Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Fisheries Minister Jim Anderton informed that an international fishing company caught supporting Southern Ocean illegal fishing can now be named and shamed after an attempt in the High Court to gag the government failed. Anderton told that illegal fishing is a serious threat to global fisheries and this case shines a light on the problem of illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing in the Southern Ocean.
Peters explained that the Namibian-flagged fishing vessel Paloma V wanted to unload toothfish in Auckland in May. Its owner, Omunkete Fishing Limited took the government to court because it wanted to stop us reporting it to the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), and recommending its vessel be put on the illegal fishing blacklist.
According to Peters blacklisting would prevent illegal fishing in future from entering the ports of the 34 countries that have signed the CCAMLR convention. Anderton told that the boat was examined by Fishery officers and information was found linking it to illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. He further informed that the boat’s computer records revealed that it had contact with known illegal fishing vessels and had re-supplied them at sea.
Anderton explained that the result of the case confirms the strength of New Zealand’s inspection regime and should send a strong signal to any foreign vessel intending to make use of New Zealand ports for illegal fishing. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Ministry of Fisheries have been working together and with other Pacific nations to co-ordinate the fight against illegal fishing who undermine the sustainability of fisheries and international management measures, says Anderton.
