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Angola joins the regional effort to combat IUU fishing
The fishing vessel ‘Ray’, previously known by the names ‘Kily’, ‘Constant’ and ‘Tropic’ is being detained by the Angolan Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries due to its listing as an IUU fishing vessel by two Regional Fisheries Management Organisations (RFMOs). The Ministry has requested more information in relation to the vessel in order to complete the on-going investigation. The vessel is currently in the port of Luanda, having sailed there from Singapore to collect her Angolan fishing license.
In March, the TM Foundation noted that the IUU listed vessel had changed name, flag and owner. The vessel was formerly known as ‘Kily’, ‘Constant’ and ‘Tropic’ and has previously been flagged to South Africa and Equatorial Guinea. The vessel transmitted the name ‘Ray’ and flag ‘Belize’ from its AIS in Singapore harbour and was later tracked on its journey towards southern Africa.
The vessel is presently flagged to Belize and owned by the Panamanian registered company Belfast Global S.A. They acquired the vessel in late 2011 (HIS Fairplay reports the vessel sold in February 2012). They state that the vessel had been idle in the port of Singapore since 2009 and Belfast Global S.A. had converted the longliner into a gillnet vessel with the intention to target hake and other demersal fish within Angolan waters.
The vessel is on the IUU vessel list of both the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) and the South East Atlantic Fisheries Organisation (SEAFO). Angola is a member of SEAFO, and is acting under its commitments to thisorganisation.
It was in October 2007 that the SEAFO Commission adopted a conservation measure (08/06) to help to reduce IUU fishing in the whole of Atlantic Ocean: SEAFO decided to list IUU vessels that are in the IUU lists of three other RFMOs; the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organisation (NAFO), the Northeast Atlantic Fisheries Commission (NEAFC) and CCAMLR.
The vessel, then "Tropic" was also found on aninternal phone list onboard the F/V Antillas Reefer when the vessel was arrested in Mozambique on the 18th of April 2008 – indicating possible linksbetween the two vessels.
Angola has confirmed that the vessel will be held until further investigations have been completed.
Stop Illegal Fishing commends Angola’s commitment and determination to combat IUU fishing.
The story was initially reported by the TM Foundation a partner cooperating with Stop Illegal Fishing to bring an end to illegal fishing.