Source: Ennahar
Four Algerians, including two officials of the Department of Fisheries and five Turks, accused of illegal fishing of bluefin tuna in Algerian waters, were sentenced Monday to 3 years in prison by a court of Annaba, said a judicial source.
The case dates back to June 2009 when a Turkish tuna and two tugboats flying the Turkish flag and the El Djazair, an Algerian fishing boat were arrested by the Coast Guard in the waters off Annaba (600 km east of Algiers).
The Turkish ship pulled in its wake a huge cage in which 210 tons of live bluefin tuna have been discovered.
The investigation revealed, according to the indictment, that an illegal transfer of 210 tons of live bluefin tuna had been made between El Djazair belonging to an Algerian private owner and three Turkish vessels AQUADEM 2 Abdi Baba 3, Serter Ahmed 1.
The Secretary General of the Algerian Ministry of Fisheries Boudamous Fateh, and the central director of fishing Kamel Alem, were sentenced for “influence peddlingâ€, “forgery and false using†and “corruptionâ€.
Two Algerian owners were also sentenced, one for “conspiracy and smuggling†and the second for “fishing without permission,†while five Turkish owners were convicted of “illegal, counterfeit and forgery†and “smugglingâ€.
A fine of more than 72 million dinars (720,000 euros) was imposed on the owners and another nearly 80 million euros, representing the damage caused to public property, was decided against the nine accused. The court also ordered the confiscation of vessels.
The Algerian Ministry of Fisheries decided on March 14, 2010 to exclude “foreign operators†of the next fishing season of bluefin tuna in waters under its jurisdiction in favor of national tuna.
This action follows the decision of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), which brings together States fishermen, “not to award the fishing of this species to third countries and each country must lower its quota by using its own means,†the ministry said.