes of shark tail, 11,3 tonnes of shark liver and 20 tonnes of shark oil.The total value of the catch was put at around N$38 million.Also found on board, according to the agency’s report, were 65 tonnes of bait (frozen squid and fish), and “illegal fishing gear”.The vessel was using long lines, with anchors and weights that could keep the lines at depths of up to two kilometres, allowing the vessel to catch deep-sea sharks. “The ship was unlicensed, it was taking species that may not be fished in Mozambican waters, and it was using banned gear.In addition, the captain’s statements about the cargo proved to be untrue – he seriously understated the quantity of shark fins and liver on board,” the report said.The Mozambican Fisheries Ministry fined the ship’s owner N$34 million and confiscated the ship and everything on board.The Director of Fishing Operations in the Namibian Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources, Peter Amutenya, yesterday told The Namibian that the Antillas Reefer belonged to Omunkete Fishing, the owners of the Paloma V seized in New Zealand in May.The Paloma V had tried to offload 100 tonnes of toothfish and 83 tonnes of nurse shark at a New Zealand harbour.New Zealand authorities have called for an international ban of the Paloma V.”The news of Antillas Reefer is very discouraging and a serious concern to Namibian fisheries,” Amutenya said yesterday.”It’s not good, seeing that the same company crossed paths with the law in New Zeeland not so long ago.”He said the Mozambican authorities would forward their findings to the Namibian fisheries authorities, after which “the consequences will be discussed”.Amutenya, who is also the Chairman of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), said the Antillas Reefer and Paloma V were the only two Namibian vessels to have been a granted a special licence by CCAMLR.The arrest of the Antillas Reefer comes only a few weeks after an illegal fishing conference was held in Windhoek, at which Namibia and seven other coastal SADC countries agreed on tough measures to curb illegal fishing and the landing and marketing of such catches at their ports.The Namibian tried to obtain comment from James van Zyl of Omunkete Fishing yesterday, but there was no answer.