Twelve months ago, Interpol issued a purple notice for a toothfish poaching vessel called the “Thunder”. They issued this statement: Countries unite to identify illegal fishing vessel via INTERPOL Interpol: LYON, France – A joint effort by New Zealand, Australia and Norway to find a vessel suspected of illegal fishing has led to the publication of an INTERPOL Purple Notice to assist in identifying its location. Captain Paul Watson: Sea Shepherd located the “Thunder” on December 16th, 2014. It was identified and it was caught with more than 20 kilometres of gillnet in the water. Interpol states that the nations have united to identify this poacher yet none of these nations seem to be interested that Sea Shepherd has not only identified the poacher but has also escorted the vessel from the CCAMLR region and has seized the net. Instead of supporting this effort by Sea Shepherd, the Australian government is condemning Sea Shepherd’s intervention. Interpol: Circulated to all 190 INTERPOL member countries the Notice, requested by New Zealand supported by the Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) and the Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries, also seeks information about the individuals and networks which own, operate and profit from the suspected illegal activities of the vessel, currently believed to be called ‘Thunder’. Captain Paul Watson: Sea Shepherd believes that despite all the talk of apprehending the “Thunder” there is very little enthusiasm to actually stop the ship from operating. Why? Well, first the ship has reportedly earned more than $60 million U.S. from illegal fishing since 2006. That kind of money buys influence. In addition organized crime syndicates in Galicia, Spain involving Antonio and Toño Vidal and others own and operate many of these illegal poachers and may actually control the operations of the “Thunder.”What makes this interesting is that Vidal and other operators in Galicia have received millions of Euros in subsidies from the European Union. • Antonio Vidal and his son Toño, based in Riveira La Coruña, owning and/or controlling a group of Spanish and Uruguayan registered companies (including Navalmar SA, Iliad SRL, Lingont SA, Plestin SA, Kessel SA & Fadilur SA); and • Florindo Gonzalez Corral and Florindo Gonzales Otero, based in Orense, the owner/operators of Pesca Cisne SA, and Arcosmar SA registered in (Spain and Chile). Vidal has already been convicted in the U.S. Courts for poaching. Interpol: “Thunder has been operating under a number of names and flags over several years and we believe this is being done to avoid been caught violating international laws and conventions,” said Gary Orr, Manager, Operational Coordination with New Zealand’s Ministry for Primary Industries. “Fisheries crime is not constrained by borders and is commonly carried out by transnational organized networks. Norway is deeply concerned about its global effects. We need an international, coordinated response to effectively tackle these networks, and I welcome the good cooperation we have established with Australia and New Zealand via INTERPOL,” said Norway’s Minister of Fisheries, Elisabeth Aspaker. Captain Paul Watson: There simply is no organized, coordinated response. Sea Shepherd has demonstrated just how ridiculously easy it is to search out and locate these poaching operations. The Sea Shepherd ship “Bob Barker” located the “Thunder” just 10 days after departing from Hobart, Tasmania and Sea Shepherd does not have the sophisticated surveillance technology available to governments. Interpol: AFMA’s Fisheries Operations General Manager Peter Venslovas said illegal fishing activities seriously undermine the sustainability of fisheries: “Ongoing cooperation between countries across the globe to combat illegal fishing is having a real impact and making it harder for these operators to make a profit.” Captain Paul Watson: The demand for Chilean Sea Bass is high and the price is also high and this demand exceeds legal supplies. Therefore there is a real economic interest in receiving illegally caught toothfish. Interpol: It is possible that the owners of ‘Thunder’ have earned more than USD 60 million from its illegal fishing activities since it was blacklisted by the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) in February 2006. Captain Paul Watson: The question for us is this: If the “Thunder” is a vessel operated by criminal interests and has had an international notice from Interpol issued against it, and if Australia, New Zealand and Norway amongst other nations are so “concerned” that this vessel has been poaching, why are these governments not only being unhelpful but also hostile to Sea Shepherd’s intervention in actually stopping and shutting down this illegal operation? Interpol: The vessel is currently believed to be operating in the Southern Ocean around Antarctica where it may be fishing illegally for Patagonian toothfish, also known as Chilean Sea Bass, a highly sought after protected species. Captain Paul Watson: We can say today with absolute authority that the “Thunder” is no longer operating in the Southern Ocean. Its nets have been seized by the Sea Shepherd ship “Sam Simon” and the ship has now been escorted northward out of the CCAMLR region by the “Bob Barker.” interpol.int/News-and-media/News/2013/PR152
Posted on: Mon, 29 Dec 2014 23:40:05 +0000