Five crew members are missing following a collision between Gambian-flagged trawler Right Whale and the Spanish-owned Tafra 3, which has been operating under the flag of Mauritania.
‘It is with deep sadness that we report the sinking of our vessel Tafra 3 in Mauritanian waters, a tragic event that claimed the lives of five crew members,’ a spokesperson for owners Baipesca Fish stated.
The collision took place when the 105-metre Right Whale collided with the starboard side of Tafra 3.
According to reports from Spain, Tafra 3 sank so quickly that there was no opportunity for the crew to deploy liferafts. 21 survivors of the sinking were picked up.
A video sequence obtained by Voz de Galicia and taken on board Right Whale shows the collision played out, with Tafra 3’s trawl warps clearly visible, indicating that the vessel was engaged in fishing.
The sequence shows Tafra 3 caught across Right Whale’s bow for more than a minute before coming to a halt and Tafra 3 drifting free, with a large gash ripped in it starboard side.
Right Whale is one of a number of pelagic vessels operated in African waters by Maltese company Ocean Whale Company. The trawler is one of a series of Soviet-era factory trawlers built in the USSR and named after whale species.
The skipper and chief officer of Right Whale are reported to have been placed under arrest as an investigation into the collision takes place.
