By Atuna
South African Department of Environmental Affairs has requested Vanuatu tuna ship “Balena†to be included in the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) list of IUU vessels.
According to the Director of Marine and Costal Management, Razeena Omar, in May of 2009 the vessel “Balenaâ€, under Vanuatu flag, sailed to the Cape Town Harbour, as a result of mutiny by the crew on board the vessel. The ship was intercepted by several South African authorities and detained for further investigation.
Even though the skipper declared that it was fishing for tuna in the Indian Ocean without any authorization for its flag country - Vanuatu - it had requested a permit to fish in the South African EEZ, making it impossible for the country to take any legal action.
However, the skipper has underreported the vessel’s cargo by approximately 15 tons and the company he worked for - Longbow Fishery Co. - had to pay a large fine. Despite the payment, South African authorities still believe that the vessel should be reported as IUU by the Commission.
Members and the IOTC Secretariat will have the final word on that matter during the Commission’s next meeting in March.