Within the implementation of its port state control measures and the SADC IUU Statement of Commitment, the Mozambican Fisheries Authority has arrested an Iranian flagged fishing vessel for illegally fishing in Mozambique’s waters.

The Mozambican Fisheries Authority has intercepted one Iranian flagged fishing vessel, namely PAYAM, radio call sign 8895500, port of registry in Shilat Chabahar (Iran) after having called to Mozambican port. The vessel has entered inside Mozambican waters without authorization and called Inhambane port the 10 March 2010, where it has been arrested by the fisheries inspectors of the Inhambane Fisheries Provincial Directorate.

During the investigation, the captain has declared, the vessel entered into Mozambican waters from an unknown position after having steamed southward in Malagasy waters before calling to Inhambane port. The captain also declared he was following instructions of the owner of the vessel and from a Nigerian citizen based in Maputo. The captain declared he threw overboard 8 tons of fish and he didn’t know where the fish were caught. The fishing vessel had no logbook onboard and the crew members had no identification documents. A drift net of 9 km long was found onboard and seized by the inspectors.

The owner and the captain of the PAYAM were fined 45.000 USD for fishing without fishing licence into Mozambican waters, for having no logbook onboard and for having failed to comply with entry/exit EEZ reporting into the Mozambican waters. The 9 kilometres driftnet has been seized and destroyed.

The Mozambican Fisheries Authority is patrolling regularly its waters with the maritime patrol vessel KUSWAG under the command of the newly established MCS unit in Beira and participate actively to regional fisheries patrols organized in the framework of the SADC fisheries protocol and the EU funded Regional Fishery Surveillance project managed by the Indian Ocean Commission.

The apprehension of the vessel PAYAM comes after the Mozambican Authority seized the Namibian-flagged longliner, ANTILLAS REEFER in 2008 for fishing illegally in the Mozambican waters. This apprehension demonstrates the commitment and the determination of the Mozambican government to eradicate IUU fishing in the Southern part of the Indian Ocean. To increase its control and surveillance effort, the Ministry of Fisheries is considering to renovate the ANTILLAS REEFER into a modern long range patrol vessel in order to patrol its EEZ more efficiently with the objective to contribute actively to the eradication of IUU fishing activities in its waters and the Region.

Photography courtesy of Ministry of Fisheries, National Directorate of Fisheries Administration, Mozambique

Source: Ministerio das Pescas/ Ministry of Fisheries – Mozambique