Spanish tuna boats continue to operate in the fishing grounds, which are close to Iraq war zone, reported Spanish fleet recently.
Several reefer carriers, which are based in Vigo, transport fish from the proximity of the war zone. Proximity refers to a distance of about 600 kilometers southwest of the coast of the Arabic peninsula, where among other countries Saudi Arabia and Omán are located, and more to the north, Iraq. The super seiner "Albacora Cuatro†fishes at 600 kilometers from Saudi Arabia.
In this fishing zone, currently about 20 Spanish purse seiners and another 15 seiners with French flag are catching yellowfin and skipjack tuna. According to Julio Morón, from the Spanish Tuna Boatowners Organization OPAGAC, at the moment the captains of the fishing vessels have not observed any of important movements of battle ships.
The captain of super seiner Albacora Cuarto, Alberto Jiménez, confirmed from East Indian Ocean (about the 300 kilometers of the coast of Somalia) "absolute" tranquility at that location and point of time. He affirmed that the only thing that they have seen to date is “ an enormous flow of oil supertankers brought closer to the coast of the Arabic peninsula and the gulf of Adén."
Crews are keeping up to date on the Iraq war by listening to Radio Exterior of Spain, which has a global reach. At sea they do not receive any television signal.
The captain of the “Albacora Cuatro†adds that they are paying special attention to the oil tankers, because within this zone there is a marine freeway towards the coast of Africa ". In his opinion the reason why hardly any military ships are seen in their fishing zone is that the U.S.A. has naval base Diego GarcÃa to the east of where is the tuna fleet is active. This way the sea corridor of the west is currently hardly used as a route by battle ships of the Anglo-American Navy. "When we are in port, at the Seychelles, we watch CNN", captain Alberto Jiménez summarizes.