Sea Shepherd Commences Recovery of Illegal Gillnet
December 26th, 2014
Sea Shepherd Locates And Commences
Recovery of Illegal Gillnet Abandoned by
Thunder
Yesterday, December 25, at
approximately 1326 AEDT, the Sea Shepherd conservation ship,
Sam Simon, located a discarded gillnet at 62° 16’ South,
081° 14’ East, inside the Commission for the Conservation
of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) area of
management.
Using the coordinates and photographic
evidence provided by fellow Sea Shepherd ship, the Bob
Barker, Sam Simon Captain Sid Chakravarty was able to
identify the gillnet – a method of fishing outlawed by
CCAMLR since 2004 - as the property of the Interpol-listed
vessel, Thunder.
The gillnet was abandoned by the
Nigerian-flagged Thunder when it fled from the Bob Barker on
December 17, after the poaching vessel was found inside the
CCAMLR area of management without a license to fish.
The
crew of the Sam Simon is now in the process of removing the
illegal gillnet from the Antarctic waters. They will
document the marine life killed in the net, and provide this
as evidence to authorities as a part of an ongoing effort to
see the Thunder prosecuted.
“A known criminal operator
like Thunder has no place in Antarctica, or anywhere else in
our oceans. By removing her illegally set gillnets we are
putting a huge dent in the $60 million profits that her
owners and operators have illicitly made over the years. We
want to ensure that this vessel is completely disabled -
logistically, financially and legally - and that its reign
of terror is brought to a definitive end,” said Captain
Chakravarty.
Captain Chakravarty further added, “It is
Sea Shepherd’s responsibility to retrieve this gear, as
abandoned gillnets eventually turn into a ‘ghost nets.’
Set adrift in the Southern Ocean, they wreak havoc, killing
indiscriminately and indefinitely – not only vulnerable
toothfish, but protected sea birds, whales, seals and other
deep dwelling marine life. Such destructive fishing methods,
which undermine conservation measures, have no place in this
pristine ecosystem.”
Once the recovery process has been
completed, Captain Chakravarty will report to Interpol,
CCAMLR, the Australian Fisheries Management Authority and
the Australian Federal Police with details of Thunder’s
illegal catch. The Sam Simon will then join the Bob Barker
to accompany the Thunder back to port, to demand that the
relevant authorities investigate the poaching
vessel.
Despite the fact that the use of gillnets is
outlawed by CCAMLR, the Commission has expressed concerns
regarding the impact of this fishing method, which is still
used by Illegal, Unregulated and Unreported (IUU) fishing
vessels.
Sea Shepherd hopes that the information provided
to CCAMLR will help to mitigate the current deficiency in
data regarding the catches of IUU vessels.
The Bob Baker
has been in pursuit of the Thunder for ten days, preventing
the poaching vessel from engaging in further illegal fishing
activity.
Operation Icefish is Sea Shepherd’s 11th
Southern Ocean Defence Campaign, and the first to target IUU
toothfish fishing operators in the waters of Antarctica.
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About Sea Shepherd
Australia
Sea Shepherd
Australia is a non-profit conservation organisation whose
mission is to end the destruction of habitat and slaughter
of wildlife in the world’s oceans in order to conserve and
protect ecosystems and species. Sea Shepherd Australia uses
innovative direct-action tactics to investigate, document,
and take action when necessary to expose and confront
illegal activities on the high seas. By safeguarding the
biodiversity of our delicately balanced oceanic ecosystems,
Sea Shepherd Australia works to ensure their survival for
future generations. Visit www.seashepherd.org.au for more
information.