Spanish Seiner Captain Prosecuted For Environmental Offensesff
7 October 2013
Spain
The government of the Basque area of Spain expects the release and return of two Basque fishermen that have been imprisoned in Senegal since August. The men have been prosecuted for environmental damage after the tuna purse seiner they were onboard crashed into rocks off the coast of Senegal.
Basque government spokesperson, Josu Erkoreka said that it is expected that the captain and skipper of Almadraba Uno will be “fully released to return home.â€
For now, the two crew members are detained in Senegal and will be tried for environmental damage offences after the ship ran aground in a protected marine area. Erkoreka said that the expectation of the outcome is positive and the opinion of the lawyers is optimistic.
The Basque government is in contact with the families of the two fishermen and the Foreign Ministry in order to try and resolve the situation.
The Galician company Calvo, which at first was mentioned as owner of the tuna vessel that ran aground, has said in a statement that the ship belongs to Tuna SA, in turn owned by Petusa.
A Calvo representative said that there had been no personal or environmental harm and hoped the ruling was in the favor of the fishermen.
