Source: Times of Malta
The Ministry for Resources and Rural Affairs, Valletta in Malta has released a press statement in which it reacts on the recent attack by Sea Shepherd by which the organization released 800 bluefin tunas. The Ministery says it confirms its commitment to the rule of law, and calls the actions by Sea Shpeherd and Greenpeace illegal. Below the full text of the press release:
In this regard, the ministry once again reiterates that the tuna fishery takes place in accordance with strict rules laid down by the ICCAT (International Commission for the Control of Atlantic Tuna) and the European Union regulations.
The verification process of these fishing activities is rigorous. This highly depends on the administration of the strict rules which stipulate that an independent observer is to be present on the vessels which will be fishing for tuna to ensure that the rules are being observed. In the case of the fish released illegitimately by the Sea Shepherd crew, the catches were made by authorised Libyan purse seiners registered on the ICCAT website, in the presence of a regional observer on board each purse seiner during the fishing activity. It has to be pointed out that the regional observers on board did not report any irregularities. Moreover, the fishing operation was carried out in line with the current ICCAT recommendations.
It needs to be emphasised that the rules do not require an observer to be present on the vessels which are solely transporting the cages. This is because carrying cages from one place to another does not include and can never include a fishing activity since tug boats are not even equipped for fishing activities. In the case of the tuna involved in the incidents with the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, Maltese authorities confirm that all documents, as are required by the regulations, were on board the vessels. These documents are verified by Maltese authorities once a request is presented for the fish to be placed in the cage in Maltese waters.
In the spirit of the leader's argument, it must be pointed out that the Sea Shepherd or Greenpeace are not regulatory authorities and therefore have no right to take the law in their own hands on the basis of a suspicion. In cases of suspicion all organisations, should seek to report any suspicious fishing to the international regulatory authority - ICCAT, to European Union authorities and local ones, in Malta's case the Fisheries Control Department, and these authorities will undertake these investigations. It is only in this way that it can be ascertained that the rules and laws are being respected by one and all.