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The Spanish flagged vessel TXORI ARGI has been charged for illegal fishing in Mozambique EEZ
The Spanish flagged purse seiner TXORI ARGI has been inspected in Nacala port by the National Directorate of Surveillance and the Minister has set an administrative penalty of approximately Euros 1.2 million for illegal fishing in the Mozambique EEZ.
Since the start of the 2012 purse seine fishing season, the Spanish flagged vessel, TXORI ARGI, owned by the fishing company named “INPESCA S.A.” has been operating in the northern part of the Mozambican Channel. The vessel targets tuna species under the mandate of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission.
Under the Mozambican fisheries legislation, fishing vessels are obliged to carry onboard its fishing licence for Mozambique’s waters, and to provide detailed data on catch aboard the vessel upon entry and exit of the EEZ. Failure to have the license aboard the vessel prior to fishing and lack of a declaration of fish on board the vessel as it enters Mozambique’s EEZ are considered to be serious infractions. The Fisheries Agreement between the EU and Mozambique also notes that: “Community vessels shall notify, at least three hours in advance, the competent Mozambican authorities responsible for monitoring fishing of their intention to enter or leave Mozambique’s fishing zone and declare overall quantities and species on board”.
The TXORI ARGI did not send the mandatory entry report with catch onboard before entering Mozambique’s waters, nor did it have its fishing license on board the vessel. The vessel was found 20 nautical miles inside Mozambique’s Exclusive Economic Zone and noted its initial intention to travel to Madagascar and offload its fish prior to sailing to Nacala. The Ministry of Fisheries then ordered the vessel to proceed immediately to Nacala port for further investigation of its activities in Mozambique’s waters, and to not conduct any transhipment or other fishing operations. The fishing captain stated that: “As explanation kindly note that she was trying to take a small fish school in and due to a sea current she was managed into your waters with no one possibility to change her course”. The inspection found evidence to support the declaration from the vessels’ Captain. It is noted that the vessel had in excess of 1000 tonnes of fish aboard.
The fishing vessel arrived in Nacala and has been inspected by officials from the Directorate of Fisheries Surveillance. The Minister of Fisheries, after due consideration of all findings, has sent a notification to the Spanish authorities and company of his administrative penalty equating to Euros 1.2 million. Spanish officials are expected for final discussions on the case today, Monday 19th.
Compania Internacional de Pesca y Derivados SA (INPESCA), the company that owns the TXORI ARGI, also owns two vessels, TXORI UDIN and TXORI BERRI, which were suspected of fishing with falsified licenses in Liberian waters.
Photograph provided by the Ministry of Fisheries, Mozambique